After the successful launching of her latest album Arabology in April, Y.A.S introduced her new album at the Byblos International Festival. The idea of mixing modern rhythms with electronic music together with Arabic traditional sounds came up when Lebanese singer Yasmine Hamdan met Mirwais, known in France and in the United States for producing Madonna’s “Music”. Despite a short performance and basic staging, Y.A.S’s first concert in Lebanon proved her talent and potential.
When the CD came out, early days’ fans rejoiced at the news of this initiative which revolutionizes both Arabic and electro music. They waited until July 23rd for the singer who now lives in Paris to come present her new songs live on the stage of the Byblos International Festival. Arriving discreetly, the singer greeted her enthusiastic audience with a soft « kifkoun? » - How are you, in Arabic-, a taste of what was to come: a pop concert in Arabic. Too bad for those who don’t understand, they’ll just have to appreciate the multiple sonorities. Here lies Y.A.S’s genius; she manages to conquer an audience despite its diversity. This clever mix of genres carries the spectator to a whole new musical universe.
Between sensuality and modernism
Going from songs she describes as “romantic” and more upbeat tunes, she takes us to place where contradictions don’t exist. We also like what makes her smile, yes, we can be all together romantic, sensual and dedicated. We can express this sensuality with Arabic words without being constrained by a classical or commercial repertoire. Lyrics don’t have to clearly express the words in order to get the message across.
If the singer’s performance was exactly what people were expecting, the organization and the staging unfortunately deceived some of the spectators. Waiting for the band to go on until 11:30 pm, the audience was supposed to enjoy an unforgettable show, but there were many missing ingredients like barely there lighting, no video projection or improvisation. Despite all that, the right atmosphere was there but the show ended way too quickly. It seems that the first to be surprised was the singer who let out a “Yii, raho” as she noticed the DJs had left the stage
