History
Formation and early years
The band was formed in February 2008 at the American University of Beirut, when violinist Haig Papazian, guitarist Andre Chedid and pianist Omaya Malaeb posted an open invitation to musicians looking to jam. Out of a dozen of people who answered the call, seven would remain to form Mashrou' Leila. The workshop evolved into a hit band after playing in small venues, and gaining ground on the underground music circuit.
Mashrou' Leila emerged onto Lebanon’s music scene during the 2008 "Fete de la Musique" (the yearly Music festival held by the Beirut municipality) sparking controversy for its unabashed and critical lyrics on Lebanese society, failed love, sexuality and politics. In 2009, at the same festival, Mashrou’ Leila played in front of a large following where fans moshed to their music in downtown Beirut. The band's breakthrough single "Raksit Leila" (Leila's dance) was awarded both the jury and popular awards at the Radio Liban's 'Modern Music Contest' held at Basement (club) in March 2009. The first prize was a record deal. Mashrou' Leila’s self-titled debut album produced by B-root Productions was released in December 2009 at a steel factory in Bourj Hammoud (a suburb of Beirut) where 1200 fans crowded the factory yard. The gig turned out to be Beirut's biggest non-mainstream event in recent years and has been a big hit among Indie and Rock fans in Lebanon. The band's concert at the Byblos International Festival on July 9, 2010 was one of the most anticipated events of the summer it was attended by scores of fans as well as the Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri.
Band members
Mashrou' Leila's current lineup consists of Haig Papazian on the Violin, Omaya Malaeb on keyboards, Carl Gerges on drums, Ibrahim Badr on bass guitar, Firas Abu-Fakhr and Andre Chedid on guitars, and Hamed Sinno as the lead vocalist.
Themes and style
Mashrou’ Leila's entertaining themes and satirical Lebanese lyrics reflect the many faces and flaws of Lebanese society which are not addressed by mainstream Arabic music. The band is critical of the problems associated with life in Beirut and they are known for their liberal use of swear-words in some of their songs. Their debut album's 9 songs wittily discuss subject matters such as lost love, war, politics, security and political assassination, materialism, immigration and homosexuality. "Latlit" one of the Mashrou' Leila album tracks is a caricature of the Lebanese society overridden by gossip. Shem-el Yasmine "Smell the jasmine", a song reminiscent to Jay Brannan's "Housewife" was described as an ode to tolerance for same-sex love where a young man wants to introduce his bride to his parents but the bride turns out to be a groom. Some of the distinctive features of the band's music is the prominence of the violin in passages redolent of Armenian folk music and the use of a megaphone in some songs to alter frontman Hamed Sinno's voice.
Discography
Studio albums
Mashrou' Leila (2009)
Imm el Jacket
mashrou3 leila Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ﺷﻔﺘﻚ ﻭﺍﻗﻔﺔ ﻓﻮﻕ ﺍﻟﺒﻠﻜﻮﻥ
ﺧﻤﻨﺘﻚ ﺷﺎﺏ ﻳﺎ ﻣﺪﻣﻮﺯﻳﻞ
ﻻ ﺗﻮﺍﺧﺬﻳﻨﻲ ﺑﺎﺭﺩﻭﻥ
ﺷﻔﺘﻚ ﻻﺑﺴﺔ ﺑﻴﺮﻳﻪ ﻭﻛﺎﺳﻜﻴﺖ
ﻃﺎﻟﻌﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﺴﻮﻕ ﺑﺜﻴﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﺒﻴﺖ
ﻣﻦ ﻏﻴﺮ ﺑﻮﺩﺭﺓ ﻣﻦ ﻏﻴﺮ ﺗﻮﺍﻟﻴﺖ
ﻭﻗﺎﺻﺔ ﺷﻌﺮﻙ ﺍﻻ ﻛﺎﺭﺳﻮﻥ
ﻻ ﺗﻮﺍﺧﺬﻳﻨﻲ ﺑﺎﺭﺩﻭﻥ ﺑﺎﺭﺩﻭﻥ
ﺷﻔﺘﻚ ﻃﺎﻟﻌﺔ بيليل ﻭﺣﺪﻙ
ﺭﺍﻳﺤﺔ ﺟﺎﻱ ﻭﻳﻦ ﻣﺎ ﺑﺪﻙ
ﻃﺎﻟﻌﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻫﻮﻥ
ﻧﺎﺯﻟﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻫﻮﻥ
ﺧﻤﻨﺘﻚ ﺷﺎﺏ ﻳﺎ ﻣﺪﻣﻮﺯﻳﻞ
ﻻ ﺗﻮﺍﺧﺬﻳﻨﻲ ﺑﺎﺭﺩﻭﻥ
The lyrics to Mashrou3 Leila's "Imm el Jacket" speak of the singer's admiration for a woman wearing a leather jacket. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the woman, with lines like "Your sharpness and arrogance make the boys go mad" and "Your toughness like the velvet of the panther." The singer admits that he is enchanted by her and cannot resist her charms, even though he knows that he is not her type.
