Music Mondays | Mashrou’ Leila
Hamed Sinno of Mashrou’ Leila
Image | Schorle, Wikimedia Commons
Mashrou’ Leila (translated as “Leila’s Project” and sometimes written Mashrou3 Leila) is undoubtedly one of the most well-known contemporary musical groups from the Middle East. The four band members Hamed Sinno, Carl Gerges, Haig Papazian, and Firas Abou Fakher met while studying architecture at the American School Beirut in 2008. The indie band’s songs tackle socially-conscious themes such as civil rights, LGBTQ experiences, politics, violence, and addiction. Because of what they talk about in songs, Mashrou’ Leila has faced backlash from more conservative groups and been passed up for gigs, but they continue to stay true to themselves. Hamed Sinno’s incredible voice conveys pain, joy, and grief in a way that defies the language barrier for non-Arabic-speakers. The band’s sound has evolved from an alternative rock style to exploring more electronic elements, but the songs remain emotional, often heart-wrenching, and very catchy. I went to see this band with my mom in 2019 during their tour to promote their “Beirut School” album—a best-of, with a couple new singles. Although I can’t understand Arabic, their performance was a touching experience.
“Habibi” really showcases Hamed Sinno’s vocal abilities. “Bint el Khandaq” is a song from the band’s fourth album, Ibn el Leil, and the accompanying video shows an experience quite like the one I had in fall of 2019. The music video from “Roman” was directed by Jessy Moussallem and gives a better idea of what the song is about if you turn on subtitles. “Marrikh” is an absolutely heart-wrenching song about drug use and mental health. When they played this song, they had everyone put their phones away and “just be” with the music…to feel it. Their live performance of this song tore through my soul, especially when Hamed Sinno belted the chorus. The rendition below, with an organ and choir, is truly transcendent.
At the end of this article I have also included an interview with the band that also has some more music, if you like what you hear and want to learn more about Mashrou’ Leila and their music.
“Habibi” (“Darling”)
”Bint el Khandaq”
“Roman”
”Marrikh” (“Mars”)
A Conversation with Mashrou’ Leila - Written and Produced by Mouna Anajjar Directed by Kamal Hachkar
