A Chat with Sarah Khawand: Lebanese Producer of Xzibit’s Latest Music Video

I met Sarah years ago in one of Beirut’s legendary never-ending parties by the sea. It was right before she embarked on her journey to Los Angeles, to study film directing at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).

Since then, Sarah’s career has kicked off and she’s worked with amazing artists like Tyler the Creator, Kali Uchis, Dita Von Teese, Madison Beer, and directors like James Franco, Nadia Lee Cohen, Luke Gilford and Renata Raksha.

I was in Los Angeles last month, and got to sit down and have a chat with Sarah about her recent work. First, here’s the Xzibit music video she produced that was released last November:

How did your journey in LA start?

Sarah: When I came to Los Angeles 4 years ago, I didn’t expect my life to turn the way it did. It started when I got accepted at the prestigious California Institute of the Arts in the Film Directing program because of my
thesis film Porn This Way at ALBA. It caused quite a stir. From the get
go, I had to fight hard for every opportunity. Few weeks in, CalArts introduced us to Sean Baker (Oscar-nominated director for The Florida Project). I went on to work with him on the set of Snowbird featuring the KENZO Spring-Summer 2016 collection and the super talented Abbey Lee.

What has it been like as a director in LA?

I started directing short films around the persona of Molly Pop. I wanted my films to deal with a girl’s everyday struggles, sexuality and road to success. I portray women as superheroes who live their lives without any social or sexual restraints. It was very important for me as a director to find my voice and master it.

I would definitely say I love highly stylized esthetics and bright colors. How could I transform my reality into a fantasy where I have control over the rules of this world. After several films, I finally made a short
musical called LA Girl in collaboration with the music school at CalArts, I
got the opportunity to work with amazingly talented artists and musicians.

That process was a huge learning experience for me: from writing the script, shaping it around the songs’ lyrics, recording all the live instruments, making the costumes, the choreography… I directed it and starred in it, and it was a dream to direct myself in the surreal world of Molly Pop.

You really can’t know how it will look like until it all comes together. But the hard work paid off, and it premiered at Redcat Roy and Edna Disney/CALARTS Theater. It was also selected to screen at CAA (Creative Artists Agency) as part of Moebius 2018 which is a private industry screening to showcase talent from USC, AFI and CALARTS.

How did you end up producing a music video for Xzibit? Can you walk us through that?

Since I was a little girl, I spent my summers watching music videos. I knew after coming to LA that I wanted to get involved in music video production. At CalArts, I met my business partner Xavier Hamel and we laucnhed our company After Hours Studios. We collaborated with several artists like Bebe Huxley, Love Bailey and Candy Ken. We also got featured in Paper
Magazine, OUT Magazine, Galore and others.

As for the Xzibit video, I met director Matthew Barnes who loved and truly believed in my work. After working together, he gave me the opportunity to produce the new XZIBIT music video featuring B-Real
from Cypress Hill. I couldn’t believe it. It was both exciting and challenging. It was the first project on this level that I handled on my own. The director had a very clear idea of what he wanted and my job was to get everything together and make it happen.

We had a crazy hit and run scene, so I had to figure out how to make
that stunt happen; all I can say is that I learnt a LOT and that I’m so grateful for this opportunity.

What message are you trying to send with Molly Pop and your other work, which seems to be geared towards women?

My goal right now is to keep producing and directing music videos for artists I admire. I also want to develop LA Girl into a feature film and continue the story of Molly Pop. My films are my own political act against a society (Lebanon) where it’s hard to be a woman that embraces her sexuality.

Women have to be pretty and sexy, they have to look “presentable” and “respectful”, while the stigma around sex is still very big: women have to be sexy for the gaze of other people but are looked down
upon if they have sex or engage in anything sexual for their own pleasure.

It’s like we’ve become sex objects. Lebanon, where women have more rights relative to other Middle-Eastern countries, can be a
positive thing at first glance but sexism is still largely and obviously there. People tend to think that it is enough, that Lebanese women should be grateful it’s not as bad as other Arab countries. That’s a very
dangerous thought, and I feel that the conversation for meaningful change is far from starting.

Blu Fiefer: The Prelude EP Launch

I consider myself quite lucky to have witnessed Blu Fiefer’s journey as a musician and artist from the very beginning. Artists like her are a rare breed these days. Her work inspires and surprises me constantly, and I always look forward to see and listen to what she’s got in store for her fans next.

