Tania Kassis returns to Lebanon with a new style

By Nohad Topalian in Beirut
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-08-10

[File] Tania Kassis tries different musical genres in her new album, "Oriental Colour".

After a career singing opera, Tania Kassis is emerging in a new style with her first album "Oriental Colour", which features 12 songs in Arabic, French, English, Spanish and Greek. This album marks her return to Lebanon after living in Paris for seven years.

Lebanese audiences discovered Tania at the opening ceremony of the sixth Francophone games in 2009, where she performed "Islamo-Christian Ave", an Ave Maria mixed with the Muezzin's "Allah Akbar".

Al-Shorfa met with Tania to talk about her musical choices and her career.

Al-Shorfa: How would you describe your return to Lebanon?

Tania Kassis: My return to Lebanon and to the art scene represents a variation from what I have previously offered. The Lebanese discovered me with the hymn "Ave Maria" dedicated to Christian-Muslim prayer. But now, I return to them with a completely different album -- an album that combines songs to the tunes of jazz music, techno, Bustanov, and the Lebanese genre.

Al-Shorfa: Who did you work with on your first album?

Tania: I collaborated with Elias Rahbani who wrote the lyrics and composed the music for "Trabak Ya Lubnan", and with Michel Fadel who composed the music for three songs, with lyrics by Nabil Au Abdo. I also worked with Jad Mhanna who composed the music for four songs whose lyrics were written by Ahmad Abdel Nabi.

As for the song "Unshudat Beirut", the music was written by the French composer Fabrice Mantina, while the music for the English song was composed by the French composer Olivier Leclerc and the lyrics were my own. I also wrote the lyrics and music for the song "Al-Quds" and it was distributed by Najeeb Saad.

Al-Shorfa: Why did you choose to sing in multiple languages?

Tania: This diversity is due to the fact that fact that I grew up in a classical atmosphere. In France, I studied classical music and singing, and I sang opera in several languages including Italian and Russian.

I was accustomed to holding concerts abroad, particularly in Latin America. In this album, I convey the message of Lebanon to the world abroad. I dedicate it to Lebanese expatriates, and the descendants of Lebanese origin.

Al-Shorfa: Why?

Tania: Because I got to know the taste of expatriation during my seven-year stay in France. I also discovered the difficulty of moving away from Lebanon. In short, in the album I express myself through singing about my experience outside of Lebanon, and I say to the expatriates we have not forgotten about them in Lebanon.

Al-Shorfa: Was it difficult to move from singing opera to singing in other genres?

Tania: Those who sing opera are capable of singing all other types of music on condition that they are familiar with these musical genres.

Al-Shorfa: You say the album is to put out feelers to see what people want. How?

Tania: The album is very personal because I have included everything I love in it. I have combined music from the West and the East to urge people to discover our music. As for people, I understand that they are not accustomed to classical music, and that they listen to rhythmic music that is popular in Lebanon and the world. So, I wanted to learn about people in order to know the extent of their willingness to listen to this kind of music. And if they don't love my work, I have to meet them halfway.

Al-Shorfa: Are you willing to perform songs from the popular genre?

Tania: I came here to present artistic works that suit me and not to imitate others, not even to take the place of anyone. This is not my goal. Those who know me from before understand that I do not sing what I am not convinced of.

Al-Shorfa: You also recorded a patriotic song for Lebanon.

Tania: My patriotic song does not resemble work designed for a particular national event. "Unshudat Beirut" represents a personal feeling, in which I sing for Beirut, the mother, where I grew up. I deliver new work that portrays my artistic personality.

Al-Shorfa: Will you hold concerts in Lebanon?

Tania: I will be opening the Festival of the month of Ramadan in the downtown souks in Beirut on August 16th, followed by festivals in Tripoli and Sidon. I am happy to have been chosen.

As for my concerts abroad, they are divided between Uruguay, Chile, Argentina and Brazil and they are scheduled to take place at the end of October.

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