You can hear Leila, cascading melts of masculine vocals only suspended with thrusts of violin, beats and bass – attacked by neurotic melody that means no harm – sometimes tender, even sometimes on pause. Through the music, you can smell where Leila has been, in bed sheets, on sidewalks, jasmines in rifles and spilled coffee on dresses as she made you play with aubergines, dancing her dance. Music has constantly been their place to play with things, to match and mis-match, a project.
In the various performances, Mashrouʼ Leila is a constant attempt to taste and produce, more than happy to harvest anyone from the audience as a guest in their encores. They have performed around Lebanon since 2008, playing in various venues in Beirut, taking over supposed public piazzas as well as clubs, pubs, hybrids and the such – they also played in Zahle, Sour, Jounieh, Saida and Deir el Qamar, each of which pushed forward their thinking about how to go about their music, lyrics and performance. It is only when Mashrouʼ Leila goes live, that you can actually catch a glimpse of Leila. As it talks to you of Beirut, the city that tastes of the absurd, the product of its day-to-day experiences, its stubborn security and lack of the latter, its musical bombshells, incoherent sexuality and thrusting pleasure…narcotic pain – as it brings forward hints of Arabic Tarab, rock, to folk pop, electro, you can see Leila in every man and woman in the silent- come-raving audience. In this trajectory, they participated in music workshops and concerts in Amman and Cairo to maneuver their way into a pan-Arab music scene, to know and to announce, more importantly to grow, musically.
In March 2009, Mashrouʼ Leila won the Lebanese Modern Music Contest jury prize and public vote organized by Radio Liban in partnership with CCF, Incognito and the Basement. They released their debut album in December 2009 at what turned out to be Beirut’s biggest alternative (read non-mainstream) event in recent years.
The months leading up to the Arab Spring proved fruitful for Leila as well. In July 2010, Mashrou’ Leila headlined Byblos International Music festival alongside the Gorillaz and Caetano Veloso; this was the first time a Lebanese band was given a headlining post in the festival and proved to be Mashrou’ Leila’s biggest concert yet. Fall of 2010-11 saw Leila pack up her suitcases with shows in Qatar at the Doha Tribeca International Film Festival and at the Vodafone Big Day Out, headlining alongside Hoobastank and Toploader, in the United Arab Emirates at the Du World Music Festival and the Music Room – Dubai’s leading live music venue and in Egypt where the live at the Genaina Theater show saw a sold out crowd with people gathering outside the venue premises for a peek.
In the summer of 2011, Mashrou’ Leila released "el Hal Romancy" E.P., five songs of new material recorded in mountain retreats with cousins and turkish coffee, in the abandoned concrete dome in the Tripoli world Fair and with a quintet of strings on cold winter nights. The release was held at the Hippodrome of Beirut. Mashrou’ Leila also added Serbia and Jordan to the map, with a spot in the 4 day prestigious Exit Festival in Serbia and a 2 night show at the Citadel in Jordan.
After two years, one spent writing the other spent producing, one crowd funding campaign, touring and gigging all around, Mashrou’ Leila released their 3rd Album “Raasük” on 27 August, 2013, recorded at the mighty Hotel 2 Tango in Montreal.
The first hint of new material arrived when the band started a campaign asking the members of their social media pages to submit lyrics and video ideas to be incorporated in the band's upcoming single. "3 Minutes" was released on March 17, 2015.
Contrary to their common method of writing and producing songs, the band decided not to test their new material in live concerts, opting instead for secrecy and mystery about their fourth album. The band recorded the 13 tracks in studio La Frette in France over the summer with French-Lebanese producer Samy Osta, and worked on orchestral and brass arrangements with the Macedonian Radio Orchestra in F.A.M.E's Studios in Macedonia. The band has said that this album is their most pop album to date, and deals with topics that range from the euphoric to the destructive and depressive, all taking place in the politically, socially, and sexually charged spaces of Beirut's night.
The band experimented with drum machines, loops, samples, and several synthesizers in a new method of composition, trying to accommodate for the departure of keyboard player Omaya Malaeb. "Maghawir" narrates a possible version of a club shooting in Beirut, drawing on references to real Lebanese case histories from two different shootings that took place within the same week, both of which resulted in the deaths of extremely young victims, each of who was out celebrating their birthday." During a show in Boston, the band explained that the song "Tayf (Ghost)" is about a shuttered gay club, and "Bint Elkhandaq" tells the story of a friend who learned, "as hard as it is to be a woman in Beirut, it’s just as hard to be brown in the West."
The album is heavily loaded with allusions and references, both to contemporary figures of pop, and to mythological figures of gods and demons.
