The Beiteddine Festival was born at the height of the civil war in 1984. “Walid Jumblatt was behind the idea after the Socialist Party forces took over Beiteddine Palace when the Israeli occupation evacuated the area,” Noura Jumblatt told Asharq Al-Awsat. “In the beginning, the concerts were Lebanese, with some participation from folklore groups from the Soviet Union and others. On that day, the civil administration in the mountain took over the organization of the festival in the inner courtyard of the palace, and the concerts were free.
Noura Jumblatt, President of the “Beiteddine International Festivals” (Beiteddine Festivals)
We can hardly find any pictures from that period on the festival’s website, “because the pictures of that era are old and lack quality, and they will be displayed on our website, after it has been artistically processed. Unfortunately, the videos are in very poor condition. Since its inception, the festival was not fleeting. Marcel Khalife, for example, was among the first to participate in the year 85 or 86. Many do not know that this festival had a literary character in its beginnings, as it hosted an evening for the great poet Omar Abu Risha, as well as an evening for Nizar Qabbani and others, and lectures Balanced, including a lecture by Abdullah Al-Alayli. In 1987, Duraid Lahham presented the play “Shaqaeq Al-Nu`man”. At a later stage, the festival was one of the first to show Youssef Chahine’s “Destiny”, because many of its clips were filmed in the same place where the concerts are held.
In 1987, Noura Jumblatt joined the Festivals Committee. At that time, it was headed by Judge Daher Ghandour, along with a group of members. Then I assumed the presidency of the committee in the early nineties. “Since I joined it, my dream has been for the Beiteddine Festival to become, without borders, open to everyone, to all regions, and to become a bridge of communication and a point of convergence for all Lebanese.”
A concert by the artist Marcel Khalife at the beginnings of the Beiteddine Festivals (Beiteddine Festivals)
With the end of the Lebanese war, the dream came true. Noura Jumblatt narrates: “We were able to open up to the world and host major Arab and foreign artists. Over the years, we have achieved many successes and records by organizing more than 500 concerts, hosting more than 6,600 artists, musicians and creators, and paving the way for the participation of more than Over 700,000 spectators in the courtyards of the ancient historical palace.
We ask Noura Jumblatt to take us through the forty years, back in time, to trace with her this exceptional path and its artistic effects on people. “A really beautiful track and a great challenge. We set off in very difficult and harsh conditions and built course after course. Beiteddine festivals carried a message of hope over 40 years, enhancing the attractiveness of the region and creating a social, economic and tourism dynamism, as well as promoting artistic and cultural exchange. The festival has greatly increased social cohesion since its inception, and has also contributed to the development of the local economy through tourism and the services provided by the region.
As for achievements at the level of artistic taste, Jumblatt says: “We introduced our audience to many types of music, such as World Music, Sufi Music, and other pioneering works in the world of music and arts, for example. We collaborated with the international architect Zaha Hadid in 2004, and this required very high technologies, especially in the open air.
The Festival Committee works in perfect harmony and tasks are distributed according to the inclination and specialization of each of its members. “The artists and the type of concerts that will be presented are chosen 10 months before their date, and actual preparations begin four months in advance, and things accelerate about a month in advance.” Jumblatt explains: “There is always a weekly meeting to discuss performances and artists. In general, democracy hangs over these meetings, and when the debate becomes heated, I have the last word!
The head of the festivals is always on the ground and shares the smallest details (Beiteddine Festivals)
The follower feels that the committee is interfering in the smallest details of the artists’ appearance on the stage. This was evident in the celebration of the centenary of the birth of Zaki Nassif, and the concert of restoring the Umm Kulthum repertoire with the wonderful Amal Maher, and others. There are evenings that are engraved in the memory, because the singers’ voices are certainly wonderful, but also because of the directorial framework in which they were placed. “Indeed, there is close coordination on our part with the artists, and most of the concerts are directed by us because we have a responsibility towards the festival and its audience. These are subject to an integrated artistic vision linked to the identity of the festival and the site of Beiteddine, which has historical symbolism that is supposed to be respected and preserved. Of course, the artistic choice is entirely our responsibility, for example, hosting the Palestinian Youth Orchestra with Marcel Khalife in tribute to Mahmoud Darwish, and hosting (Stat Matter) Christians and Muslims in honoring the Virgin Mary, accompanied by each of the Canadian musical group,” says Jumblatt. “Sometimes we used Lebanese directors and designers for the theatre. And I admit that I am involved in all the details, whether technical or technical, because there is a great responsibility that ultimately rests with us.
