Given the success of the first collaborative residency produced by Beirut and Beyond (Lebanon) and Prozess (Switzerland), and in partnership with international institutions, the two parties are back with a series of 5 residencies to take place at Prozess in Berne, Switzerland, between July 2022 and the summer of 2023.
Following an open call for applications, a committee consisting of Amani Semaan [Beirut and Beyond], Christian Krebs [Prozess] and Basem Abuarab (music programmer and expert) selected a total of 5 applicants.
First up was Rust, a Beirut-based musical project that combines traditional Arabic vocals with a palette of unique synthesized sounds, creating an altered, transcendental experience. It is formed by Petra Hawi on vocals and Hany Manja on synths and oud.
Rust seeks out ancient poetry from the Arab world, composing melodies over the Arabic Oud, then arranging the song’s structure over electronic instruments where the final sound is formed. All the music is performed live using drum machines and synthesizers, along with live vocals. Beside the original compositions, the band performs cover songs that are usually chosen from the repertoire of classical Arabic compositions, to revive traditional Arabic music by infusing it with contemporary sounds.
Here is a linktree with links to their music and social media pages.
Petra Hawi and Hany Manja spent the month of August 2022 at Prozess, working on their music and developing their project in a private studio. Their residency coincided with the Swiss-MENA cultural exchange research program funded by ProHelvetia so they got the chance to meet with several artists and promoters from Switzerland and the MENA region. They had a showcase performance at Prozess midway through their residency, followed by a broadcasted performance, live from Prozess, in line with the launch of Norient City Sounds: Beirut. They were also invited to perform in La Demeur Festival in Lausanne, in addition to getting booked for a private event.
Keep an eye on their Instagram or Facebook to see what they’re up to next.
This residency program is made possible with the help and support of Artlink, The Norwegian Embassy in Beirut, Culture Resource, AFAC, among other foundations.
