During an exceptional evening of music, the MusicHall Theater in Beirut hosted the “Songs and Movies”

concert last night, attended by an elite group of stars from the worlds of art and acting,

Egyptian film stars Laila Alawi, Elham Shahin, and Bosy Shalaby, along with a number of Lebanese stars and figures from the arts and media.

The evening brought back to the stage the atmosphere of a time when song was intertwined with cinema, evoking musical works

deeply rooted in the Arab collective memory, performed by four young voices Sindi Lati, Alia Nada, Peter Joseph, and Muhammad Ali

accompanied by the Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental-Arabic Music, conducted by Maestro Harout Fazlian.

From the moment the concert began, it was clear that the focus was not solely on nostalgia,

but on reintroducing authentic Arabic songs to a contemporary audience through a selection of the most famous works by Umm Kulthum,

Warda al-Jazairia, and Abdel Halim Hafez.

The performers presented a variety of pieces, ranging from solo songs to duets and ensemble works,

amid remarkable audience engagement, while the 24-piece orchestra added a rich musical dimension to the evening

while preserving the spirit of the works that have become part of Arab cinema’s collective memory.

Sindi Lati’s presence was particularly notable during the evening, as she performed a number of songs, while Peter Joe Ziv

Mohammed Ali, and Alia Nada presented a selection of pieces that spanned various musical styles,

with the four voices coming together in a program that blended tradition with a youthful energy.

Art Stars Celebrate Music

The concert also served as an artistic and social occasion that brought together a number of prominent figures in the art world,

including Laila Alawi, Elham Shaheen, and Bosy Shalabi, who enjoyed the evening’s performances amid a festive atmosphere,

alongside an elite group of Lebanese artists and figures from the worlds of media and culture.

An atmosphere of joy and camaraderie permeated the venue, as the audience engaged with the songs that brought

voices and melodies that accompanied films and artistic milestones still alive in the Arab collective consciousness.

The “Songs and Films” project does more than simply revive old songs; it also provides a platform for young voices

who have built a following on social media to move from behind the screen to the stage and

present themselves in a live artistic experience before the audience.

From the memory of cinema to today’s audience

Through song, imagery, and nostalgia, “Melodies and Movies” succeeded in transforming the MusicHall theater into a space where

different generations come together around Arabic music, in an effort to keep the works of yesterday alive in today’s artistic landscape.

As the curtain fell, the evening seemed to be more than just a concert; it was a celebration of the songs that shaped the memory of Arab cinema,

and of new voices striving to breathe new life into this legacy on stage.

The concert is part of a project through which the producer hopes to continue presenting similar events,

and later move on to other highlights of the Arab musical repertoire, thereby opening the door to

reviving the works of artists and composers from Lebanon and the Arab world and introducing them to a new audience.

Hana Bilal