Ziad Rahbani: resist the times of shipwreck

“They told us: tomorrow will be better… But who can guarantee that we will still be here tomorrow?” This line, from his cult play "Bennesbeh La Boukra Chou?," encapsulates the essence of Ziad Rahbani’s work: a perpetual questioning infused with biting humor and political clarity, a poetry of everyday life that probes the fractures of a society in permanent crisis.

Composer, playwright, and pianist, this multitalented genius of the Lebanese stage—hailed by Le Monde as a free and subversive spirit—reinvented satire and Arab music, leaving generations marked by his rebellious and visionary œuvre.

In this conversation, hosted by Johnny El Hage, a keen connoisseur of Rahbani’s work, readings of incisive texts and musical performances will revisit his timeless repertoire. An exploration of memory and resistance through art, celebrating one of the most vibrant artistic consciences of the Arab world.

A rendezvous with the vitality of a creation that dares to confront reality without complacency, wielding the formidable weapons of beauty and humor.