That’s why when her new EP “The Prelude” launched and became number 1 on iTunes earlier this month, I thought I’d have a little chat with Blu about that, so that the unlucky few who haven’t been exposed to her art yet, you can catch up on what you’ve missed before going to rage at her EP launch on January 26, 2018.

Who’s Blu?

Blu Fiefer is a Mexican-Lebanese Hip Hop and Pop artist. She’s a singer, songwriter, producer and director. Her multi-faceted approach to her art has set her apart in the past few years both in Lebanon and abroad, and it’s one of the things I admire most about her.

Her music is both original and accessible, with a sonic landscape infused with quirky melodies, hard-hitting beats and haunting harmonies. Blu’s music keeps true to the story-telling, message-laden ethos of Hip Hop and adapts it to fit her unique perspective as a Mexican-Lebanese young woman.

Girl’s Gotta Eat Music Video

If you haven’t watched Blu’s “Girl’s Gotta Eat” music video, then please take a couple of minutes to watch it below.

I absolutely loved this video, and all the messages and symbols I picked up on while watching it. That’s why I took the chance to chat with Blu about it, and here’s what she had to say.

Gino: How did “Girl’s Gotta Eat” happen, can you tell us your process in creating this bold single?

Blu: Girl’s Gotta Eat as a track started with me talking shit to the mic a few years ago, I didn’t think the track would be relatable to anyone and never thought to include it in my EP ‘The Prelude’, let alone as a single, but once I started performing it, in London, AUB Outdoors, and opening for 6black in Beirut and Abu Dhabi, I noticed peoples reaction to it — specifically girls coming to me after the shows and telling me how inspiring and empowering it was.

“I noticed peoples reaction to it — specifically girls coming to me after the shows and telling me how inspiring and empowering it was.”

I had a lot of conversations about it and decided to finish the track, at the time it was only a verse and a chorus. When writing the rest of it I was inspired by my Mexican roots and how unapologetic and unfiltered their writing is over mariachi songs or their traditional music. Once I wrote the sentence ‘mandale saludos a tu tu madre’ everyone around me that heard it was asking me what it means, I would translate in arabic ‘sallemle 3a omak’ and everyone would laugh, this is when I saw the perfect opportunity with encouragement from my team to pay tribute to both my nationalities, the Mexican and the Lebanese.

Gino: The music video was something else. I felt like an all-female cast was meant as a message, was it? And can you tell us more about the video, which you directed as well?

When the time came for me to direct a video for the single, I posted a casting call on my Instagram for woman of all ages, shapes, sizes, color including drag queens. The response was overwhelming and I knew I had to push the video in this direction. I had an 8-hour casting call where I had long conversations with girls about society and the daily oppression that is not talked about often enough.

That happened around the time the videos started coming out of LAU about the importance of virginity which made us all very frustrated.

That happened around the time the videos started coming out of LAU about the importance of virginity which made us all very frustrated. I had conversations with drag queens about what people’s biggest misconceptions about them where. I decided to just throw a party with unapologetic everyday real women and drag queens and just shoot. I wanted to showcase an environment that is not generally exposed, especially in our region and give representation.

We didn’t tell people how to move or act or sit, or how to be more ‘lady-like’. I didn’t tell them to wear make up or be someone they are not, I told them to come as they would if I was throwing a party, and these girls did amazing, the vibe was so inspiring and supportive — we had so much fun.

It was genuine moments that I had a blast editing. What I really wanted to include aesthetically was Lebanese influences that highlighted the context we were in. I included, tawlet zahr, Aarak, Shawarma etc…

I often feel like I live in my bubble with my accepting friends who share the same beliefs in equality like I do, so sometimes I forget that from the general public point of view, being unapologetic and unfiltered is somewhat revolutionary, especially for young girls that are constantly being told how they need to be and how they need to live their lives.

I forget that from the general public point of view, being unapologetic and unfiltered is somewhat revolutionary, especially for young girls that are constantly being told how they need to be and how they need to live their lives.

It was such an amazing experience for me and I formed a bond with each and every one of the girls, and that’s what made the video what it is.

For a song like this where I might have been called ‘woozieh’ to make it to the #1 on iTunes is an achievement for all of us and hopefully it’ll open up the doors for more people to express themselves and take risks instead of thinking of what they need to be to fit ‘the norm’.

Catch Blu Fiefer’s EP launch on January 26, 2018 at The Ballroom Blitz.

You can RSVP and get your tickets here! See you all on Saturday!

