Stéphanie Yared: Color and Life

Stéphanie Yared is a beautiful soul that I had the fortune to meet, not too long ago. Everything about her is inspiring and colorful, from her outfits, to her hair, and definitely her art work. Her expertise lie in art direction, illustration, and graphic design, and her work is a mix of sketches, collages, digital art, and photography. In a personal description of herself, she sums it up with this quote by Marcel Duchamp, "I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste".

Here is a little chat we had...

Marilyn: The girl with the voice and the smiles

I first met Marilyn Kasparian at a gig featuring November (Zee Karkabi on guitar and vocals, and Marilyn on vocals) at Nova Club, back in 2013. That is 3 years of beautiful music I've been enjoying, and 3 years of friendship with this beautiful soul. She has evolved so much since then, musically and otherwise, and she now performs as her self-titled music project, Marilyn, alongside some great musicians, Alan Abi Sleiman, Guy Ramy, and Zee Karkabi. Marilyn's drive and dedication is admirable, and her talent is truly enjoyable. I sat down with her for a little chat about her musical work, and this is what she had to say.

Zee Karkabi: "is.it.time:yet?" in the making...

Strumming his guitar and belting out heartfelt tunes at our local watering holes, Zee is definitely an example of true talent. His talent doesn't just stop at that. With months and months of hard work, he is just about ready to release his debut album.

Roswell: Ghaith talks Roswell, Dubai, and beyond.

Roswell is one of the local Lebanese bands that I listened to during my teenage years. One of the very first rock gigs I attended was an event that they were a part of. After over 10 years, I am very proud and happy to see that they have come this far!

Ghaith El Horr, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Roswell, has been with the band from the start. Over the past 10+ years, a lot has changed for the band, from lineup to popularity. They have grown big, playing handfuls of gigs across Lebanon and the Middle East. In 2006, they released their first album, "Reflections". Their second release came in 2011 and is entitled "Out of Reach". Back in October 2012, they opened for Keane, the legendary international Rock band, for their concert at Forum De Beyrouth. Most recently, in 2015,  came their third release, "Unravelling New Beginnings".

With a vibrant history and a bright future, Roswell is definitely one of the best, most humble and loyal local bands out there. After attending their latest gig in Dubai, at the Music Room (which was awesome!), I got in touch with Ghaith. Here's what he had to say...

My Rebuttal To "Nobody wants to stay in Lebanon. It's a miserable life"

“Nobody wants to stay in Lebanon. It’s a miserable life” – This is the title of an article that showed up on my Facebook newsfeed Wednesday morning. My first reaction was sadness, because with the current political situation in the country and the region in general, many people are truly finding it hard to get by in Lebanon. However, as I clicked on the link to read more, my sadness turned into disgust and outrage. Where did Mr. Shaheen get his information? Where are the numbers, the statistics, and the hard facts?

Sarah Younes: Taking On Rome

Sarah Younes

 As a lot of Lebanese artists, Sarah relocated to  Europe in order to pursue her dreams, but she  still keeps Lebanon in her heart and in her  work.

 Her art is raw and stems from a mix of  inspirations. Starting as a Graphic Design and  Multimedia student at Notre Dame University  in Lebanon, she moved on to study at the  Rome University of Fine Arts in Rome, Italy.  There, she has made a name for herself among  the local and expat art community by  exhibiting her work and taking on several  interesting projects. 


As I am also currently living in Rome, I am happy to say I got to see one of her exhibitions, and I could not be prouder, for she is spreading the face of Lebanese talent and art abroad, instead of the face of corruption and violence which Lebanon is mostly known for overseas.

Sarah has been a good friend of mine ever since our teenage years, and I am very proud to be sharing her work and a little bit about her background.

Hello from Rome

Month #4 in the Eternal City...