The music blasts with exhilarating intensity. A pulsating mix of rap, techno, and hip-hop takes turns commanding the old Cinema Radio in Tripoli. The floor vibrates with the rhythm, each beat sending tremors through the crowd
A sea of red and black silhouettes shifts and undulates in the dim light. Some spectators move like serpents, weaving through the darkness, hands slicing through the air, shouting to the performers, “Yalla, rouh!”
The performers’ faces remain hidden, swallowed by the shadows. The only light comes from the screen behind them, which erupts in a dazzling display of colors, shapes, and images, painting the walls with every imaginable hue.
Almaza, vodka, and Sprite are flung across the bar in a frenzy as the crowd stays locked in the rhythm until the very end. They step outside only momentarily, seeking a breath of fresh air or a quick smoke before diving back into the festival’s electric atmosphere.
In this old cinema, so intimate it feels as though the 450 audience members and artists are one, it’s Friday night, the second day of the Rumman Music Festival, which runned from September 5 to 7 at Stereo Kawalis in Tripoli.
The weekend’s lineup featured local artists along with talents from Southwest Asia, North Africa, and France. The festival showcased a diverse mix of genres, including pop, electronic, psychedelic rock, folk, hip-hop, and rap, drawing around 1,000 attendees.
Tripoli’s evolving cultural scene
Beirut is renowned for its vibrant music scene and frequent concerts, whereas Tripoli is less known for such events. However, in 2024, Tripoli was named the Arab Capital of Culture, and many attendees were excited to experience the lively atmosphere in Lebanon’s second-largest city.
According to Mohamad Yahya Tahan, the event production and admin coordinator at Stereo Kawalis, where the festival took place, locals felt a renewed sense of pride and were grateful for the festival’s presence in their city.
Some performers also praised their time in Tripoli. Rapper Raed, known as Soot Gilgamesh, who performed on stage Friday night, had played in Beirut numerous times before. The Rumman Music Festival offered him a unique opportunity to perform in Tripoli for the first time. He was both amazed and excited to be part of the festival.
“I feel a strong connection to this place, almost like my home, as if it were the camp where I grew up,” says Soot.
As a Palestinian refugee born in a camp in Damascus in Syria, Soot spent nearly 20 years there before moving to Lebanon, where he developed his “Soot” persona in the rap scene. After relocating to Canada to study art and continue his work in Arab hip-hop, he returned to Lebanon this year.
The people of Tripoli remind Soot of the community he left behind in Syria. He notes that it’s a very underrated city where people often struggle, not by choice, but due to their circumstances.
“I feel blessed to perform for them, as it feels like performing back in the camp, so I’m genuinely happy,” he says.
Soot’s music, deeply inspired by his experiences as a Palestinian refugee, serves as his “diary,” reflecting his life and the events he has lived through. His lyrics frequently address political themes, shaped by his perspective as a refugee.
When asked about what he gains from rapping his diary out loud on stage, he says:
“As I just said on the stage, I don’t care if anyone hears me or not, I don’t care if anyone knows me or not. As long as I can say it out loud, that’s what I care about.”
Other performers at the festival on Friday night also took the opportunity to speak about Palestine. Additionally, some audience members draped themselves in Palestinian keffiyehs, visibly showing their support and solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The role of arts and culture in shaping a better future
Founded in 2021 to support Tripoli’s independent music and cultural scene, the Rumman Music Festival faced a pivotal moment this year. Despite the region’s ongoing struggles – including economic hardship, occupation, and war – the festival embraced the challenge of “celebrating” against the odds.
By continuing the festival during these turbulent times, Rumman Music Festival highlights the crucial role of arts and culture as beacons of hope and catalysts for a brighter future.
As stated on their website, “We view this as an invitation for artists and audiences to reimagine, through music, how the Arab region might look when we overcome the artificial barriers and mobility restrictions imposed on Arab countries and their artists.”
From silver screen to festival stage
The festival in Tripoli is not only a rare event but also holds special significance because of its location at Stereo Kawalis.
With two levels offering 525 seats on the ground floor and 200 on the balcony, Cinema Radio was once a cultural cornerstone in Tripoli, hosting a variety of Arabic film screenings. It was one of seven cinemas in the Mina area, creating lasting memories for an entire generation.
However, the civil war and the continued marginalization of Mina and Tripoli led to the decline of the city’s cultural infrastructure. As technology advanced, cinemas like Cinema Radio began to shut down, and by 1995, this cultural hub had closed its doors.
In 2023, Rumman revived Cinema Radio, transforming it into Stereo Kawalis, Tripoli’s largest indoor music venue and the new home of the Rumman Music Festival.
Mohamad Yahya Tahan, the event production and admin coordinator at Stereo Kawalis, shared their commitment to maintaining a high level of professionalism and providing the best service to artists, the team, and attendees for next year’s festival.