The Rise of B 018

A chalet with the number “B 018″ was a place where Naji Gebran would put on some music and gather some friends to drown out the sounds of bullets and artillery shells that drowned Beirut in the 80s.

As that chalet musical refuge grew, the location shifted to Sin El Fil and became a cornerstone of Beirut’s post-war clubbing scene. In 1998, the club moved to Karantina, the capital’s former “quarantine” zone that was extremely undeveloped and just a segment of the city you just drive by without ever stopping.

The iconic club was designed by Bernard Khoury to mirror the location’s tough history, quickly put Beirut back on the nightlife map, with friends I’ve met across the world telling me they’d love to visit Beirut and try the subterranean club where parties lasted well after dawn.

The Rebirth

Luckily, Bernard Khoury was tapped for the redesign, and here’s what he had to say: “the authentic spirit of this nightclub will remain intact; B018 will always be incrusted in the heart of Quarantina and will retain its heartbeat. The new design will certainly pay tribute to this spot’s glorious history, while reflecting its character and authenticity”.

What’s New

Uberhaus’ Nemer Saliba, Ali Saleh and Romy Habre are also partners now, and will be working together with B0’s CEO Michel Ghanem.

The interior has been rebuilt from scratch, with a sleek, solid stone floor, walls, bars, bathrooms and even AC diffusers.

Here are some shots I took this Saturday night:

Schedule: Jazz, 80s, Techno, Disco PLUS Food

B 018 began as a jazz club, with acid jazz helping make B 018 the clubbing icon it has become in Lebanon. In a nod to the club’s early days, Tuesdays and Wednesdays will feature live acts from Lebanon and abroad, paired with a modern Asian cuisine by Mario Jr. Haddad.

Tuesday & Wednesday: Live acts
Thursday: 80s Night with Rodge
Friday: Electronic music night
Saturday: “Nu-Disco” with Cotton Candy’s DJette, followed by Techno and House music till late

I think it’s great that Asian food will now be available at the venue, with five days a week different themes and music, with the weekends catering to B 018’s die hard fans who’ve been eagerly awaiting the renovation (myself included).

It Opens This Week

See you all there!

Not Necessarily Famous Presents: FRAME in Beirut

Launched in 2017, Not Necessarily Famous (NNF) has already created and hosted more than two dozen events in the Middle East and across the globe.

NNF’s ethos goes far beyond your average weekend party, and instead focuses on art in many shapes and forms to create an immersive, multifaceted experience that combines music, visuals, designs and even software coding to live up to its “Conceptual Art” promise.

FRAME

NNF’s debut in Beirut is going to be a special one, which is why I’m writing about it before it even happens to let you all know. The lineup includes three headliners from different corners of the world, coming together at KED in Beirut on November 29, 2018. To get an idea of what to expect, here’s the lineup with a sample of each creator’s work I chose.

DVDV

aka Phyllis Josephine (Berlin)

dvdv can be best described as an all-round multimedia creator. She’s a musician, a video editor, a graphic designer and a software coder. That’s why her debut album „ai am” had its own interactive website, which I HIGHLY recommend you check out and play around with. I spent a solid hour playing with the visuals and exploring the eerie, otherworldly sounds created.

dvdv’s inspiration is from our generation being digital and our confusion when it comes to differentiating between technology on the outside, and ourselves on the inside. The result is a sublime experimentation with sonic textures that have been passed through a series of neuronal nets, helping erase the border between human and machine.

Abbi Press (New York)

Abbi Press music is definitely unique and unlike anything you’ve heard before. Her songs wash over you like a warm summer’s day as she builds each song from a symphony of electronics lightly massaged by her soulful voice to create pieces of art like the above. She orbits the realms of Alternative Pop / Downtempo / Indie / R&B with her sound, which is fueled by influences like Little Dragon, Solange, Beach House, and Four Tet.

Salem Rashid — Bedouin Records
United Arab Emirates

Salem Rashid is creative director and founder of Dubai-based record label Bedouin Records and its subsidiary Bastakiya Tapes. Since its founding in 2014, Bedouin Records has released a total of 25 albums, some on vinyl and even some on cassette! Presenting a bevy of talented contemporary artists, Bedouin Records albums have earned international acclaim on platforms and publications such as Monocle, BBC Radio 1, Resident Advisor and The Wire. Recent projects include a two-day pop-up art installation and concert called Execute Trajectory at Alserkal Avenue, Dubai.

See you on November 29!

