This is Beirut

The Olympic Spirit Shines at the 40th Victoires de la Musique

Madeleine Cadoux, 15/02 14:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Music Awards Culture Art Ceremony Prizes

One of the biggest surprises of this anniversary edition was the Concert of the Year award, given to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies. Under the artistic direction of Thomas Jolly and the musical leadership of Victor Le Masne, these grandiose events became a vibrant showcase of French culture. "The Olympic ceremonies represent a ...

Saudi Islamic Arts Biennale Blends Tradition with Modern Vision

This is Beirut, 14/02 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia Biennale Art Culture Jeddah

Under a vast canopy of tents in the Saudi city of Jeddah, religious artifacts are on display alongside contemporary art pieces, part of the kingdom's bid to transform its ultraconservative image. The second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, titled And All That Is In Between, features as its centerpiece segments of the kiswa, the black cloth ...

New York, Paris, Berlin to Celebrate Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Iconic Art

This is Beirut, 14/02 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

New York Paris Berlin Art Culture

New York, Paris, and Berlin are celebrating the anniversaries this year of iconic art installations that saw some of their most prominent landmarks wrapped in fabric by the late artists known as Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Forty years ago, the couple enfolded the Pont Neuf, one of Paris’s most beloved bridges, in a silky, sandstone-colored ...

Selim Mouzannar: A Visionary Jeweler Nominated for the GEM Award

This is Beirut, 13/02 14:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Fashion Culture Art jewelry

French-Lebanese jeweler Selim Mouzannar, known for his exceptional craftsmanship and deep historical expertise, is a nominee for the GEM Award for Jewelry Design. Drawing inspiration from Ottoman and art deco influences, his creations blend heritage and innovation, redefining contemporary jewelry with timeless elegance. Selim Mouzannar, a name ...

Shakira Kicks Off Her First World Tour in Seven Years

This is Beirut, 13/02 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Culture Concert Music Art Brazil

Latin music icon Shakira kicked off her first world tour in seven years on Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, performing songs from her latest album, Las mujeres ya no lloran (Women Don’t Cry Anymore), which recently earned her a Grammy Award. The Colombian singer, known for her eclectic style, set the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium on fire, ...

Maria Tipo: The "Neapolitan Horowitz" Now Plays for Bach

Alain E. Andrea, 13/02 10:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Music Art Italy Naples

That day, the room was bathed in a sacred silence. Maria Tipo sat at the piano for the last time. Her fragile fingers, still brimming with the passion that defined her career, brushed the keys with infinite tenderness, as if whispering a final melody in homage to the masters who guided her: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Domenico Scarlatti ...

'Lost in Translation' Returns Two Decades After Its Success

Madeleine Cadoux, 12/02 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Cinema Art Culture Film Tokyo

Released in 2003, Lost in Translation quickly became a cult classic, praised for its delicate storytelling and melancholic beauty. Directed by Sofia Coppola, the film follows Bob Harris, a washed-up American actor played by Bill Murray, and Charlotte, a young woman searching for meaning, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson. Against the backdrop of a ...

The Disco French Touch Revolution: A Legacy Revived

This is Beirut, 12/02 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

France Music US Art Culture

A close relative of soul and funk, disco was born in the United States, yet several French musicians and producers helped define its signature sound. One of its most recognizable names is Patrick Hernandez, who set dancefloors on fire in 1978 with Born to Be Alive. However, the true pioneer of this movement—now honored by the Philharmonie de ...

HaHaHouse Museum in Croatia Turns Laughter Into a Remedy

This is Beirut, 11/02 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Museum Art Culture

A new museum of laughter is offering to put people through the spinner to wash away the negativity of modern life. Visitors to the HaHaHouse in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, are blasted with a puff of white smoke once they step inside to blow away their worries before climbing into a "giant washing machine." The "centrifuge of life" then whips ...

Two Lebanese Short Films Win Awards at Clermont-Ferrand Festival

Fabienne Touma, 11/02 10:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Festival Culture Art Cinema Lebanon France

Lebanon was the guest of honor at this year’s 47th edition of the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, with a rich program featuring films, discussions and cultural events highlighting Lebanese cinema and its talents. The event was co-organized with the Beirut Film Society, an organization supporting film production and distribution in ...

Chopin's Fourth Ballade: The Voice of Exile Finds Its Way Back to Warsaw

Alain E. Andrea, 10/02 20:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Music Art Chopin Warsaw Paris

It was a calm winter morning in Paris in 1842. The biting wind blew through the cobblestone streets, spreading the season's cold. In the musician's apartment, a soft warmth emanated from the hearth: the flames danced and crackled, brilliant and lively. Leaning over his Pleyel piano, a man brought music to life. His fingers caressed the ...

Transforming Trash into Music: A Paraguayan Orchestra's Journey

This is Beirut, 10/02 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Music Concert Art Culture

Two years ago, Lucas Cantero knew nothing about music. This 16-year-old Paraguayan recently performed in the Lancaster House in London, playing his drum made entirely of recycled waste. "I never imagined music could come from pieces of wood and old X-rays," said Lucas, a member of the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura. This group hails from Cateura, ...

Art