There have been songs and slogans after the blast by artists and by revolutionaries for Beirut and for justice. This one though is different, and deeply touching and empowering. It is sung and performed by children and carries a powerful message all through.
“We will rebuild,” they say with their beautiful voices and determination in their sad eyes, And they also urge, “it’s time to scream in the face of the one who betrayed [us].”
Kermal Beirut is the name of the song of the children in Public Matters Lebanon NGO that produced this presentation. It speaks of the suffering of the people “held hostage by a sulta that is playing….”
“They destroyed Beirut!”
“O Lebanese, stand up and act wherever you are. This land needs its people…,” the 23 children urge the adults in their song, vowing to build a better Lebanon, a better generation that won’t follow leaders blindly, and to fight corruption.
“For the sake of human dignity, we pledge to rebuild to restore what was,” these kids say on behalf of the nation.
The explosion of August 4th has deeply impacted the innocence of the children of Lebanon, shattering their childhood and throwing on them a trauma that is not for them to bear. They stand watching a horror of destruction and feel the pain around them.
They are the witnesses of a massive disaster, and will grow to tell it all in the future, and how their sulta let them down and snatched away from them the right to grow with dignity and without trauma.
This song is a small step in the healing process of these 23 children as they express their anger at the injustice, their sadness at the losses, and their strong desire to see Beirut rebuilt and their country free from corruption and crises.
For that, for their desire to come true, for that right of theirs to be reinstated, they need the people to rise and act. And that’s the urgent call this beautiful song carries.
The video was shot in different areas of Beirut. The main performance of the kids was done in the Faw showroom that was completely destroyed by the blast.
According to the NGO Public Matters Lebanon that made this presentation possible, the site was duly inspected before the performance to ensure the safety of the kids and the crew.
That’s in addition to the Lebanese Civil Defense that was present all day long with them during the shooting.
“Public Matters Lebanon is a Lebanese NGO whose main goal is to help children develop their ’empathy’ and ‘leadership’ skills through yearly awareness campaigns of different topics related to our society and backed up with action plans.”
One thing we can assure, you won’t get enough of watching the video over and over again.
More about the song and its presentation:
Produced by Julie BouChakra.
Directed by Nassif Al Rayess
Executive Producer Mohamad Ataya
Lyrics by Norka Khoueiry,
Music composed by Walperion.
Recording Studio: EAN Music Studios.