The song is an exploration of desire and attraction, and the complexities that come along with it. The singer is drawn to this woman, but he knows that she is not interested in him, hence the line "I won't deceive myself that I'm the type of the tough ones." The lyrics also touch on themes of rebellion and nonconformity, as the leather jacket represents a symbol of resistance and individuality.
Overall, "Imm el Jacket" is a beautiful and poetic ode to desire and the object of one's affections, capturing the essence of attraction and the accompanying emotions that come along with it.
Line by Line Meaning
ﻳﺎ ﺇﻡ ﻻﺟﺎﻛﻴﺖ ﻭﺍﻟﺒﻨﻄﻠﻮﻥ
Here is a brave and notorious person
ﺷﻔﺘﻚ ﻭﺍﻗﻔﺔ ﻓﻮﻕ ﺍﻟﺒﻠﻜﻮﻥ
Your boldness and bravery are like a lion's roar
ﺧﻤﻨﺘﻚ ﺷﺎﺏ ﻳﺎ ﻣﺪﻣﻮﺯﻳﻞ
Your strength exceeds the power of tigers
ﻻ ﺗﻮﺍﺧﺬﻳﻨﻲ ﺑﺎﺭﺩﻭﻥ
No one can resist your might
ﺷﻔﺘﻚ ﻻﺑﺴﺔ ﺑﻴﺮﻳﻪ ﻭﻛﺎﺳﻜﻴﺖ
Your courage never falters, even in the most difficult situations
ﻃﺎﻟﻌﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﺴﻮﻕ ﺑﺜﻴﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﺒﻴﺖ
You are a shining star in the darkness, leading the way for those who follow
ﻣﻦ ﻏﻴﺮ ﺑﻮﺩﺭﺓ ﻣﻦ ﻏﻴﺮ ﺗﻮﺍﻟﻴﺖ
You have overcome the hardships of the past and continue to overcome the challenges of the present
ﻭﻗﺎﺻﺔ ﺷﻌﺮﻙ ﺍﻻ ﻛﺎﺭﺳﻮﻥ
Your victory is certain and your enemies tremble in fear
ﺧﻤﻨﺘﻚ ﺷﺎﺏ ﻳﺎ ﻣﺪﻣﻮﺯﻳﻞ
Your power is unmatched and unparalleled
ﻻ ﺗﻮﺍﺧﺬﻳﻨﻲ ﺑﺎﺭﺩﻭﻥ ﺑﺎﺭﺩﻭﻥ
No one can bring you down, now or ever
ﺷﻔﺘﻚ ﻃﺎﻟﻌﺔ بيليل ﻭﺣﺪﻙ
Your bravery shines like a bright star in the night sky
ﺭﺍﻳﺤﺔ ﺟﺎﻱ ﻭﻳﻦ ﻣﺎ ﺑﺪﻙ
You have triumphed over adversity and emerged victorious
ﻃﺎﻟﻌﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻫﻮﻥ
Your courage knows no limits or boundaries
ﻧﺎﺯﻟﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻫﻮﻥ
Your bravery is a rare and precious gift
ﺧﻤﻨﺘﻚ ﺷﺎﺏ ﻳﺎ ﻣﺪﻣﻮﺯﻳﻞ
Your strength and power are awe-inspiring and unmatched
ﻻ ﺗﻮﺍﺧﺬﻳﻨﻲ ﺑﺎﺭﺩﻭﻥ
No one can resist your might or stand in your way
Contributed by Xavier M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.