On the November 28, the band released Ibn El Leil at the Barbican in London with live broadcasting on MTV Lebanon available to the entire world to positive reviews. "In the seven years since Mashrou’ Leila formed at the American University of Beirut, the quintet – whose name, in fact, means 'overnight project' – have won comparisons to everyone from Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead to Roxy Music and Wild Beasts."
On December 1, Ibn El Leil debuted at the number one spot on local iTunes channels, and charted as number 11 on the international world Billboard charts. "It’s such an impressive performance that stadiums seem not only possible but imminent."
The band released a music video for their single "Roman" on July 19, 2017. The single was included on the deluxe version of Ibn El Leil released July 21, 2017.
On February 8, 2019, Mashrou' Leila released a new single, "Cavalry", the first from their upcoming album The Beirut School. The Beirut School was released on March 1, 2019. The album includes some songs from the group's previous album. The group toured North America in 2019 in support of the album.
On Aug. 9, 2019, the band was set to perform at the Byblos International Festival. The concert was banned against the backdrop of widespread rejection and accusation that the lyrics of one of the group’s songs offend the Christian faith.
In September 2022, Sinno announced that the band would be disbanding. Sinno cited harassment and hate campaigns as a reason for the band breaking up, especially because of Mashrou’ Leila’s hardships with bans in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. The real reason for restrictions on the band is his declared gender identity, as he defines himself as being queer — something that he believes was behind the attacks on the musical group and their work over the past years.
Many of the group’s songs touch on the issue of homosexuality, namely the 2009 song “Sham El Yasmine,” which speaks of a forbidden relationship and love between two men, and their struggle to lead normal lives together. The band also produced several songs addressing social and political topics in unconventional ways. The group members also touched on love, marriage, sex, religion, emancipation, the reality of Arab cities and revolutions, political assassinations and other thorny issues in the Arab world.
www.mashrou3leila.com
Falyakon
Mashrou' Leila Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
عم لفلف لحالي بتختي كل مايمر المسحراتي
لبسني ضحكاتي
ما الفرحة بتلبقلي
فليكن مايكن بدي كون بعدني واقف عم غني
لبسني ضحكاتي
ما الفرحة بتلبقلي
والأيام متل الطاحون استهلك لذا أكون
حتى خيالي صار مرهون بس الليل مش عم بيهون
والناس حولي غريبين مش أموات ولا عايشين
لو أيامي معدودين عم بعزف جوات ڤاترين
بس بلبس ضحكاتي
و الفرحة بتلبقلي
فليكن مايكن بدي كون بعدني واقف عم غني
بس بلبس ضحكاتي
و الفرحة بتلبقلي
فليكن مايكن بدي كون بعدني واقف عم غني
كل نهار عم كز بسناني بوعى وعزرائيل قدامي
كلن هون ايام الجوازة بمشي لوحدي بجنازة
تايه كأني سفينة فاضية بلا شي يرسيني
مروان تعا لهون وامسكني قلي بكرة الحال بيمشي
مش رح استقبل الضيوف لما بيتي عم بيطوف
مش رح استقبل الضيوف كل شي حولي عم بيطوف
بس بلبس ضحكاتي
و الفرحة بتلبقلي
فليكن مايكن بدي كون بعدني واقف عم غني
بس بلبس ضحكاتي
و الفرحة بتلبقلي
فليكن مايكن بدي كون بعدني واقف عم غني
بس بلبس كذباتى
فليكن ما يكن بدى كون بعدنى واقف عم غنى
The lyrics of Mashrou' Leila's song "Falyakon" depict a sense of disillusionment and isolation. The singer expresses feeling trapped in a dream that keeps evading them, as they wander alone in their thoughts while the world continues to move forward. They wear their laughter like a disguise, but find that true happiness does not suit them. They desire to remain standing and singing, even as the days pass by relentlessly like a grinding mill. The people around them seem strange, neither alive nor dead. Despite the limited time they feel they have left, they continue to play their music, symbolically locked in a vitrine.
The second verse describes the singer's daily struggle, as they awaken with a heavy heart and envision the presence of Azrael, the angel of death. They navigate through the days as if attending their own funeral, feeling lost and empty, yearning for something to anchor them. They call on Marwan to come and hold them, hoping that tomorrow will bring a change in their circumstances. They refuse to entertain guests when their home is in disarray. Everything and everyone seems to be constantly moving, leaving them feeling adrift.
