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Middle Eastern band Lazzy Lung hit the Hollywood hills

Beirut band, represents the Middle East in Los Angeles.

Musicians the world over have penned songs in the hope their talent will take them to the world’s most famous recording studio, Capitol Records Studios. triplew.me, the Middle East’s first online content platform dedicated to giving a voice to home-grown creative talent, in partnership with their official record label partner EMI, one of the world’s largest record labels, is pleased to present the winner of its ‘Home-grown to Hollywood’ activity, Lebanese band Lazzy Lung (pronounced ‘lazy’).
In mid-2011, musicians of all ages and backgrounds were invited to enter ‘Home-grown to Hollywood’ via triplew.me’s dedicated music section, Makshoof Music. Up for grabs was a trip to Hollywood, California to play at Capitol Records Studios and record at the prestigious Studio A. This opportunity was the first of its kind in the Middle East.

After a period of voting, sharing and ultimately a short-list of 15 acts from all over the Middle East, the judges decided that Lazzy Lung would be the eventual winner of this opportunity to jet across to Los Angeles.

Lazzy Lung, hailing from Beirut, Lebanon, is the biggest independent band you’ve never heard of. The brainchild of Canadian born front-man Allan Chaaraoui, Lazzy Lung is a mix of influences and styles that represent better than most the westward-looking Arab youth.

In 2011 the band won not only Homegrown to Hollywood, but Rolling Stone Middle East Edition’s Battle of the Bands in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Esquire Middle East’s Musicians of the Year.

Embarking on the mammoth journey from Beirut to Los Angeles with Allan were Alain Najm (Drums) and Anthony Sayhoun (Guitars), with Ray-Ban, the iconic sunglasses brand, making the trip possible, along with the support of EMI Music Arabia and Capitol Studios.

Bassist Imad Jawad had to miss out on the trip due to delayed visa issues. His replacement in the Capitol recordings was American bassist, and Christina Applegate’s husband Martin LeNoble (who has played with Porno for Pyros, Jane’s Addiction & Daniel Lanois)

The band got a chance of a lifetime at Capitol Records through recording with the legendary Sound Engineer Charlie Paakkari (Who has worked with Les Paul, Elton John, Sting, Ozzy Osbourne, Frank Sinatra, Tron) at the classic Studio A.

Co-coordinating the whole trip was the United Arab Emirates-based TripleW.me. Since its launch in 2010, TripleW.me has been building a network of passionate and creative members across the Middle East. Makshoof Music is the site’s online destination for musicians looking to share their original music and connect with like-minded individuals. The goal of Makshoof Music is to discover and reward promising musicians with opportunities and prizes, such as studio recording time, live performances and international opportunities.

Before they left on their once in a lifetime trip, the beginning of Lazy Lung’s journey was documented by female Lebanese film maker Sandra Arslanian. Once in the US, Lazzy Lung’s journey was documented by renowned American film maker Bill Cody. This video content, music recordings and photographs (styled by Dubai based fashion stylist Sarah Maisey, whose portfolio of work includes Harper’s Bazaar) are now being rolled out online on a dedicated triplew.me hub.

Join Lazzy Lung on their LA journey at this link: http://www.triplew.me/ray-ban

About TripleW.me:

TripleW.me is a Pan Arab online content platform that allows people from around the region to share and enjoy music, film and photography. The first site of its kind in the region, TripleW.me provides an innovative, regional alternative to the mainstream mass market scene.

Founded by Paul Kelly and partners in Dubai in 2010, the company was born out of a desire to showcase the Middle East’s creativity to the world.

TripleW.me provides talented individuals in the Middle East with a dedicated platform to create and promote their own content. Members can share their opinions and engage constructively with like-minded individuals, providing the forum for a regional perspective on international artists and home-grown talent.

For more information visit www.triplew.me

About Makshoof Music:

TripleW.me’s music project, Makshoof Music, is designed to help raise the profile of Middle Eastern music talent. Fans are given a direct line of communication to their favorite regional bands and an opportunity to offer their input into the creative process of making new music. For musicians, Makshoof Music offers the opportunity, tools and guidance to be discovered and make it to the next level of the music industry.

For more information please visit www.triplew.me/makshoof-music.