Bedouin Burger
Adib moved from Syria to Paris in 2009 to study at the American School of Modern Music and to become a biological pharmacist. She later moved to Lebanon. Her music, in part, is heard through this lens of exile and the violent dictatorship of the Assad broken regime. Adib’s ability as a vocalist is a rare gift. Thousands of singers interpret songs but very few capture the song, hold the lyrics, tell the story, envelop you in the meaning. An example from her 2022 recording with Marc Buronfosse features the jazz standard “The Nearness of You,” which she sings in Arabic. Is she singing this to her homeland, to her childhood memories or to her husband who died of cancer in 2017? This we cannot know, but the sweetness of loss, the nostalgia of remembrance will resonate with you for days. With Zeid Hamdan she creates an atmosphere of exile, loss, the feeling of a an untethered life. Hamdan, a Lebanese music producer and musician who specializes in electronica, hip hop and Arabic music brings a modern sensibility to the album with the guitar, bass and synthesizers.
The album begins with “Harir” (Silk), a song written for the film Les Chenilles. Adib sings about loss and female friendship but the film pulls in the history of the silk road, colonialism and historical exploitation. It is a meditative acapella song with Adib chanting in Arabic at first, then building into an electronic mountain before it fades away. “Dabkeh,” which means to stomp, is a traditional Middle Eastern folk dance that morphs into electronic modern music with a western pop beat. It grooves along for a bit and then Adib’s chanting joins the party.
On “Zamel” Hamdan’s electronica, pop, and global beats take the lead here. His influence modernizes the album, more in the vein of Arooj Aftab’s work and less in the maqam tradition of, for example, the Tunesian oud player, Anouar Brahem. The wide reach of the album may be off-putting to listeners seeking less abrasive or less pop sounds, but there are also gems on the albums that adhere to the musical traditions of Middle Eastern classical music.
“Nomad” begins with the repeating phrase "Ma Li Beit" and features the loving accompaniment of Hamdan’s instruments and his electronic enhancements. There is an especially lovely section near the end where the acoustic guitar supports Adib’s chanting.
“Kheit El Sabah" (Thread of the Morning) is a traditional Palestinian song. His eyes are full of sleep... his eyes,There are many layers to these songs, both personal and political, ancient and current. Syria, Gaza, Israel and Lebanon - these places, these wars swirl around this music, merging into statements both tragic and persevering. If you have wondered how these families can survive war and starvation, death and separation from their loved ones, this album has a tale to tell you.
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There are many ways to be homeless, borderless, stateless or a refugee. The songs on Ma Li Beit (I Have No Home) casts the Bedouins in the title role as the Middle Eastern nomads Lynn Adib remembers from her childhood. She grew up in Syria, where she started singing at the age of six in the Al Farah Choir in Damascus. But there are many more layers to her life, and to these songs.
