Sammy Clark passes away - a Golden Age in review.

Artwork by Tarek Chemaly based on Sammy Clark album covers

Sammy Clark, the memory of a full generation passes away. Clark who had his heyday in the late 70s and early 80s spawned a very prolific career which saw his spawn several hits which were easily inscribed in the memory of a full generation. Songs such as Oumi ta nor2os, or Ah 3ala hal iyyam, or Take me with you (which was a mix of Arabo-International) or the theme song from Liman toughani al touyour gave Clark his most enduring hits, but also - Clark was the voice behind the theme songs of Grendizer, Jazirat al Kanz, or Al Ja2iza Al Kobra which in themselves were inscribed in the head of a (slightly younger) generation as well.

As a matter of act Clark was experiencing some sort of a renaissance with the Golden Age (along with Le Petit Prince and Abdo Mounzer. Below am republishing my summing up of their concert during the Ramadinyat extravaganza in 2015. As I reread the article it does seem I am a bit harsh but trust me, seeing Clark on stage turning on the kitsch factor to 11 was sight to behold. May he rest in peace.

Originally published July 2, 2015:
The Golden Age, the trio formed by Abdo Mounzer, Sammy Clark and Petit Prince took the stage yesterday during the public opening of Ramadaniyat Beirutiya. To be fair and even-handed the first part of the concert, which consisted of international hits such as "geant to papier" "Delila" or "Esmeralda" left the audiences a bit lukewarm. Surely, for three old geezers, their voices were pseudo-intact, clad in black uniforms and blue jackets (that was a touch they could have avoided), they were humble enough to sing backing vocals when someone else was taking center stage, had a lot of camaraderie (or stage persona) and basically knew what they were doing up there. After the international hits part, came two classics from the Rehbani repertoire, the audience was still polite at that stage.
But move to the first notes of Sammy Clark's "Ah 3ala hal iyyam" and suddenly the house burned down. This, is what the audience, came for. A rendering of cheesy 80s classics straight from the mouth of the people who did them. The three of them showed incomparable showmanship. Petit Prince would be able to sing a high note all while taking a selfie with a fan. They amped up the kitsch factor with things respectable gentlemen of their age should not be doing - some stage acting, crowd-pleasing moves, auto-encores. Thankfully, Clark told the guy behind the synthesizers to tone down the sound a bit as it was drowning their own voices.
The highlight of the concert, was Mounzer belting out an endearing performance of "3achra hda3ch tna3ch" (10, 11, 12) in which the other two cheered him along and playfully told him to repeat the best bits to the delight of the audience. But as soon as Mounzer stopped, Clark went on with the theme song from Grendizer leading a breathless audience in high-fist-up-in-the-air bravado which everyone obliged.
Having the two songs back to back brought the attendees into a frantic response which even when Petit Prince was left alone on stage as the other two took a small break was not dampered down, going on with some more Arabic classics and finishing up with "Raje3 yet3ammar Loubnan" for the finale.
People if you have not seen Sammy Clark, who by now is wearing a spare tire around his tummy, do a pirouette and high five mounzer as Petit Prince smiled nearby, all while singing the Grendizer theme song then trust me, your life is not complete!

Lebanon: The impossibility of cantons via the Georges Cordahi debacle

Bilad Ma Bayan Al Tunnelayn - Artwork by Tarek Chemaly

OK, so how many times have you heard it before? Too many to count. Lebanon, according to the idea, would be divided into cantons - much like Switzerland. Considering it was called "Switzerland of the Middle East" it seems fitting - har har (though anyone who has read my writings knows that I do not subscribe to the notion of "golden age" - see here).

The drill is simple, each sect (not religion, sect) would have its own canton. I guess the Shiites would take South Lebanon, the Druze would settle for the "jabal" or mountain, and - not sure where the Sunnites would be, but guess we are talking "west Beirut" and/or Akkar. Well, depends who you speak to, the "Christian canton" would either be called Marounia (in reference to the patron saint of the Maronite Christians - or St. Maroun) or "Bilad Ma Bayn Al Tunnelayn" (country in between two tunnels - ergo the Nahr el Kalb tunnel but also the Chekka tunnel, in a very fitting riff on "bilad ma byan al nahrein" - country in between two rivers, or Irak. The suspicious origins of the sentence seem to go back to Patrick Chemali - no relation - but 1) I have never heard him say it 2) I picked it up elsewhere). 

But, naming aside, there's one very big glitch.

Switzerland is a neutral country, all cantons have decided not to take any sides when it comes to their foreign policy. Try applying this to Lebanon and then let me know.

Latest example? The George Cordahi, former TV personality and currently minister of information in the present government. Apparently, in his private capacity as a citizen last August Cordahi expresed his view that the people of Yemen were defending themselves, something that goes against the leading narrative of Saudi Arabia. Cue: everyone went up in arms either defending or condoning Cordahi.

Remember, the views Cordahi expressed were his own, as a citizen. Granted he is a known as a media personality (and an "investment specialist" see here). Actually, Cordahi - with all due respect to his stature is nothing but a small chess pawn in a much complicated game - the bigger question is: How much are our current politicians, journalists, and TV personalities subservient to the Gulf rulers?

Because this is what is causing the rift. To test how much Lebanese politicians and journalists are ready to bend backwards to accommodate the official narratives of the Gulf countries about their stories and policies (or rather whims as things seen to happen and then thought about later when consequences arise).

So much about being neutral.

Lebanon had a KFC in 1973 (which proves that the golden age never existed!)

So, apparently, we had a KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) branch in Beirut in 1973.

This is news to me. Not the least because when KFC was introduced to the Lebanese market sometime in the 90s (apologies, have no exact date) they forgot to say that it was a re-introduction to the market. So, I know what you are thinking: Lebanon in the "golden age" and cosmopolitan Beirut at the height of its glory, when the country was "the Switzerland of the Middle Middle East" and "Beirut, the Paris of the orient".

OK, now chill.

I found the ad in an old Annahar issue Dated December 1rst, 1973, when Lebanon was navigating its umpteenth political crisis - if it was not a strike, it was the government falling apart, if it was not the Palestinian fidais, it was an Israeli infiltration, if it was not the president threatening to step down, it was the Prime Minister stepping down, if it was not journalists being arrested, killed or kidnapped, it was the whole convoluted Arab situation where Lebanon always had a dog (but no arms) in the fight.

As a matter of fact, that particular issue of Annahar has a "manchette" that read: "International movement to stop reignition of the fight" in an allusion about the then flammable situation between Egypt and Israel.

Which brings us back to KFC. Actually, what I was doing was researching an artistic project which had a very large "political" angle. And as usual, my findings confirmed by central theory: The was not just one Lebanon, not even a country "a deux vitesses" (on two speeds), but rather on 100 different speeds.

Ads for Christmas regalia cohabitated with political crises, news about political misadventures stood side by side with new play reviews or artists inaugurating their exhibitions at hip galleries with lovely words by the late May Menassa. Confusing? Yes. But doesn't it remind you of anything?

Well, Lebanon has always been this odd, strange, cacophony of voices which happen to live in a land smaller than the Disney World parking lot. Of course it is exhausting, tiring, trying, and exasperating. But digging through so much archive (I admit, more than the original project needed), only made me too aware of the never-ending cycle of political issues of Lebanon. Even through its so-called "golden age", which I repeat - to me never existed (case in point, all those political issues and that teetering at the edge of the abyss we always experienced).

And hey since we are on lockdown they had a day and night delivery service, all you have to do is call 319810-312513. Hmmm, make mine hot please.