AlHasnaa Magazine Interview

لماذا تعتبر نفسك رائداً في مجال الموسيقى وهناك العديد من الموسيقية في الشرق تركوا بصمة واضحة في عالم الموسيقى؟

I consider myself neither a musician nor a composer, but rather an expressionist. What’s unique about my expressions is that I have access to my heart and soul and such access allows me to translate what I feel into musical arrangements. More importantly, my longing to my homeland (Lebanon) has also translated into a passion for such an expression. The ultimate delivery is not the music but rather the story of a Lebanese who’s been abroad all his life and what he can offer after such a long wait to return home.

هل تعتقد ان الشعب اللبناني سوف يصدق ما تقوم به من اعمال موسيقية، الا تعتبر موسيقتك مختلفة وليس من السهل تقبلها ؟

Yes I believe the Lebanese will more than believe my performances as the music speaks the truth straight to the heart. Being Ambient and Euphoric, the music is unique in itself and it is flavored with a Mediterranean coloring that transcends all our social, religious and political problems. Thus, I feel there is a dire need for such a message through music.

ما هي الرسالة الحقيقة التي تريد ايصالها من خلال موسيقتك ؟

The core message is that “Souls Sing Alike” (Title to my 7th Album) and of course music is the language of the soul. Within such a message, I am

more eager to deliver what the West has recently mastered in the past 100 years, something our culture has known 2,000 years ago, and that is “We are what we think”. People need to be reminded that their life is an exact mirror of what they think, as thought has been scientifically proven to possess the power of moving mountains. Knowing that, we all have an individual responsibility to focus our thoughts on a better Lebanon rather than hamper over all the detailed day-to-day problems. We can also choose to become creative beings as co-creators with God who has blessed our home with all his messengers. If we as Lebanese can sing the same song of our souls, then we can together move the mountains. Recently, I’ve written a new song titled “Pray with me Amen” towards this message.

في اي خانة تصنف موسيقتك ؟ ومن مثلك الاعلى في الموسيقى ؟

We’ve branded our music with a new brand titled “AWE” (Ambient, World & Euphoric). Fairuz will always remain the highest aspiration for me with the Rahbani melodies and innocent Lebanese lyrics, so unlike all the recent Western influence of RAP’s drugs and violence upon our society. I believe that only positive lyrics should be allowed to be inserted to accompany music.

ما هو الشي التي تحبه وتكره في آن في لبنان ؟

I love Lebanon for what God has planted in our earth, from Gibran to Fairuz. During our video shoot in Bikfayyah, we witnessed amazing scenery of the sea, the sunset, the trees, the landscapes, the breeze and the rain. Every inch of Lebanon speaks of God’s hands. Its people need to finally speak that very same language and music is a form of expression that allows us all to speak with this language of heart and soul.

متى تحلو بالعودة الدائمة الى لبنان ؟ وهل برايك سوف تتأقلم بظل تلك الاجواء التي يعيشها اللبناني هنا ؟

I have plans to be Lebanon in less than a year when I am done with Afghanistan. If I can find beauty between the rough maintains of Camp Bagram of Afghanistan living isolate and imprisoned in a 20-foot container, then only God knows what I can find in the streets of Lebanon. Instead of me getting adjusted to the ways of life in Lebanon, I would rather hope that all the Lebanese that I will come across and speak to one on one will get acquainted with the way I think and feel.

Thank you so much for this opportunity. With Love,
Ronnie Bassem

مديرة التحرير نانسي الحلبي