Rima Khcheich {ريما خشيش} (b. 1974) is a Lebanese singer,

Khcheich w… Read Full Bio ↴Rima Khcheich {ريما خشيش} (b. 1974) is a Lebanese singer,

Khcheich was born in Khiam, South Lebanon. She started singing classical Arabic music at the age of nine, and was awarded the bronze medal at the 'Bizert Festival for the Mediterranean Song' in Tunisia, 1985. Her singing career started with the children's choir at the Arabic Cultural Club, and later evolved into a solo performance with the Beirut Oriental Troop for Arabic Music under the supervision and direction of Salim Sahab.

Khcheich studied the tradition of classical Arabic singing at The Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music in Beirut, and her efforts were supported by her father Kamel Khcheich who encouraged her to memorise and master classics from the Arabic music heritage, such as Muwashahat*, Adwar, and other styles. She has performed Zakariah Ahmad, Al-Kassabji, Sayyed Darwish, Kamel Al Khal'i, and Muhammad Abdel Wahab, amongst others.

Having participated in various concerts in Lebanon and around the world, Khcheich has gained international repute and admiration for her gift at performing complex Arabic classical forms such as Dor 'Emta El hawa', and Muwashah 'Anta al Mudallal'.

Currently, Khcheich teaches Oriental singing at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music and is invited on a yearly basis to Massachusetts, USA, where she teaches voice and classical Arabic singing at Mount Holyoke College under the framework of the Arabic Music Retreat program directed by musician and composer Simon Shaheen.

Her professional collaborations include performing with Shaheen, singing on composer Toufic Farroukh's album Tootya released in 2006, and being an integral part of the Dutch-Lebanese- Iraqi band The Orient Express. This band tried to create meeting grounds between the Arab musical heritage and Jazz. The band released one album, Orient Express, in 2002.

In 2006, Khsheish released her debut solo album, Yalalalli, which features a number of old songs and Muwashahat that she performs in a personalised, contemporary manner, alongside new compositions.

* Muwashahat: plural of Muwashshah, a vocal form in Arabic music.

A strophic song with refrain. The form originated at Cabra, near Cordoba, in the 9th century; it enjoyed a vogue in Muslim Spain in the 11th century, and spread subsequently throughout the Arab world, where it survives in oral tradition.

One of seven post-Classical poetic forms, It is performed on both secular and religious occasions and combines classical metres with new ones arranged in strophes. Each poem is divided into an indefinite number of units (abyat, sing. bayt), each containing a varied number of poetic lines. Musically, a muwashshah is performed by a solo singer alternating with responsorial, antiphonal or collective singing in unison, depending on the performing group. The performance of this difficult art, composed by specialists, demands a mastery of both maqams (modes) and usuls, the complicated rythmic patterns of Arabic music.

Kalam el-Leil
Rima Khcheich Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

كلام الليل، يا سلامة كلام يسرح في عوامه
شربنا الكاس وله شامه وخلينا القمر سهران
بلاش السيره عن ماضي ينكد سهرة الراضي
أبص ليه ع الكاس فاضي وهو للشفه مليان

نديم يحدث في الهوى حديث يفرحنا سوا
واحنا سوا بالمستوى خلينا القمر سهران

نديم يزوق في الكلام يطرح اساليب الغرام
واحنا تمام بالمستهام والمية طبعاً للعطشان

وآه يا ورد يا خمري أسلمتك حتماً أمري

يجي الصباح الأصبحي خد الحبيب المستحي
أحمر نبيذ مايتمحي كلام الليل يا سلامة

Overall Meaning

The song "Kalam el-Leil" by Rima Khcheich is a melodious reflection on the joys of an evening spent in the company of friends. The opening lines speak of the "speech of the night, oh peace," a reference to the conversations shared between friends as they enjoy the pleasures of the evening. The lyrics then go on to describe how they have raised a glass and left the moon awake, a symbol of the endless possibilities of the night.

The chorus urges the friends to avoid discussing the past which can dampen the spirits and instead focus on enjoying the present moment. The focus shifts to their companion who is sharing stories of love and romance. He adds flavor to the conversation with his eloquence and poise. The friends are comfortable in each other's company and share a mutual passion for living in the moment.

The final lines speak of the inevitability of the morning and the shyness of the lover, accompanied by the disappearance of the red wine, which metaphorically represents the passing of the night. The song ends on a wistful note, with a sense of regret at the passing of the night, but also with the hope of more such evenings in the future.

Line by Line Meaning

كلام الليل، يا سلامة
The words of the night, oh what tranquility

كلام يسرح في عوامه
Words that wander aimlessly

شربنا الكاس وله شامه
We drank the cup, and it left a mark

وخلينا القمر سهران
And we let the moon stay awake

بلاش السيره عن ماضي
Let's not talk about the past

ينكد سهرة الراضي
It saddens the contented night

أبص ليه ع الكاس فاضي
I look at the empty glass wondering why

وهو للشفه مليان
When it's full for the lips to savor

نديم يحدث في الهوى
A companion talks about love

حديث يفرحنا سوا
A conversation that brings joy to us both

واحنا سوا بالمستوى
And we are at the same level