Marcel Khalife (; born 10 June 1950) is a Lebanese musical composer, singer, and oud player. Khalife is considered a folk hero in the Arab world, and he has been described as the "Bob Dylan of the Middle East."

Biography

thumb|Khalife performing at [[International Workers' Day|May Day celebration in Beirut]]

In 1983, Paredon Records (later acquired by Smithsonian Folkways) released Promises of the Storm, a collection of protest songs and political ballads.

Tunisia

In July 2009, Khalife returned to Tunisia to perform at the Roman amphitheater to a full house, as part of the 45th International Festival of Carthage. Speaking to the audience, Khalife opened the concert by stating:

Khalife later dedicated a song to the "revolutionary leader Che Guevara".

Education

Khalifé studied the oud at the Beirut National Conservatory of Music and graduated in 1971.

Professional life

After graduating from the Beirut National Conservatory of Music in 1971, Khalife taught oud at the conservatory until 1975.

He formed a musical group in Amchit in 1972 to revive his village's musical heritage, and it performed for the first time in Lebanon. He formed the Al Mayadine Ensemble in 1976, which toured Arabic-speaking countries, Europe, the United States, Canada, South America, Australia, and Japan. Khalife was awarded the American Folkloric Festival Award in 1975, the National Palestine Medal for Arts and Culture in 2001, the UNESCO Artist for Peace award in 2005, the Lebanese government Cedar Medal in 2005, and the Charles Cros Award for World Music in 2008. Khalife performed globally during his career, including throughout much of the Arab world. A long-time supporter of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination, he released the song, Nashid al-Intifada (“Anthem of the Intifada”) in 1989, amid the First Palestinian Intifada.

Personal life

His eldest son, Juilliard School graduate Rami Khalife, is a pianist and composer. In October 2011, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, under the conductorship of James Gaffigan, premiered Khalife's 'Chaos', for orchestra and piano, with Khalife at the helm as a soloist. In February 2013, Rami Khalife's Arab Spring-inspired 'Requiem' was premiered, within the same program as Marcel Khalife's suite "Oriental".

Works

Books

In 1982, he wrote a six-part Anthology of Studying the Oud.

Performances

  • 2005.11.14: Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.) USA
  • 2004.01.12: Kennedy Center Washington DC USA
  • 2008.10.10: De Roma Borgerhout, Antwerp, Belgium
  • 2011.03.13: Al-Bustan Concert Series, Philadelphia, PA, USA
  • 2014.11.15: Al-Bustan Concert Series, Philadelphia, PA, USA
  • 2016.12.18: Day for Night Festival, Houston, TX, USA
  • 2018.05.25 Institut des cultures arabes et méditerranéennes, Geneva, Switzerland

Films

Khalife has composed soundtracks for films, documentaries, and fiction, produced by Maroun Baghdadi, Oussama Mohammed, Sophi Sayhf Eddin, and Samir Zikra. His music is also featured in the documentary Occupied Minds produced by Jamal Dajani and David Michaelis. His music featured in the documentary film Sons of Eilaboun by Hisham Zreiq.

Talks

Khalife gave a talk on 12 March 2013, at the American University of Sharjah about his latest CD, The Fall of the Moon, and his longing towards the late Mahmoud Darwish. He also spoke about the prospects of publishing his autobiography in two volumes.

Discography

Below the discography of Khalife.

Studio albums

  • Promises of the Storm (1976)
  • At the Border (1980)
  • Ahmad Al Arabi (1984)
  • Dreamy Sunrise (1985)
  • Ode to a Homeland (1990)
  • Arabic Coffeepot (1995)
  • Voyageur (1998)
  • Jadal (2002)
  • The Bridge (2002)
  • Summer Night's Dream (2003)
  • Promises of the Storm (2003)
  • Caress (2004)
  • Peace Be with You (2006)
  • Taqasim (2006)
  • Sharq (2007)
  • Andulusia of Love (2016)

Singles

  • Mounadiloun (Strugglers)
  • Oummi (Mother)

Live albums

  • Dance (1995)
  • Marcel Khalife: Magic Carpet (1998)
  • Concerto Al Andalus (2002)

Honours

  • : Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2018)
  • : Commander of the Order of Intellectual Merit (2008)
  • : Grand Officier of the National Order of Merit of Tunisia (2018)

References

English

  • Marcel Khalife Discusses the New and the Old in Arabic Music in a Leading Literary Supplement: The Rationalization of Arabic Music, Translated and edited by Elie Chalala, Al Jadid magazine, Vol. 1, no. 1 (November 1995)
  • Trial of famous Lebanese singer to begin: Marcel Khalifa Faces Three Years in Prison
  • Music as a Mission: Marcel Khalife strums the heartbeat of the Arab world
  • Lebanese singer banned in Tunisia
  • Biography
  • Interview with Marcel Khalife

French

  • Marcel Khalifé: Voyageur..., Pierre Dupouey, mardi 10 février 2004
  • Marcel Khalife poursuivi en justice: entre versets et sonnets, Taïeb Chadi
  • Visages, Dalia Chams
  • Biographie
  • UNESCO artist for peace
  • Rawafed interview/Marcel Khalife