Irtijal 2017 - 4 Days of Experimental Music in Beirut

Irtijal 2017 - 4 Days of Experimental Music in Beirut

April 3, 2017

Published:

April 3, 2017

The 17th edition of the experimental music festival Irtijal is happening this year between 5 - 8 of April 2017, in various venues from Beirut, Lebanon. We will be there, so watch out for a report later on.

Founded in 2001, Irtijal is currently the oldest music festival of Beirut city. Its wide musical range includes experimental music, free jazz, free improvisation, contemporary music, noise and free rock as well as other forms of innovative music-making.

This year´s program includes performances and works by Michel Doneda & Lê Quan Ninh, Rabih Beaini & Sofia Jernberg, Fadi Tabbal & radiokvm, Aya Metwalli, Khyam Allami, Marc Codsi, Tarek Atoui Analog Ensemble, Baskot Lelbaltageyya - بسكوت للبلطجية, Mats Lindström, Thomas Lehn & Tiziana Bertoncini, Ziad Moukarzel & Tony Elieh, Nur, Shinigami San, ZULI, Michel Doneda & “A” Trio, Nadah el Shazly, Khodor Ellaik (Kid Fourteen) & Alex Zhang Hungtai (Dirty Beaches), Kinematik and The Attic magazine´s own Bogdan Scoromide and Dragoș Rusu.

Irtijal has achieved considerable growth during its 15 years of existence, going from a one-day festival in 2001 to 4-6 days since 2003; the number of concerts has grown from 4 to 20, while that of international guest artists from 5 to 30. Over the past 15 years Irtijal has unquestionably inscribed itself as the main annual event for new and innovative music in the Lebanese artistic scene, and is rightly considered as the largest structure of its kind in the Arab world.

Read also:
- Interview with Mazen Kerbaj
- Report: Stories from Beirut - Irtijal Festival 2014 - Part 1 and Part 2