I won’t spoil what the peeps at NNF have in store, but KED is going to be completely transformed to fit the three different styles and mindsets intersecting on that night. From ethereal and dreamy, to industrial and coarse, NNF’s FRAME is something new and different on the increasingly similar scene in Beirut. Think of this night as an exhibition, an experience, not just a party. Somewhere where you can experience a showcase of different soundscapes and sonic textures, blended perfectly with visuals and design of the space in Beirut’s Karantina neighborhood.

https://www.facebook.com/events/324697111660597/

The Ballroom Blitz: Beirut’s New Mega Music Venue

I heard rumors about a multi-room club somewhere near the auxiliary seaside road back in 2016, and have been poking my nose there ever since. On Friday, I got an exclusive first look and tour as the team behind The Ballroom Blitz Venue put the final touches before they officially open on Friday October 5, 2018.

The Space

The Ballroom as seen from the middle of the dancefloor

The Ballroom is the largest room and will host their main events. Patrons will walk through a curving tunnel-like corridor that connects the acoustically-separate rooms and areas in the venue.

The venue’s team want this room to be a contemporary version of a traditional ballroom: it has a stage, a massive dance floor and seating on both each side.

The space was designed with more than just electronic music in mind, with a 7-piece band easily accommodated on the elevated stage. There’s also a large balcony area on one side.

What I liked is that the tables aren’t the main fixture, and are instead pushed to the side and kept at a minimum to maximize the dance floor.

The Gold Room

This is already my favorite room. The entire space is built like a studio, with a room inside a room that’s completely insulated from the rest of the venue, a bonafide Hi-Fi club room where artists are encouraged to experiments, and the large LED screens are replaced with more organic lighting elements and the beautiful bare concrete columns.

The Lobby will be the first stop in the club. The large bar and outdoor terrace open at around 10:30PM and stay open till the venue closes. Imported beers, whiskies, sake, signature cocktails and other not-your-average party drinks will be served. The Lobby is the place to socialize and take a breather, before going back through the 21dB-designed acoustic tunnels into The Ballroom or the The Gold Room.

The Concept

I can already imagine beautiful nights in each of the two main rooms at Ballroom Blitz. The club will open on Fridays only, which I think is great given the increasingly crowded Saturday night schedules in Beirut. It’s also refreshing to see someone getting into the music scene with their own thing, not just to supplant players already in the game.

Techno will have a sizable role to play, and I was ecstatic to know that they will soon host artists from the legendary Ostgut Ton (Berghain’s label). However, the club will focus on a variety of musical genres, and would more appropriately be called a musical venue, not just a club. Here’s a taste of what’ to come:

https://instagram.com/p/BoTXl3VhE9R/

The Details

It opens this Friday. You can RSVP on Facebook here.

All three spaces are open to everyone at the club. As we have gotten used to with Ballroom Blitz nights, come with an open mind and expect to hear something new and artists experimenting beyond the usual sets you’d expect.

https://www.facebook.com/events/672039019861645

B 018: The End of an Era, And Start of a New One

Facebook notified me today that I’ve been friends with Ziad Ghosn, one of B018’s legendary resident “decknicians” for 11 years today. That’s just a fraction of how long the subterranean bunker has been open though.

B018 is undoubtedly Beirut’s most iconic club. On so many occasions, fellow clubbers I meet in cities like Berlin, DC and Brooklyn, when they found out I’m from Lebanon, they inevitably ask about B018. Most heavyweight artists made their Beirut debut in the underground bunker in the Lebanese capital’s former quarantine area: Karantina.

Whether it’s the design, the concept or the music, b0 has captured the hearts and minds of generations of clubbers. It perfectly symbolizes what a club should be, especially a Techno-focused one: reviving an industrial, down-trodden part of an urban metropolis and breathing life back into it.

Karantina saw some horrible things throughout its history, and even in modern times, it’s largely been an industrial area with warehouses, slaughterhouses and granaries replacing refugee camps, residential areas and other non-industrial buildings that once stood there.

The design never shied away from the brutal history, with a bomb-shelter like venue with furniture that looks like stacked coffins when closed, that turn into comfortable couches when opened. Never pretending to ignore the bad memories, b0 sought to change them into something nicer today, creating new memories in a place most of us grew up driving by and never giving a second thought.

The End of an Era, but the Beginning of a Better One

With so many options to go out at night, even in the general vicinity of Karantina, it’s time for b018 to reinvent itself again. After two decades of massive influence on the culture, it’s time to rebuild, renovate and transform this Beirut icon.