Line by Line Meaning
بحسه بعده نايم حدي بيعني حلم يهربني
I feel like it's still sleeping next to me, meaning a dream is trying to escape me
عم لفلف لحالي بتختي كل ما يمر المسحراتي
I keep turning around alone on my bed, every time the dawn passes
لبسني ضحكاتي ما الفرحة بتلبقلي
I wear my laughter, but happiness doesn't suit me
فليكن ما يكن بدي كون بعدني واقف عم غني
Let it be whatever it may be, I want to still be standing and singing
والأيام متل الطاحون استهلك لذا أكون
And the days are like a mill that consumes me, thus I exist
حتى خيالي صار مرهون بس الليل مش عم بيهون
Even my imagination has become dependent, but the night isn't getting easier
والناس حولي غريبين مش أموات ولا عايشين
The people around me are strangers, neither dead nor alive
لو أيامي معدودين عم بعزف جوات ڤاترين
If my days are numbered, I'm playing inside a display case
كل نهار عم كز بسناني بوعى وعزرائيل قدامي
Every day, I'm grinding my teeth, awake with Azrael in front of me
كلن هون ايام الجوازة بمشي لوحدي بجنازة
Everyone is here, but in the wedding days, I walk alone in a funeral
تايه كأني سفينة فاضية بلا شي يرسيني
Lost as if I'm an empty ship with nothing to anchor me
مروان تعا لهون وامسكني قلي بكرة الحال بيمشي
Marwan, come here and hold me, tell me tomorrow things will get better
مش رح استقبل الضيوف لما بيتي عم بيطوف
I won't receive guests anymore when my house keeps going in circles
مش رح استقبل الضيوف كل شي حولي عم بيطوف
I won't receive guests, everything around me is revolving
بس بلبس ضحكاتي و الفرحة بتلبقلي
I wear my laughter, and yet happiness doesn't suit me
فليكن ما يكن بدي كون بعدني واقف عم غني
Let it be whatever it may be, I want to still be standing and singing
بس بلبس كذباتي فليكن ما يكن بدي كون بعدني واقف عم غني
I wear my lies, let it be whatever it may be, I want to still be standing and singing
Lyrics © Sentric Music
Written by: Carl Gerges, Firas Abou Fakher, Haig Papazian, Hamed Khalil Sinno, Ibrahim Badr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sw4nfire
idk who does the english translations and transcribing of their songs (I suspect it might even have been someone from the band because they are super accurate) but the thing that makes this my favorite song that is so subtle isn't transcribed clearly in either the arabic or english translations and you can only hear it when they are singing (it is hard to transcribe)
the subtle grammatical and tonal changes in the verse
dress me up in smiles
joy becomes me
"لبسني ضحكتي
ما الفرحة بتلبقلي"
the first verse in the song uses "ما الفرحة بتلبقلي" and "لبسني ضحكتي "
the use of" ما" here implies that there is an assumption of joy becoming the singer, that "joy becomes me? doesnt it?" because there is a third person dressing them up in smiles, its a projection that they are internalizing and doesn't know if it truly becomes them but that is what is assumed of them, in standard arabic ما is also used as a negating word so I also like to think there is a double meaning of joy doesn't become the singer
in the second verse it turns into
" بس بالبس ضحكتي
و الفرحة بتلبقلي"
which translates loosely to
"and so I wear my smile (but ill just wear my smiles)
and joy becomes me"
it has a monotone-ness to it now, they had joy and smiles put on them and its what they know how to do
the singer repeats again this time with more strength and conviction again trying to convince themselves
in the fourth verse the singer sings it more happily with an airy voice more convincingly
but in the repetition the sentence
"بس بالبس ضحكتي "
"but ill just wear my smiles"
becomes tired, showing that they are still tired
until it ends up with
بس بالبس كذبتي
Ill just dress up in my lie
@hassan8718
heard this five years ago before i started college, im about to graduate now & hearing this now still feels powerful & makes me emotional just like it did five years ago, the composition is heavenly.
@katherine11138
governments and institutions can imprison one's body, but never the mind, never the spirit of music, liberation, and love that is such an innate part of being alive and human. I feel like this song is a testament to their resistance to all the conformity being imposed in the middle east, great song.
@ramybm4357
well u have a conformity of thinking as well... One's mind can be imprisonned through different means, education and tv just to name a few. Idk if u noticed that but people tend to have the exact same assumptions about stuff and the same opinions which make discussions and debates with them to say the less dull. People,are afraid to question matters that they view as being a norm and the way stuff should be.
@ujiiiiosjwwj4jr
@@ramybm4357imo, conformity resulting oppressing institutions is different than a conformity based on exterior influences such as TV etc with the second being better because one still has the right to think whatever way they want
@hamzamaken9323
lmao i dont think Lebanon is the way you think it is. Dont put the entire region in one bag
@mohammedalali4061
بحبك يا أنت اللي عم تقراء رجعني
@samselmane1983
تعا ارجع
@n.jjjjjjn
حبيب كلبي درجع
@nanoshe1233
تعا
@pharmacistaya5435
تعال