Marcel Khalifé ( ar, مرسيل خليفة; born 10 June 1950 in

Amchit Amsheet (, '; also spelled Amchit) is a seaside town and municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon, about 40 km north of Beirut. The town's average elevation is 140 meters above sea level and its total land a ...

) is a Palestinian-

Lebanese Lebanese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Lebanese Republic * Lebanese people The Lebanese people ( ar, الشعب اللبناني / ALA-LC: ', ) are the people inhabiting or originating from Lebanon. The term may al ...

musical composer, singer, and oud player.

Biography

In 1983,

Paredon Records Paredon Records was a record label founded in 1969 by Barbara Dane and Irwin Silber to publish recordings of cultural expressions, especially protests, in order to preserve them. Paredon wanted to spread awareness of multiple movements and topics. D ...

(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 on the stage of the Roman amphitheatre to a full house, as part of the 45th International Festival of Carthage. Speaking to the audience, Khalife opened the concert by stating:Committed Marcel Khalifa Re-visits Fans in Tunisia
by Iman Zayat, ''Alarab Online'', 29 July 2009 Khalife later dedicated a song to the "revolutionary leader Che Guevara".

''Ana Yousef, ya Abi'' case

Three times (1996, 1999 and 2003), he faced criminal prosecution for his song ''I am Joseph, O Father'', written by the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.

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 the art of oud playing there until 1975. Between 1972 and 1975, he taught music at public universities and several private music institutions in Lebanon while at the same touring the MENA region, Europe, and the United States to perform. He formed in 1972 a musical group in Amchit to revive his village's musical heritage, and it performed for the first time in Lebanon. He formed in 1976 Al Mayadine Ensemble, which toured Arabic-speaking countries, Europe, the United States, Canada, South America, Australia, and Japan.

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 The Institut des cultures arabes et méditerranéennes (Institute for Arab and Mediterranean Cultures (ICAM)) is an association and Geneva cultural center for the promotion of Arab and Mediterranean cultures in Switzerland. History Founded in ...

,Geneva, Switzerland

Films

Marcel Khalife has composed soundtracks for films, documentaries and fictions, produced by

Maroun Baghdadi Maroun Bagdadi (also Baghdadi; ar, مارون بغدادي, ; January 21, 1950 – December 10, 1993) was a Lebanese film director known for his vivid portrayal of Lebanon's civil war. Bagdadi was internationally the best-known Lebanese filmmake ...

, 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

Marcel 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 prospects of publishing his autobiography in two volumes.

Discography

Below the discography of Marcel 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)

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''

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060213024926/http://www.freemuse.org/sw11829.asp ''Lebanese singer banned in Tunisia''
''Biography''

''Interview with Marcel Khalife''

French

''Marcel Khalifé: Voyageur...'', Pierre Dupouey, mardi 10 février 2004

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20071011142402/http://hebdo.ahram.org.eg/arab/ahram/2006/5/3/visa0.htm ''Visages'', Dalia Chams
''Biographie''

External links

*

artist for peace

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khalife, Marcel 1950 births Living people 20th-century Lebanese male singers Lebanese oud players Lebanese songwriters 21st-century Lebanese male singers People from Amsheet Lebanese Maronites