Just for the record, B018 doesn’t mean “be over 18”, it’s actually the chalet number where the parties started back in the early 90s. Building B, chalet number 018. So, please stop working it BO, it’s B0.

This Friday, B018 as you know it will come to an end. It’s being redesigned by the original architect, Bernard Khoury, and will reopen later this year in its new format.

The new B018 will be joining forces with the growing uberhaus empire, with places like The Garten, Discotek and Uberhaus.

I promise I’ll share with you the new design, renders and plans as soon as I get my hands on them. Till then though, get ready for a fond farewell to a club that many of us have too many fond memories in to count.

B018, thank you for all the beautiful sunrises under the retractable roof. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next chapter!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1735355169895116/

My Interview with Detroit Techno Pioneers Octave One

Hours before their performance at Boiler Room x Ballantine’s True Music finale in the Port of Valencia, I got the chance to sit down with Lawrence and Lenny, two of the five brothers from the legendary Octave One. We chatted a little about the early days of Techno in Detroit, the scene today and their unique creative process that has made generations of clubbers dance since 1989.

Before you start reading their answers to my questions, allow me to say it was hands-down one of my favorite interviews in 9 years of getting to meet my musical heroes and asking them questions. Lenny and Lawrence were hilarious, candid, insightful but most of all extremely humble and still as passionate about making music as they were nearly three decades ago when it all started.

You’re actual brothers, and apart from your live performance, it’s all five of you that work together. What’s that like?

Lenny: You know, we disagree all the time. You try not to be too attached to anything, and you try to be open. That really helps the process. Just because you think you’re a genius, doesn’t mean that the other four brothers are gonna think you’re a genius man. So, it definitely keeps you grounded, and also it’s good to have another set of ears, especially when you’re making music, because you might be working on something man, for like weeks and weeks and weeks, and you let somebody hear it and they go “man, that’s out of key”, and this and that. You might be mad, but you also look at it from another perspective. You’re like, I guess you’re right! You learn that over the years. You have to trust the other person, and that’s what it’s really all about.

What’s one party or event that you look back fondly on today?

Lawrence: Marty Barnes and Jay Denham were our next door neighbors, and one day we just went over and other friends came through like Derrick May. Carl Craig’s sister lived upstairs in the same apartment building too. We ended up jammin and recording something really special.

Lenny: It’s somewhere, I don’t know where it is. I think we gave it to Derrick and it never resurfaced from there. Derrick might have it somewhere man! That was the funnest days, we were just making music and we didn’t think about it coming out, we were just making music.

So, the big question always is: digital or analog? What’s your take?

Lenny: Seriously, it’s everything. We’ve been using digital instruments and analog instruments from the beginning of our careers. A lot of people associate hardware with being analog, which is not. Analog is a way of sound being made, but it’s not always necessarily hardware. Like, the 909 is digital and analog at the same time. So, it’s just people not understanding the differences.

Really, music is everything, especially electronic music. I mean, it’s electronic music man, so you use electronics, analog electronics, digital electronics, so for us, whatever fits the bill at that time will be used.

Your musical structure and composition doesn’t always stay in the rigid four-on-the-floor format we’re used to hearing, especially from Detroit-style Techno. How would you say you arrange your productions?

Lenny: For us, it’s just how we think of music. We really get bored easily, so it’s hard for us to just do a track with these slow builds. We appreciate those tracks, big time, and the actual musicians who do that. We don’t have that gift. Ours is, we kinda think, even when we’re doing a track, we kinda think kinda like a song.

But you know, it’s a gift and a curse, it helps us when we’re structuring things. Like, let’s say a lot of people can gravitate to, but when we’re trying to do a straight dance 4-cut, sometimes we need to let stuff ride, but just can’t.

We can appreciate other people’s records, but it’s hard for us to do that when we’re making it.

I’m sure you saw the recent video of an EDM artist at a big festival’s cazy live performance. How do you feel about EDM being much bigger than Techno and your type of music in the US, where you’re from, but Techno being bigger in other places around the world like Europe?

Yeah, we saw that. It’s very commercial. We’d never play like that. Never, nah nah *chuckles*

In the US, the scene is so structured. Even when they brought EDM in, it basically fell into the structure that was already there. They really had to do songs, songs with vocalists, and even without vocalists, it’s structured in such a manner that’s so rigid that it fits the US market. We were doing rebel music, we were always doing something that was different. We were doing something that was contrary to radio. That was actually part of why we were making this music. We weren’t making radio music. It was designed to be anti-radio, EDM was not designed that way. It was designed to be radio-friendly, and for the masses. So, you understand why it did so well in the US, because record labels could understand it, and say “oh, we could put money behind that, this structure we already understand”

Have you heard anything about Beirut? Would you wanna go there soon?

