Vinyl Records At the Heart Of Beirut’s Nightlife

by Christelle Eldaher

Vinyl Records At the Heart Of Beirut’s Nightlife

20 Oct 2024

“The number one party destination in the world is Lebanon. I’ve been out in Lebanon a few times, and the way Lebanese people party is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. They live in the moment. They party till the sun comes out. It is very unique […] It is such a good place to party.” – These are words from TikTok by Harry Jaggard, a renowned British travel blogger, which went viral earlier this summer. It gathered more than 9.8 million views and 446 000 likes. This testimony restates the obvious and reaffirms the uniqueness of Lebanon’s festive scene. However, where does this reputation of excellent nightlife come from?

Lebanon is known for the energy of its people, its lively and welcoming atmosphere, its diverse venues, and its constant yearn for celebration, among other things. Nevertheless, what makes Lebanon’s nightlife truly remarkable is its music and, more importantly, the relationship that Lebanese have with music.

Here is a secret that I will let you on. The grand majority of the Lebanese people used to take their music scene for granted. Before continuing, allow me to set the record straight. We are extremely proud of our heritage. We cherish it. Nonetheless, we fell for the complacency trap. For several decades, western music assumed ascendency over its Arabic counterpart, despite the fact that it was abundantly available, easily accessible and a constant fixture in everyday life. We forgot how precious and valuable it is. This trend was gradually reversed when visiting European DJs started to make a point of stopping by Beirut’s thrift vinyl record stores. It is Western DJs that revived Arabic music and renewed the interest in forgotten Levantine records.

Nowadays, everybody wants Arabic in their music and productions. People are willing to buy obscure records because they want to sample them or sample a particular piece of a “B-side”. It was a common practice to place on the flipside of a record the secondary tracks that didn’t have great chances to boom. Little did the producers know that these very same songs will be rediscovered 40 years later and become hits. If one man deserves most of the credit to reviving these records, it would be Jannis Stürtz, more commonly known as “Habibi Funk”. The Berlin based DJ is known for his 1960s to 1980s Arabic funk and soul band re-releases. He changed the fortunes of Middle Eastern and North African music by helping it to emerge from its slump. He re-introduced this type of music to the wider world by making the west fall in love with it. From 2015 onwards, he brought it back to its spiritual home: the east.

Jannis’ modus operandi consists in unearthing lost, unknown and often unreleased titles. He has many contacts to assist him in this mission. Luckily for us, one of his vinyl records dealers is located in Gemmayzeh just ahead of “L’artisan du Liban”, so I stopped by and had a chat with Naji Freiha.

Naji Freiha

– For how long have you been in this business, Naji?

– Fifteen years more or less. Right now, I have thousands of records in my store. Around 1000 records are on display. The remaining ones are stored in crates, waiting to be undusted and prepared for a second lease of life.

– Who are your clients?

– My collection appeals to the younger and the older generations. The youth is mainly intrigued by the “novelty” aspect of vinyl. The older clientele sees in these items a medium to reminisce over the golden days and heartwarming memories.

– How did the Lebanese record business evolve?

– For the pre-internet generation, like myself, records were the only entertainment escape available, despite its somewhat hefty price. A vinyl used to cost anywhere between 15 to 20 LBP. For context, an average worker was paid 5 LBP a day at the time. Despite representing a huge investment, people used to save money and queue in front of record stores to buy the latest releases. Later on, the K7 and the CD made their entrance. The majority switched to these new playback media and the convenience they were providing, while a minority chose to hold out by continuing to maintain their records.

Another factor that contributed to the decline of vinyls was the fragility of vinyl records. With time, it became more and more difficult to find experts who knew how to repair the damaged records. By keeping up with new technologies, we jeopardized this precious know-how. However, everything is not lost. As everything in life, technologies come in cycles. Today, Lebanon and the Arab world are pressing records for the new artists, thus reintroducing a practice that had never stopped in the West.

– Any advice on how to take care of records and keep them in pristine condition?

– For increasing the lifespan of vinyls, you should keep the records away from humidity, shelf them vertically, and keep them in the protective nylon sleeves.

