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
Tayf
Mashrou' Leila Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
والدّبكات، رقصتها تحِت ضوء إشارة السير
(لانتَشيت (لانتَشيت)ع الكهربا من نخاع العامود (العامود
(وصبّيت (صبّيت) دموع النيون ع سواد العيون (العيون
والطرابيش خذونا ع الحبوس عشان يخصونا، ويعملوا أوسام
خيّطنا لهم أعلامنا من أكفان جثث الأصحاب، اللّي كانوا ع الإعدام
خبز الغراب بدأ ينمى منورث الأرض غدًا يا مّه
(وقضّيت (وقضّيت) عمري مع حقّي مرْهون لأحاسيسك (آه يا نوسك
(وانمحيت (وانمحيت) من كِتب التاريخ كأنها تاريخك (وهويتك
بأوراكنا ترجمنا لهم أبيات سافو وأبو نوّاس بلسان الآهات
على شراشف طرّزناها بالآهات الّلي نشدناها بالمظاهرات
خبز الغراب بدأ ينمى منورث الأرض غدًا يا مّه
خبز الغراب بدأ ينمى منورث الأرض غدًا يا مّه
خبز الغراب بدأ ينمى منورث الأرض غدًا يا مّه
خبز الغراب بدأ ينمى منورث الأرض غدًا يا مّه
علّي لِي كعبك بالغنا
بعدها الأغاني ممكنة
علّي لِي كعبك بالغنا
بعدها الأغاني ممكنة
علّي لِي كعبك بالغنا
بعدها الأغاني ممكنة
علّي لِي كعبك بالغنا
بعدها الأغاني ممكنة
The lyrics of Mashrou' Leila's song Tayf tell the story of a city under siege and the resilience of its people in the face of oppressive forces. The singer describes singing with a choir of ghosts, dancing to the sound of bullets in the city and neon tears in their eyes. Despite the darkness, the people continue to celebrate, dancing the traditional dabke under the streetlights. The singer notes the bread of the crow growing out of the ground, symbolizing a sense of renewal and hope for the future.
The lyrics take a political and social tone when the singer mentions being taken by the authorities and having their identities marked by the colors of their flags in preparation for execution. However, the singer emphasizes that their spirit cannot be broken, as they continue to chant and protest throughout their ordeal, their words embroidered on their banners.
The final verse of the song speaks about the power of music to heal and unify, urging the listener to "sing until songs are possible again". The lyrics reflect the struggles of modern Arab societies in the face of repression, but they also speak to the hopeful resilience of people in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
غنيت مع كورس أشباح تحت رصاص مدينتي
I sang with a choir of ghosts under the bullets of my city
والدبكات ارقصتها تحت ضوء إشارة السير
And I danced debke under the traffic light
لأنتشيت عالكهرباء من أنخاع العمود
To get high on electricity from the core of the pole
وصبيت دموع النيون عسواد العيون
And I poured neon tears on blackness of eyes
والطرابيش خدونا عالحبوس عشان يخصونا ويعملوا اوسام
And the authorities took us to the gallows to isolate and decorate us
خيطنا لون اعلامنا من أكفان جثث الأصحاب اللي كانوا عالإعدام
We stitched the colors of our flag from the shrouds of our executed comrades
خبز الغراب بدا ينما منورث الارض غداً ياما
The bread of the crow begins to sprout, tomorrow it will illuminate the land
وقضيت عمري مع حقي مرهون لأحاسيسك
And I spent my life with my right pledged to your emotions
(اه يانوسك)
(Oh my forgetfulness)
وأنمحيت من كتب التاريخ كأنها تاريخك
And I erased myself from history books as if it's your history
(وهويتك)
(And your identity)
بأوراكنا ترجمنالُن ابيات سافو وابو نواس بلسان الآهات
With our organs, we translated verses of Safo and Abou Nawas in the language of groans
عالشراشف طرزناها بالآهات اللي نشدناها بالمظاهرات
On the shrouds, we embroidered them with the groans that we chanted in the demonstrations
عليلي كعبك بالغنا بعدها الأغاني ممكنة
My ally, with your heel, singing becomes possible afterwards
عليلي كعبك بالغنا بعدها الأغاني ممكنة
My ally, with your heel, singing becomes possible afterwards
عليلي كعبك بالغنا بعدها الأغاني ممكنة
My ally, with your heel, singing becomes possible afterwards
عليلي كعبك بالغنا بعدها الأغاني ممكنة
My ally, with your heel, singing becomes possible afterwards
Lyrics © SENTRIC MUSIC
Written by: Carl Gerges, Firas Abou Fakher, Haig Papazian, Hamed Khalil Sinno, Ibrahim Badr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@xc5665
مرت سنتين وللحين احس بنفس الشعور اللي حسيت فيه اول مرة سمعتها
@Manar-ne5xg
وانا مرت سنتين وللحين احس بنفس الشعور اللي حسيت فيه اول مره سمعتها واول ماكتبت تلعيقك
@Lincoln-hs9yc
❤❤❤❤
@miku-san415
ايش هو الشعور؟( معلش فضول زايد 🗿💔)
@-gootube382
@Мαℓαĸ ً
@patrongamerz777
هناك شيء يمس كياني كعربي مثلي لم اجده في أي اغنية ثانية...!
@cupcake5008
When ur arabic but still need to read the lyrics to understand
@user-el5wi3ep7l
shahad talal
How can this be so relatable?
@zeezo4813
Hell yeah! 😂
@ammaratieh7865
Damn right😂