Playing in Beirut would be cool man!

Octave One LIVE at the Boiler Room x Ballantine’s True Music Valencia Finale

Chronicles Anniversary: 1 Bracelet, 2 Massive Parties

It’s hard to believe that it’s only been a year since Chronicles debuted on the Lebanese music and nightlife scene, but in the past 12 months, they’ve established themselves as a permanent fixture in the schedules and bookmarks of serious clubbers. With brilliant, first for Lebanon bookings like Reinier Zonneveld, one might feel that’s their forte, but my favorite thing Chronicles does is their Rendezvous series, which has so far featured a whopping 26 local artists streamed for the entire world to enjoy in Beirut’s finest clubs and venues.

Their Anniversary 2-Day Bender

Pig & Dan August 14

Techno heavyweights Pig & Dan will be celebrating Chronicles’ 1-year at HNGR on Tuesday August 14. Active since 1999, it’s hard for a Techno lover to not have a few of their tracks and sets saved under “likes” on SoundCloud. Party kicks off at 11:00PM till the morning of Wednesday, with enough time to shower and continue up to their party with Miyagi at The Notch in Faqra!

Here’s a little taste of what to expect on the night:

Miyagi August 15

After a night of intense Techno in an industrial setting, what could be better than switching to a much higher, outdoor venue way up above sea level with the deep, melodic sound of Miyagi ushering in the breathtaking sunset from The Notch in Faqra.

Best part is, you can use your bracelet from Pig & Dan the night before to gain access to Miyagi at The Notch!

Here’s a little taste of what’s in store, Miyagi’s set from my favorite stage (Tankwuste) at my favorite festival (Fusion, Larz):

Get Your Wave 3 Tickets NOW

Keeping true to their music-focused spirit, the peeps at Chronicles decided to make two massive parties accessible for the price of one. When most parties and clubs these days charge 25–35 dollars a party, you can get to enjoy Pig&Dan and Miyagi, at HNGR and The Notch, for just 35 USD

You can buy them online form Ihjoz here.

Überhaus Expands to Egypt with Bedouin Headlining

Überhaus is a name that was born in a Hamra hotel basement just a few years ago. Since then, the Beirut-based clubbing behemoth has added a plethora of nightlife delights in both Beirut, and the region. With The Gärten, Discotek and 808 under their belts, their newest project is überhaus at Sea Code, a beach club on the gorgeous northern coast of Egypt’s Alexandria.

The Venue

Nestled on the golden sands, the expansive beach club designed by Karl Karam (Archave Studio) includes a pool and access to the turquoise beach on the Mediterranean. Right next to the main venue, is a concrete base that holds the iconic Gärten dome, with an all-new visual set up.

Bedouin and Tale of Us

The opening will be on Thursday, and headlining the massive party are our dear friends and amazing producers Bedouin! Later on this season, Tale of Us will take over the decks under the dome.

Next season, überhaus will host weekly parties all summer long.

Beirut and Beyond

I’m incredibly proud to see homegrown talents grow and expand in the region. Following a massive party on the Greek island of Mykonos this summer, überhaus is now ready to launch its new Egyptian project. I’ll be going there soon to party in it myself, and I’ll let you know first hand how it goes. Friends and readers in Egypt, get ready!

Belle Epoque: A Picnic, Outdoor Cinema, Market, Arts and Music this Weekend

Belle Epoque is a 2-day event at the gorgeous Massaya Faqra location this weekend, August 11–12. It’s an event by the folks at The Grand Factory that’s a bit different than what we’re used to, a call back to simpler times where we did simpler things that can be just as enjoyable as our weekly party schedules.

You can buy a picnic basket and have a meal outside in nature in the afternoon, then browse a flea market, a shopping space stocked with local designers, vinyl records and munch on food by folks like Tawlet, Kitchen Confidential, Kharouf Beirut and more!

At night is when things get a bit livelier, with House of Pop hosting a Retro Party under the stars visible from Faqra. There will also be a movie screened outdoors and even the awesome Lynn Adib Quartet serenading you with their jazz.

To find out the exact schedule and timetables of all these awesome stuff happening, make sure you RSVP on Facebook, and see you all there!

RSVP