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Lebanon's War-Torn Soul: Rediscovering 80s Funk
23 Oct
Summary
- Lebanese artists created soul, disco, and jazz during civil war.
- Compilations highlight music born from conflict as a response.
- The sound is reminiscent of Japanese city pop but distinct.
During Lebanon's intense civil war in the late 1970s and early 1980s, musicians developed a unique homegrown sound blending soul, disco, and jazz. This era saw music become a powerful response to suffering and a way to imagine life beyond conflict.
Archival label Habibi Funk's compilation, Beirut City Pop, brings these artists to light. Figures like Stephanie Stephanou, who gained early recognition through connections at Bypass Studio, and Abboud Saadi, a bassist who collaborated extensively with Ziad Rahbani, are featured.
Their music, though sometimes drawing superficial parallels to Japanese city pop in its aesthetic, possesses a distinct Lebanese identity. This sound emerged from a context of insular tape culture and war-torn realities, differentiating it from Tokyo's polished studio scene.
Tracks on Beirut City Pop showcase this divergence, with some lyrics directly referencing the conflict, such as "Car bombs... they go off every day." This underscores the complex reality behind the music, a blend of escapism and poignant awareness of their surroundings.
