Nagi Baz’s Buzz Productions has brought in the biggest names in music since the early 90s, but the man would give up all the recognition in the world to be able to work in a stable environment.
I’m going to venture a guess: throwing concerts in a war-zone isn’t the easiest thing in the world…
Well, you are working in Lebanon. Convincing an international artist to come here is difficult because they’re afraid. It’s a business where you need to be a dreamer and a realist at the same time, a foot on each side.
I imagine they all had concerns, but has any of the artists been particularly difficult?
Every single one was difficult to convince. Can you imagine someone calling you up and saying: ‘yalla, come to Lebanon’. From 1994 up until the Hariri assassination we had a golden age, culturally. I came back in ’94 and the country didn’t have large rock concerts or anything of the sort. You had covers, look-alikes; the sort of shit you see in Cyprus or Dubai.
But not for long…
It started in ’94 with Chris de Burgh and the Scorpions. A long time before this DJ thing started we used to run Beat Machine, with eight to ten techno acts in one night. We had 15 to 20 thousand people at every event. We did six in Lebanon and soon exported it to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Syria.
Must’ve been nice to operate without competition…
We were alone then. When the major festivals started again, we were asked to contribute, especially to Baalbek, to make it a bit more funky. It was classical Arabic, and in five years of collaboration we got Sting, Vanessa May, Massive Attack, Johnny Holiday, Aznavour and Anwar Brahim. We helped widen the scope of the festival in terms of programming. The Lebanese encouraged us, all the events were packed.
And then it went boom…
Yes. 2006 was supposed to be our best year. I had Sean Paul already sold out. The Sean Paul people were flying from Jamaica to Zurich, I remember, then to Beirut. In Zurich they heard that Beirut airport was on fire. We’re here worried about getting killed and still trying to get them a hotel in Zurich; we basically had to eat shit and enjoy it. It got better of course, but even in 2008 we were waiting for the slap. When you get slapped often enough it’s hard not to expect it. You’re always cringing, waiting for it and when the season ended without the slap we were, well, how can I say this, confused? [Laughs] Beirut is worth it though.
Thank you kindly for the cue; what’s your favorite place in Beirut?
I typically follow the music. I can’t go to a pub or nightclub and just disregard the music. I’m a bit intolerant. So my favorite place is my home near Sursock. My job has me running around enough, but I’m not a clubber, I’m just a fan of music. And I’m very biased about Beirut. I have my coffee every day and walk for two hours in Beirut, down to the sea, along the corniche up till Summerland and come back, which is 20km. I worship this city, I deify it. I’ve visited major cities and I love many of them but nothing compares to Beirut, especially after what it has endured. The people, the love. We’re lucky people.
I feel I can get more out of you; how would you describe Beirut?
A woman! Damascus is a male, Amman’s a male, Cairo is, well, sort of manly. Jeddah is very, very definitely a male. You don’t have many female cities. Beirut is a gorgeous, glamorous female city in the middle of many un-glamorous male cities. That’s it right there.
Written for Time Out Beirut
I'm Karl, and I'm an acquired taste.
I've been an editor for 4 years, a writer for 5 more, and a geek ever since I wrote Pong on my first Atari. I'm married to the perfect woman and we live in the desert. 
I started living in Lebanon in 94 and yes things did turn out well for a couple of years, but its not only 2006 that got it down. millions of small things got it down. summer 98 or 99 when Israel hit the electricity and got people scared, another would be the political hunt/assassinations 03 or 04 and more..
I am scared that Lebanon forgot how to be stable and seems that there are lots of forces trying to deny Beirut to stand strong and this is their interest, I hate politics and specially Lebanese politics, thus I’m out of the country and I’d rather not go there unless if I feel the country is safe (not only politically).
I love Beirut, and i do feel its richness whenever i go there. Excuse my french, yes Beirut is a gorgeous female and that is why most the world look like to fuck it and use it as a playground/battlefield, even neighboring cities, and that is terribly sad. Good luck on fixing it.
@Trekman
It didn’t forget how to stay stable, it never figured it out to begin with. The past two generations fought useless wars, over perishables like power and cash, but thanks to them we are who we are. Whatever I feel about this city is irrelevant, she made me, and made all the people I love, and in all effect I owe her everything I am and everything I love.
