Last summer the Byblos International Festival brought some of the world’s biggest names in music to Lebanon, including Massive Attack, Stromae and, for the first time, Beirut. This year they’re set to repeat that feat. The lineup for the seaside summer festival, which will run from July 13 to Aug 18, was announced at a news conference Wednesday and features a diverse selection of international stars.The festival will open with a performance by the legendary John Legend, an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter and actor who has won nine Grammys, a Golden Globe and an Oscar. On the heels of a sold-out worldwide tour, Legend will be playing in Lebanon for the first time, performing a selection of his greatest hits accompanied by a full band.
Legend will be followed on July 14 by Irish pop rock band The Script. Formed in 2001, the band is made up of lead vocalist and pianist Danny O’Donoghue, vocalist and guitarist Mark Sheehan and drummer Glen Power. The trio’s concert at Byblos kicks off a world tour in the wake of the release of their fourth album, “No Sound in Silence,” which peaked at No. 1 in their homeland in 2014.
On July 22, Byblos will play temporary home to “Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock.” Led by the German rock guitarist, this hard rock all-star group includes Rainbow singer Doogie White, former members of the Scorpions Herman Rarebell and Francis Buchholz on drums and bass, and Wayne Findlay of Slavior on guitar and keyboard. Dedicated to classic rock, the group will perform early Scorpions songs, along with hits from Schenker’s band UFO and their own repertoire.
Fans of Spanish creative fusion are in for a treat on July 26, when Mexican acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela will grace the stage. Their unique blend of new flamenco, rock and acoustic heavy metal, played on classical guitars, has earned the duo a worldwide following. They will regale local audiences with a set pairing their own major hits with covers of classics by Led Zeppelin, Metallica and Radiohead.
It’s time to get jazzy on July 28, with American singer-songwriter Gregory Porter. Backed by his quintet, the singer will showcase his unique blend of jazz, soul, gospel and blues influences, performing numbers from his three albums, including the Grammy award winning 2013 “Liquid Spirit.”
French singer Mireille Mathieu will perform July 30, returning to perform in Lebanon after an absence of 41 years. Mathieu last gave a concert at Byblos in 1974. She has recorded over 1200 songs in 11 languages during her career and will remind Lebanese audience what she’s made of this summer with a set of Edith Piaf’s beloved hits, accompanied by a group of 11 musicians.
Lebanese woman of the moment Hiba Tawaji will have her turn on the stage on Aug. 7, back in Lebanon after wowing audience on TV show “The Voice France,” in which she reached the semifinals earlier this year. The soprano will be accompanied on stage by a full orchestra and will perform a diverse range of numbers from songs by Dalila and Sting to the repertoire of the Rahbani family, who will also be represented on stage by conductor Oussama Rahbani and director Marwan Rahbani.
Moving away from the main stage, Lebanese soprano Samar Salame will stage her production “Sacre Profane” on Aug. 12 and 13. Salame will perform two of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s masterpieces, the sacred “Stabat Mater” in the Saint John Marcus Church in the heart of the old city and the profane “La Serva Padrona” in the adjacent gardens. The play is directed by Diana Iliescu and choreographed by Jean Sakr and will feature musicians, dancers and acrobats led by Talal el-Jurdi, as master of ceremonies.
Bound to attract a crowd, the closing act on Aug. 18 is British indie rock band alt-J. The group formed in 2007 at Leeds University and consists of guitar and vocalist Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton on keyboard and vocals and Thom Green on drums. The group will be accompanied by Cameron Knight on guitar, bass and sampler for this live show. Knight is standing in for guitarist and vocalist Gwil Sainsbury, who left the group last year.
For more information about the Byblos International Festival, please visit www.byblosfestival.org.
