Baalbeck International Festival

Summer 2016 from 22 July till August 28: Caracalla Dance Theatre, Jean Michel Jarre, Mika and othe...

Baalbeck International Festival - Summer 2016

Caracalla Dance Theatre
"Along the Silk Road"
A dance musical into a journey beyond the horizon
Friday 22 & Saturday July 23, 2016
Steps of Bacchus Temple

A theatrical production traveling through history and geography, to revive past events, which have enriched human life with deep cultural ties as it shaped the historic paths of many peoples and eras. These events have provided the background of many adventures and stories that have informed human, cultural and commercial exchanges between civilizations.
An inspirational journey through history that grips the imagination of writers, poets and artists alike. From this point, we were compelled to imagine a performance inspired by the events that transpired through the Silk Road, full of adventure and hazardous experiences. Through this journey, we will explore the distant past as it unfolds through a variety of traditions and cultures of societies from back then. We are therefore able to evolve within an artistic realm that defines our musical dance theatre, highlighting the importance of encounters between civilizations and how these are regenerated and redefined with every era.

The production will conclude with a celebration of humanity’s unanimity, which embodies cultural diversity among peoples in the realm of love and peace, as "one human being and one world".

Jean Michel Jarre
Electronic Music
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Steps of Bacchus Temple

Jean Michel Jarre, a pioneering milestone in electronic music who had his first striking success with "Oxygen" in 1976; With impressive showmanship, Jean Michel Jarre performed at giant concerts in the world’s leading cities: Shanghai, Beijing, Houston, London, Havana, Cairo, Athens and Beirut. This year, Jean Michel Jarre returns to Lebanon after having recently released during this spring, his new album "Electronica Vol.2: The Heart of Noise", a sequel to "Electronica Vol.1: The Time Machine".
This new work features amazing collaborations with Rone, Sebastien Tellier, Christophe, Primal Scream and the Pet Shop Boys, and is currently being an absolute triumph.
During his European tour after Montreux and Nimes festivals, Jean Michel Jarre will perform an unforgettable concert at the steps of the Bacchus Temple in Baalbeck. This concert is being organized in collaboration with We Group.

Mika
Pop Concert
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Steps of Bacchus Temple

An International musical sensation, Mika is coming back to Baalbeck with a new joyful and colorful performance. Mika has sold over 10 million records and has Gold and Platinum awards in 32 countries worldwide. His debut album, "Life in Cartoon Motion", went straight to #1 in UK and 11 other countries, his 2nd album "The Boy Who Knew Too Much" went up to the top 10 in 11 countries and his 3rd, "The Origin of Love", released in 2012, saw fascinating collaborations with celebrated artists such as Pharrell Williams, Nick Littlemore and Ariana Grande. He is currently working on his 4th album "No place in Heaven".
Mika has spent the past couple of years conquering the hearts of audiences across Europe, appearing as a judge on the X Factor show in Italy, a coach at The Voice show in France and topping the charts in France with his new release "Boum Boum Boum".
Mika often refers that Lebanon is his mother’s country of origin, where the Lebanese audience, from all ages, applause him.

Bob James Quartet
Jazz Concert
Friday, August 12, 2016
Bacchus Temple

Discovered by Quincy Jones in the early 60s, the legendary keyboardist jazzmen set the standards for smooth jazz and is considered as one of the founders of 70s fusion jazz.
Two time award winning Grammy artist, Bob James is also one of the most sampled musicians in the history of hip hop by big names such as A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Run-DMC, Arrested Development, Jay-Z, and the list goes on.
Bob James has captivated audiences across the world through his constantly evolving musical career and live performances.
Accompanied by Carlitos Del Puerto (bass), Billy Kilson (drums) and Perry Hughes (guitar), Bob James promises a unique concert inside the magnificent Bacchus temple.

Abeer Nehme
"Al Mutanabbi ... Mousafiran Abadan"
Friday, August 19, 2016
Bacchus Temple

In the architectural jewel, the temple of Bacchus, Abeer Nehme embarks on a musical journey following the footsteps of the greatest Arab poet Abu El Tayb Al Mutanabbi, through the different stages of his travels, and farther beyond in areas unexplored by the poet himself.

The songs dialogue: those in Iraq where Al Mutanabbi was born, with Andalusian songs, the celebrations of the Arab desert with the melodies of the Hungarian Gypsies, folklore of Damascus and Aleppo, along with traditional tunes of Greece and Turkey. As for the Armenian spiritual hymns, they can be heard in the echoes of the Sufi songs from Morocco. On the other side of the Mediterranean shores, the Lebanese music meets the songs of Sardinia where once the Phoenicians had settled, while the melodies of Egyptian heritage reflects those of Iran, India and Asia minor.

To punctuate the journey, Abeer will present vocal extracts from the poems of Al Mutanabbi and other musical pieces from her own inspiration.

The travel of Abeer with the company of Al Mutanabbi returns to the source of ancient cultures through music, with the aim of creating a story yet again different from our region’s history.

Lisa Simone
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Bacchus Temple

Legendary singer Nina Simone’s only child, Lisa Simone has found her own voice, embracing her musical talent. After an early career on Broadway where she was acclaimed for her roles, Lisa Simone covered her mother’s repertoire with the album " Simone on Simone " and shared the stage with Diane Reeves, Angelique Kidjo and Lizz Wright.
She has now followed her own path as a recording artist with two original albums, "All is well" in 2014 and "My World " earlier this year. In early 2016, she was invited to sing in prestigious venues such as l’Olympia in Paris and the Montreux Jazz Festival. In Baalbeck, Lisa Simone will perform her own songs along classic cover songs for Nina Simone. She will certainly grace us with her presence as her mother once did at the Festival in 1998.

Sherine Abdel Wahab
Oriental Concert
Friday, August 26, 2016
Steps of Bacchus Temple

Egyptian singer Sherine was discovered by producer Nasr Mahrous and released her first songs in a collective album, which was followed by a duet with singer Mohamed Mohey entitled "Bahebak" during early 2000. From there on, her fame encouraged Nasr Mahrous to take a bold and important step in his journey with her. Nasr offered her an album with Tamer Hosni known as "Free Mix" which became a huge success, particularly the song "Ah Yaleil". The album "Jorh Tany" followed in 2003, and was also a remarkable success. Throughout that same year, Sherine shared the screen with Ahmed Helmy in the movie "Mido Mashakel".
As of 2005, she released the albums "Lazem A’eesh,", "Bataminak" and "Esaal Alaya" where her success became a phenomenon in the Arab world.

José Van Dam meets Carlos Gardel
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Bacchus Temple

An exceptional trio: a Belgian opera star José Van Dam, an internationally renowned bass player Jean-Louis Rassinfosse and an astonishing pianist Jean-Philippe Collard-Neven will be giving out a unique tribute concert to the Argentinian Legend Carlos Gardel inside the Bacchus temple in Baalbeck. They frequently seduce their audience as they draw on the melodies and harmonies of sublime classics and perform it within a special blend of classical, tango and jazz.

Van Dam’s overwhelming voice mingled with the exceptional arrangements of his duo musicians, will allow the audience to revisit Gardel’s most beautiful pieces such as "Adios Muchachos", "Caminito", "La Cumparsita", "Soledad", the immortal "Mi Buenos Aires Querido" and the famous "Volver"; theme song of Pedro Almodovar’s movie "Hable con ella".