Earlier this year Lebanese singer Mike Massy released his new album Naseej, which means the process of weaving. Together with the musical brothers Sary and Ayad Khalifé, he had the honor to collaborate with Fadia Tomb El-Hage.
Can you tell me how it all started?
“When I met cello player Sary Khalifé, I was amazed by his sound. As an improvisation we tried out one track together. Later on, Sary asked his brother Ayad, who is a pianist, to join us. I suggested a whole album on which I would be the music producer.”
Was it difficult to create this album?
“Yes, but the final result became very mature. I had to play the role of a producer and having three composers on one track is not the easiest thing. Each one of us has his own style and we had to learn how to make compromises.”
Where did the idea come from?
“It was a dream for me to step into a very serious music project, and it happened that I met these extremely talented virtuoso musicians. The album has many influences. From medieval and Andalusian to oriental and jazz. It’s very hard to classify its style, but it certainly has a very Sufi soul. All the words are from old Sufi poetry. They are not personal, but I can relate to the texts very much. I hope this album will take me to an international level.”
For more information: Listen to more of Mike Massy’s stunning music on YouTube, or visit his official website.
Article by Leo Kroonen