“Haigazian (October 22)” and “Burj Al Murr (October 25 to 27)” are two extracts from Mayssa Jallad’s live performance at l’Antipode in Rennes, France, during Trans Musicales 2024. The full set was recorded and is now available online via Seattle-based radio station KEXP.

Both tracks are from Jallad’s album Marjaa: The Battle of the Hotels, which explores the Battle of the Hotels during the Lebanese Civil War. Accompanied by Julia Sabra (guitar, synth) and Pascal Semerdjian (drums), Jallad blends Middle Eastern folk, avant-garde jazz, and experimental music to narrate Lebanon’s history through sound.

“Haigazian (October 22)” reflects on Haigazian University, a key site during the conflict. The track’s waltz-like rhythm builds tension, mirroring the institution’s role as both a center of learning and a witness to violence. “Burj Al Murr (October 25 to 27)” takes its name from the Burj Al Murr, an unfinished skyscraper in Beirut that became a strategic military site. The song’s shifting tempos and layered percussion evoke the tower’s imposing presence and the instability of the war.

Jallad, both an architect and a musician, explores how physical spaces hold historical memory. Marjaa: The Battle of the Hotels serves as both a historical record and a musical interpretation of Beirut’s wartime past, linking each track to significant locations from the conflict.

Jallad’s set, now available on KEXP, offer a direct and immersive experience of the album, transforming historical narratives into sound.

You can listen to and purchase your copy of the album HERE