“Mrs. Fayrouz’s concerts for four consecutive years, from 2000 to 2003, constituted bright and unforgettable stations,” says Jumblatt, “as well as Amal Maher’s concert, which restored Mrs. Umm Kulthum’s repertoire. This work was produced by the Beiteddine Festivals, which we transferred to the opening of the Amsterdam Festival and the Jordan Festival. As well as Abdo Sharif, greetings to Abdel Halim Hafez, and greetings to Asmahan, with Moroccan artist Karima Skali. In addition to an integrated work from a musical play to an exhibition in honor of Mrs. Sabah and her presence.
One of the concerts of the Beiteddine Festivals (Beiteddine Festivals)
Jumblatt describes these evenings as “engraved in memory. Fantastic voices, impeccable direction, and huge productions like the musical Notre Dame de Paris that ran six nights in a row, and the Elton John concert that sold out in five hours.”
And when we wished to know more about Fayrouz’s concerts and her scenes, and why did she stop? The head of the festivals contented herself with saying: “We have always been, and still hope, that Mrs. Fairouz will return to Beiteddine. We received her and Ziad Rahbani for four consecutive years, in parties whose audience extended from the courtyard of the palace to all roofs and squares in the ancient town of Beiteddine, in the nights of a lifetime.” .
The festival transcended wars, explosions and assassinations. And when we ask Noura Jumblatt about the secret of the ability of Lebanese festivals to live with the tragedy, and what was the most difficult moment that she thought would be the end? She answers: “This is a very vague secret, but allow me to say that the ability of the Lebanese to withstand and adapt to difficult situations is enormous. To tireless guardians of their cultural heritage, which we see in festivals and parties through art and music.
Noura Jumblatt in the preparations for the 40th opening ceremony (Beiteddine Festivals)
There is constant blame for festivals because they bring in foreign artists, but with the difficulty of the economic situation. .
Nora Jumblatt is keen to personally receive the artists and ensure their good stay, including Andrea Bocelli, Placido Domingo and others, “All of these artists have unforgettable memories and times, and each of them has its own personality and most of them gave the Beiteddine festivals a special place, and left us beautiful memories, including Hosting the international opera singer, Montserrat Caballé, and it was the first party to be held in the outer courtyard of the palace, which can accommodate 4,000 people. When she got on stage and started singing, the microphone broke down, so Montserrat sat on the stage with all understanding and took the audience for ten minutes, these minutes took years from my life. This incident taught us that the devil is in the details.”
If the days returned with the head of the festivals, she would definitely perform well. “There is always room for development at all levels, whether technical or technical. We were, perhaps, organizing with the major artists residencies, workshops and master classes, so that young Lebanese talents could benefit from this experience.
Between 1990 and 2004, the festival lived its golden years. Nora Jumblatt remembers with much nostalgia, “The Naumon culture ship that sailed from Barcelona to Beirut carrying a large number of artists and huge sculptures recounted the story of the Mediterranean Sea, and the Lebanese army commandos participated in it, and more than 25,000 people watched it every night for free.”
The head of the festivals is always on the ground and shares the smallest details (Beiteddine Festivals)
The situation has changed, but by reading the previous difficult circumstances, we can hope and dream that the Beiteddine Festival will witness another golden summit very soon, and this is not surprising. As Jumblatt assures us, “There is a demand for all parties in Lebanon, including Lebanese, expatriates, and our Arab guests. This is due to the summer of Lebanon, which is full of artistic activities. But with regard to Beiteddine, “We have a specific budget, so we decided to hold parties in the inner courtyard of the palace to limit expenses. Card prices were also studied in a way that allows a large number of the public to attend, while maintaining the high level of business. And she adds, “We have never accepted that the program be commercial, or low in its level, because the Beiteddine festivals have an identity, spirit, and commitment to human and life issues.”
