A Lebanese Musician’s Story of Art, Trauma, and the Memory of August 4
For many, August 4, 2020 became a turning point that reshaped not only their city but also their inner worlds. In his deeply personal book Obsidian Tempo, metal drummer and first-time author Bachir Ramadan traces his life through music, distance, and trauma, offering an intimate reflection on what it means to create, cope, and endure in Lebanon today. Released just a few months ago, the book is both a memoir and a quiet testimony of how art persists even after devastation.
If you’re thinking of picking it up, here’s a closer look at what the book is about.
Obsidian Tempo follows Ramadan’s life between the adrenaline of playing in bands and the structure of a corporate career, capturing the everyday challenges, compromises, and quiet victories of pursuing music in Lebanon.
Beyond performance and professional struggles, the book reflects on heartbreak, love, burnout, and the subtle tensions of balancing artistic ambition with daily responsibilities. For many artists, the push and pull between earning a living and following creative dreams will feel deeply familiar.
One of the book’s most striking moments is Ramadan’s experience of the devastating August 4, 2020 Beirut port blast. Rather than presenting it as a single dramatic episode, the narrative weaves the explosion into a broader story of survival, identity, and resilience, revealing how trauma lingers in memory and everyday life.
Obsidian Tempo is both a chronicle of one life and a reflection on what it means to survive as an artist. The book is available in all major bookstores across Lebanon. Click here to get your copy!
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