Fuck politics, we’re the new order. A generation of intelligent, capable doers and thinkers. I don’t want to sit around and wait for anyone to fix anything, I have my own plans. And when it is all done, I expect you back here.
Also, you’re gorgeous.
@Trekman
inta badboud.
you lived your teenage and early twenties here, this city made you who you are, this city opened the opportunity for you to meet your current friends, and this place rocks (and you know it).
@Karl
you always say the words i’m unable to find
oh and
GET US DREAM THEATER TO LEBANON
@Karl
That feeling…. Now I know what it is. Your love for this city is to me a hand on my throat, not a heavy one but the pressure is there, no mistake. It feels as a “With us or against us” statement, too harsh, meaning too much. Your love for Beirut is asphyxiating. Sure, it hurts but lack of air has you focus on your sensations, integrate the world around and realise your thoughts much faster. Your love for this city is a stress. It’s is just too much emcompassing to me, too grand. It scares me, to a point I dread voicing a contradictory point of view. It feels like an arranged marriage. Sure you’ve met the bride and she’s fine but I don’t want to pronounce vows or in this case decide to settle there without having to know what and who humans are, in this case what the world is made of.
I have lived there less than you but my mind was mature enough for me to understand what I lived. What I have found there are friends, most of them being you people reading this -granted, with one notable exception. But besides that, nothing valuable, nothing at all. Are my thoughts a bit clearer now? “It’s not about where to be but who to be with” is too drastic a statement, nonetheless I can’t help seeing it a closer to what I want my life to be than having a place define a good part of it.
When will I get my accent on the “e”?
@JK
That would be a night deserving of going down history manuals!
@Agenor
It’s not about where you are, it’s who you’re with; sure. But you have to love the place that made you, and the people you surround yourself with. And then at some point you have to pick a home; can’t remain nomadic forever. This is home to me, and now that I’ve made this decision I’ll defend it, and I’ll want everyone I love around me. It’s selfish, but I’m selfish.
You can have all the é you want. é’s code is leftalt+0233(on the numeric keypad) All other special characters have codes too. See http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/international/accents/codealt.html
I have cohabited with that “Woman” for 10 years. I know I’m ready for marriage with that “Woman” now. But I also know that Divorce can always be an option if the worse comes out (which I doubt right now). But whatever happens, I’ll always love that Woman. Plus she has a very beautiful cedar shaped …..
On a side note.
What about Lenin portrayed to his back? Not serious about digging him out isn’t he?
@Antox
It’s a bit of an incestuous relationship; she’s a mother, a lover, a friend and a nightmare. You can divorce the lover, but you can’t deny the mother, and you always seem to come back to the friend, no matter how many times she slaps you in the face.
@Roubenz
Like him or hate him, Lenin was one of the most influential figures of his time. I think that’s what Nagi sees in him, the power his exercised over his field.
Can’t dig him up though, his corpse is probably armed to the teeth.
maybe I’m a bit more nomadic more than all of you guys, i see the good and i see the bad. Not just in your mother land; where i love, grew up in, I do give it its credit, and met all of my amazing friends (@ Jad). but just like i said i see the good and the bad in the Lebanon and other countries too. They aren’t much better, should i just accept the fact and go back to where I am not fully satisfied? or go around the world and see where should I settle.
I heard of many people that stayed in Lebanon or expats that went back to Lebanon due to their strong love, but in the end got slapped til they cant stand anymore. same thing about men that married “women” and got to the same effect. I dont need to get married anytime soon or settle in a “woman” that is PMSing/menstruating for the past 30 years.
Unfortunately I do not feel that I have any feeling of belonging to any country (not social life), but I’m still young and I’m learning how to keep my eyes open til I’m done from my nomadic days.
@Agenor
@Trekman
I don’t think you’ll really understand the feeling since you didn’t grow here. You didn’t live here when things were bad, to see how thing progressed to become the way they were here. Trying to explain how this was is something like: Beirut is the cancer fighting mother who’s taking care of us no matter the ups and downs in her health. I totally understand how you don’t feel you belong, thus I totally understand your arguments
you just killed the argument. besides even you deserve to live in a place that has no war and people are more at ease with each other, even if they aren’t from the same religion.
revived the argument… til the writer comes up with another article..