Hey y’all,
This is one hell of a big week for Leila!
First off, major, major news: They are dropping their newest album Ibn El Leil NEXT MONTH on November 28th. The release will be in London. (more info here). So make sure to attend, if you can.
The guys are actually pretty busy right now with their very first North American tour. Obviously, they didn’t come to Cleveland… So I’m a bit heartbroken, but just the thought that we are on the same continent warms my heart.
For some reason, Haig (the best violinist on planet Earth) wasn’t in any of the US shows, but he joined them again in Canada. If anyone knows what that’s about, please fill us in.
They have also released Maghawir, the first single of the new album, a couple of days ago. You can Listen to it here:
I spent all of yesterday, trying to find the lyrics, because, honestly, this song is too Lebenese for me to understand. The english translation isn’t available yet, but I will add it as soon as I get it.
Vice actually premiered the song in a very interesting article that also gives the context necessary to understand it. It’s all pretty Lebenese, but still easy to relate with.
That being said, I just wanted to rap-genius this song a bit more and point out a couple of things:
- I love the ambiguity of الجثمان, you can totally hear Hamed say “الجسمان” which can mean “the bodies” too, but it sounds awfully close to “Jasmin” in french, or “Jasmine” in English. This can only remind us of the Arab spring, and the Jasmine Revolution.
- The Adonis reference at the end is perfection. I haven’t fully made sense of it yet, mainly because I don’t quite understand the first part of the verse. But I am fairly certain, it’s referencing Adonis’s youth and beauty as well as the myth that explains the blood color of the river. More on it here.
- As always, love love love that this song addresses gender roles, masculinity and feminism.
- This one is a bit of a stretch, but as soon as I read the second verse couldn’t stop thinking of this clip where Russell Peters goes clubbing in Lebanon:
Hope you like this article. if you are Lebanese, I would really appreciate a little help with the lyrics and the context. So please do share 😀
Until next time.
Wa Nueid.
For more Leila:
Rahma Lama Ding Dong 
First, Happy Birthday
Secondly, this is gonna be a long night
So tell your mother not to be scared,
the whole club is gonna
Third, wear black before going out,
Because when it snows on the hills
boys become man, maghawir(means a macho man in Lebanese) inn the night
(This whole verse is a reference to the man killed in kfardebian last winter)
They taught to play gangs on the playground
Shoop,shoop they shot you (not very sure about this verse, it is repeated multiple times)
We were having fun together
Where did you disappear?
Shoop,shoop they shot you(multiple times)
Fourth, don’t speak to women
So we won’t stand vigil on your body
Over here women are a measure
Of his dignity to other people
Usually there is a knife in his pocket
The boy is his father’s son
Over here no one can be touched
Adonis is a victim of the jungle(just like how you explained)
They taught to play gangs on the playground
Shoop,shoop they shot you
We were having fun together
Where did you disappear?
Shoop,shoop they shot you
*******
I hope this helps
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Thanks Elie.
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Haig didn’t make it to the US tour because he didn’t get the visa clearance…which is a shame
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