As Mother’s Day approaches in Lebanon, coinciding with the first day of spring on March 21, Lebanese singer Mike Massy releases a new song called #Manni_Lwaheed (not the only one), expected to be released on the 9th of March 2021.
The title refers to the dilemma that all Lebanese people have been suffering from for more than half a century, especially the youth, and which has exacerbated dramatically over the past few years, namely the constant struggle between staying in the country or leaving it.
This song holds one message from the entire team of the artist who has achieved international status through his performance in American Broadway theatres and his rendering of the historical role of Jesus Christ in French theatres and stadiums.
Mike Massy composed and arranged the song in his unique style, alongside Lebanese-Canadian writer Nami Moukheiber.
The song expresses all the pain that Lebanese people still hold in their auditory memory, through the sounds, whether it be the sounds of the explosion that shook Beirut on the 4th of August 2020, the sounds of the shattering glass that ensued and the debris still heard for several days after the blast, or the screams still buzzing in our ears, and reminding us of other screams that are still ringing since our childhood and reviving old lurking fears.
As for the musical production and audio design, a rhythmic loop has been especially designed for the song by recycling the sounds of the port explosion and the glass debris that still haunt all the people who witnessed the shock of the scene on August 4, 2020.
The song’s lyrics scan through the exhausting bewilderment of the youth, and their continuous and bitter struggle between staying or emigrating, between the heart and the mind, between family and future.
This work is accompanied by a Concept Video created by Mike Massy, a harsh expression of feelings from both the parent’s and the child’s points of view in a subtle communication of ideas and underlying words, all left unsaid.
He collaborated with the Lebanese-American actress and choreographer Nadra Assaf, who embodies the role of Mike Massy’s mother in this video, through remarkably expressive dancing and acting.
In the directing experience, Mike Massy tried to revive his scenic ideas with the supervision of the Lebanese director and producer Tanya Nasr and the entire team of The Film Atelier.
As for photography and graphic design , Massy wanted to embody the wreckage of the phoenix, through a graphic image of the ashes always weighing heavily on all the Lebanese.
Through this song, through this cry for help in a world swiftly changing, Mike Massy would like wish a very happy Mother’s Day to every mother burdened by the pain of her silence in the wounded Arab world.
Synopsis of the music video :
The scene is happening in an old abandoned warehouse, inside of which lies a long rectangular table.
A mother and her son are sitting on opposite sides of the table . They are sharing a meal in silence, not being able to express their inside thoughts.
The son wants to leave the country and he is feeling sad, angry and guilty, while the mother, who even though knows all too well how her son is feeling, is living in denial, but feels as sad and guilty as her son.
The expression of those silent emotions will take place in a beautiful expressive choreography performed by the outstanding actor, choreographer and dancer, Mrs. Nadra Assaf (who plays the role of the mother), and Mike Massy (the son).
Only the choreography will reveal the characters’ inner thoughts and feelings, and the demons they are battling.
Through the dancing, through the screams, they will express what they have been holding and hiding inside.
In this tumultuous whirlwind, they will be pulled apart, and dust will blow with every movement of their feet, symbolizing the ashes of what is left of their dreams, what is left of their country and the legend of the Phoenix rising from the ashes. The scene will end in silence, as it started. They will not have uttered a single word, in contrast to what’s been happening inside their minds, everything is left unsaid.