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The Takreem Foundation, led by journalist and presenter Ricardo Karam, organizes a grand Christmas carol event, dubbed “Shining Stars of Hope,” to be held at the Casino du Liban on Thursday, December 21. The proceeds will go to struggling stars and artists. The evening will be hosted by Ronza, Fadia Tomb el-Hajj, Yuri Mrakadi, Tania Kassis, Marc Reaidy Baz, Bechara Moufarrej, Maxim Chami, Matteo Khodr and Marilyne Naaman, accompanied by the Orchestra conducted by Maestro André Hajj. The Zirka dance troupe will present its finest tableaus in a sublime scenography designed by Jean-Louis-Mainguy.
For three years, Takreem has wanted to organize a major musical event dedicated to elderly, sick and financially struggling Lebanese artists, especially after the financial bankruptcy and catastrophic explosion in Beirut. The strict precautions due to the coronavirus and the tragic aftermath of the August 4 catastrophe had previously made such an event impossible.
Founded in 2010, Takreem, which is not a charitable association, took on the responsibility in 2022 of covering the university fees of Lebanese students studying in the United States, as well as the living expenses of Lebanese students residing in Europe. Today, in close collaboration and consultation with the actors’ union and the union of professional artists in Lebanon, Takreem is coming to the aid of about 100 artists in severe hardship by offering them the proceeds of the Christmas carol event, to be held on December 21 at the Casino du Liban.
The evening will feature leading figures in classical and modern singing such as Ronza, Fadia Tomb el-Hajj, Yuri Mrakadi, Tania Kassis, tenors Marc Reaidy Baz and Bechara Moufarrej, baritone Maxim Chami, countertenor Matteo Khodr and Marilyne Naaman, who impressed the jury of The Voice France. The stars will be accompanied by the Orchestra, led by Maestro André Hajj. Twenty-four musicians, 25 dancers from the Zirka troupe and 32 choristers from the Tania Kassis Academy will also bring joy and the magic of Christmas to life in a sublime scenography by Jean-Louis Mainguy. This Is Beirut interviewed some of the stars of the show about their participation, the songs they will present, and Tania Kassis exclusively revealed her new song to This Is Beirut.
Ronza
This Is Beirut met with the beautiful soprano Ronza, a professor at the Lebanese Conservatory and Lebanese University who was long a star of the Rahbani brothers’ theater. “In recent years, I have devoted myself to academic teaching while giving concerts in Lebanon and abroad,” she said.
What will she present during the December 21 show? “Christmas songs in various languages: Arabic, French, English and Latin. I make sure to sing in Arabic because my fame comes from my Arabic songs composed by the Rahbani brothers and my brother Samir.”
She believes it is her duty to stand in solidarity with Lebanese artists, singers, musicians and actors facing severe financial difficulties, weakened by illness, and lacking hospital insurance. “These same people, once exalted as stars of song, theater and television, who have given so much to the homeland and made us proud, are now consumed by illness and neglect. The least we can do is to pay tribute to them by offering this concert, while the decaying state completely neglects its obligations and duties.” For Ronza, the joy of giving fills her with serenity. She will present solo songs and others in tutti with the evening’s star singers.
Fadia Tomb Hajj
“After the Gaza war, I decided not to perform in Christmas concerts, as I am scandalized by the tragic and barbaric death of thousands of victims in Gaza, as well as by the massive destruction of their homes, hospitals and places of worship, all amid a deafening silence. But Ricardo Karam’s initiative to help artists who no longer dare show themselves or reveal their distress encouraged me to participate. Furthermore, their advanced age or decrepitude prevents them from working again in the fields where they were adored. They find themselves alone in front of their mirror, which now reflects only the image of their decline. These artists rocked our childhood, adolescence and youth. They made us dream through their staging, poems, music, voices or powerful dramatic play. Now their loneliness is further deepened by their singleness or widowhood. The executive committee will present the proceeds of the show to the affected artists in coordination with the artists’ and actors’ union, which has selected a list of names among the artists most affected by the crisis. Lebanon survives thanks to private initiatives. This cause deserves our contribution. Christmas is the beautiful synergy that reigns among the different artists performing in this show and the joy of realizing this collective work for our elderly artists.”
Tania Kassis
“The purpose of this show is to support Lebanese artists who have given a lot to the public. Christmas is about sharing, the ideal moment to make a small difference in someone’s life. So it was a great pleasure for me to collaborate with the artists who responded to this call for solidarity. We were able to create a very beautiful synergy, rare among artists in the Middle East. Everyone was there to help, to be useful, with a family spirit, and there was none of the competitive atmosphere typical of shows. On the program are the great Christmas classics performed in different languages, in a variety of musical styles that reflect Lebanon and according to the style of the artist performing. There will be a somewhat new dimension in each artist’s performance. For example, Ronza will also sing pop music alongside classical, we will hear tenors in jazz and pop singers in classical music. I’m revealing exclusively to This Is Beirut that I will sing part of my new song, which has not yet been launched, titled “Chou betmanna” (How I wish), which will be part of my new album to be released in March. The songs on the album are in Lebanese, literary Arabic and Egyptian, with recordings of large orchestras and quite different styles.”
When asked about the subjects of her new songs, Tania Kassis says she will talk about women, their resilience and the multiple challenges they are currently facing in life.
Matteo Khodr
“This is a concert that touches us directly. We think of our elders hit hard by the successive disasters and crises in Lebanon. The initiator of the project, Ricardo Karam, did well to bring us together for this cause, offering a concert to artists who represent Lebanon’s cultural and artistic identity, now battered by life and neglected by an absent state. One day we will be thrown into oblivion like them. Thinking of them, we also think of ourselves and the future of artists in Lebanon. The least I could do is put my voice at the service of a certain justice. Moreover, the event’s production service did not skimp on means, promising a wonderful spectacle, very well organized, with high-flying artists, ‘very Lebanese,’ but with very different styles. Moreover, we are singing in a context of war, and our message is an invocation for peace, to instill hope. I will perform White Christmas solo, Do They Know It’s Christmas in a duo with Yuri Mrakadi and Happy Christmas, War Is Over with all the artists. This will be sung with guts because it’s our greatest wish.”
Maestro André Hajj
The conductor of the Orchestra speaks with overwhelming humility and sincerity, “I am a survivor of cancer that struck me in 1996. First, I want to highlight the performances of these Lebanese opera artists who sing fluently in different languages including Arabic, French, English and often Italian, which seems very normal to us Lebanese, but is an exceptional fact in the world compared to singers from Western countries, whether in Europe or elsewhere. For me, it’s an international-level Lebanese concert. The orchestra will consist of 24 musicians. There will also be 30 students from the Tania Kassis singing academy and the magnificent dancers of the Zirka troupe, with its distinctive style. The program will include classical and modern Christmas songs. Modesty is a must for me. We must not forget our great divas and leading figures of Lebanese song. We should start by recognizing the value of the heritage they have left us, pay tribute to it, and while having confidence in our talents, not consider ourselves the center of the world. What is magnificent in this approach is this opportunity to give, to feel useful with a very close-knit and complicit group. This has made us experience Christmas in its essence, far from the frivolous aspect of consumption.”