Super Out store

After bidding him farewell, I headed to my next destination. To be fair, it was a short walk. Half a kilometre down the road, stands one of the oldest stores in the neighbourhood. Facing the EDL (Electricity of Lebanon) headquarters, “Super Out” is one of the few remaining genuine Lebanese discothèques. It has been operational since 1979. It is the go-to place for many local and international record enthusiasts, DJs and singers. It is known for having the proper equipment and know-how to master any record and improve its sound quality. Moreover, a visit to “Super Out” represents a trip to authentic Lebanon of the 70s and 80s. The space has survived the decades with its exact format, furniture and racks. It is a safe haven and a weekly meeting point for music lovers and industry professionals alike. Intrigued to know more about this shop, I talked with Roy Hayek, the owner, and his friend Ziad Bacha, the founder of “Club Andalos”, a music production and distribution company.

– How many records do you have, Roy?

– I have around 10 000 discs. Sadly, 20 per cent of my collection was destroyed during the August 4th explosion. These 2 000 records were unique pieces that are lost forever. As a music connoisseur, this breaks my heart. For example, I had a record of “Inta Omri” for Um Kalthoum that was pressed in France. How can it be replaced? It was one of a kind.

– How did you manage to build this collection?

– Through my many trips to France. I used to spend all my time and money at Fnac (a French retail chain). I also enlisted the assistance of many good friends who happened to be commercial airline pilots. Every time they were in Paris on in London, I would ask them to bring me records with them.

– How old is your oldest reference?

– From the 1930s! It is actually my grandfather who bought it, and it was played on a phonograph 78 rev/min. I do have a lot of tango, pasodoble and Arabic music from that time.

– Which medium offers the best sound quality?

– Records without any doubt! Everything is accessible online nowadays, and it only takes a couple of clicks to download any audio recording. However, the sound quality is non-existent. It takes me on average two hours to improve the quality of any song I find on YouTube.

– Today, the Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael neighbourhood is a hub for bars, pubs and nightlife. Was it always the case?

– Not at all! This store had been in our family for three generations. In the 1940s, it used to be a nightclub that was frequented by English and French soldiers. My father had a sweet tooth, so he transformed the place into a pastry shop. The third iteration of this shop came to life in 1979. My old man wanted to keep me off trouble during the early days of the Lebanese civil war. He thought that entrusting me with a discothèque would be a good idea. He was right and we have been open ever since. We were the only musical and cultural place in the entire neighborhood. Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael was full of handymen, car and appliances repair shops, small local tailors and electricians. However, the street got gentrified in the last fifteen years.

Roy Hayek and Ziad Bacha

– Would you like to talk about the history of vinyl records production in Lebanon, Ziad?

– Absolutely. From the 1940s till 1980s, there were three pressing factories in the country, which happened to be the only three pressing facilities in the entire Middle East. One of the factories was located in Byblos. The second, located in Fanar, was owned by “La société Libanaise des disques”, a public entity. The third factory was just around the corner. Owned by Phillips international, it used to press records for Lebanese and international artists, such as Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. Their records had “Made in Lebanon” pressed on them. We do still have some copies in our collection. These are among the rarest and most expensive records on the market today.

– When did records make their biggest comeback?

– In 2019, 800 million records were sold worldwide. During the first quarter of 2020, 1.2 billion records were sold worldwide, an impressive jump of 33 per cent. This increase can be attributed to the decision taken by international artists to press records and sell them directly with the CD. For example, the CD is individually sold at 15 USD. For 20 USD, the buyer gets a bundle that includes the record. The numbers are only growing. The battle between physical and digital music is still ongoing, but physical music is clearly set to win.

– Back to you Roy, I am seeing a lot of equipment. Which one is your favorite?

– It is the triple cassette recorder that burns three audio cassettes simultaneously. I paid 4,300 USD for it back in 1993. Also, I fine-tuned most of the equipment that you are seeing to match my sound quality standards. They might look a bit aged, but these machines used to burn a thousand audio cassettes per week.

Sadly, this wonderful day had to come to an end. It was a mesmerising experience. Nevertheless, the vinyl record tour doesn’t stop here. Far from it. If you are willing to venture outside Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael, you can always hit Hamra, home of the nightlife in the 60s and 70s. You can visit the oldest records shop in Beirut, Chico Records, the musical time machine. Established in 1964, it hosted the first Boiler Room Lebanon ever. The only thing left for you, music lovers, is to land in Beirut now… Or check the social media and websites of these rhythm and beats custodians.

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by Christelle Eldaher