A Polish Lebanese Ensemble

Maria Pomianowska – Phd (art) – Professor of the Academy of Music in Cracow. Multi-instrumentalist, plays the fiddles from all over the world, vocalist and composer. She reconstructed the unique playing technique of the forgotten Polish instruments .

Bart Palyga – one of the first musicians playing Polish reconstructed instruments, comprehensively gifted instrumentalist, who performed e.g. with the oldest Polish band which was inspired to find new way of expression for folk and exotic sounds, Yerba Mater.

Bassem Deaibess – leader of metal band Blaakyum, performed with many metal bands for last sixteen years, vocalist, composer, music producer, cultural activist

Johnny Girges – classical guitar player; at the very beginning started to perform with local metal band, then joined electro music projects and performed as a DJ; since 2008 went back to rock and blues and started to combine his former music experiences with word music
Adel Harb – Flamenco Guitarist
Ara Seferian – Percussions

“Love and Coexistence” is a series of music workshops for Polish and Lebanese musicians which was initiated in October 2011 in Beirut. At the beginning, it was only to be a workshop for students, but soon the possibility of a concert of Polish and Lebanese musicians appeared. On this basis a big cultural project (containing workshops for students, practice with Lebanese musicians, meetings with artists, and two concerts in EM Chill) was created.

The artists and organizers want not only to present Polish music and show audiences something of Polish culture. From the very beginning it was not just Polish project. The main point was always that it is a combined Polish – Lebanese event. All cultural activities during the project were created in cooperation of all participants. The final shape of the concerts was decided by Polish artists Maria Pomianowska and Bart Palyga as well as Lebanese musicians, who gave it the right flavour of contemporary Lebanon: Bassem Deaibess, Johnny Girges, Adel Harb and Ara Seferian all helped to extract from the music an essence common to both cultures.

The musicians spent a few days interpreting the most beautiful poems written by best Polish poets: two Nobel Prize’s Winners – Wisława Szymborska and Czesław Miłosz, Zbigniew Herbert known of his philosophical poetry and Tadeusz Różewicz, whose poetry was already interpreted by some other Polish musicians. It is significant that most of the poems have been translated into Arabic for the first time and especially for this occasion by Hatif Janabi. So the musical version of these poems will be the first audience’s meeting with these poets in Arabic.
The artists, seeking inspiration from many sources and referring to the cultures’ roots, wanted to give a fresh view of the two countries. They sing modern Polish poetry, but in Arabic. They play traditional Polish instruments, but with elements of modern music performed by Lebanese artists.
Such a bold project would not be feasible without support not only from the artists and organizers, but also the Polish Embassy in Lebanon and the Polish Association in Lebanon.