The summer is now in full flow and it is festival time in Lebanon with tourists flocking into the country. This year Zouk Mikael International Festival is back with a vengeance offering a programme set to be the best yet. Though the event had to be cancelled in 2006 and 2007 due to uncontrollable circumstances, rest assured that things are very much back on track; expect some international flavour sprinkled with a dash of Lebanese. As usual Zouk Mikael is bringing the international music scene to a small town in the mountains. “It’s not the quantity, but the quality, we never do no more than three or four concerts every year,” says Bouez.
Accommodating a number of acts from around the world is certainly a labour of love, and one that Bouez clearly revels in. “We have the Canadian singer Garou, the French comedian Yves Lecoq, the American blues band Sugar Ray & The Bluetones, and even the Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram,” she reveals. Comprehending just how much of a logistical nightmare accompanies such an ambitious plan takes some doing.
Zouk is, after all, a small town in Mount Lebanon and at first it may seem an odd choice for an international festival. That’s part of the charm though, the festival has always been about community, and where better to stress community than in a small, traditional town? The idea seems to be catching on, Bouez claims more and more artists are interested in coming, “Last year with Gilbert Montagné and Otis Grand and this year with Garou, it was very special because they all asked to come to Lebanon.”
Now we’ve all heard the horror stories of demanding stars making outrageous requests, yet it seems that the organisers of Zouk Mikael have somehow circumnavigated that minefield. “Last year, one of the artists asked that only Lebanese products be put in his rooms, nothing foreign. This year one of the artists has a request for a special hotel.” Another asked for a bed in their dressing room, while a troupe of dancers needed some last minute ironing. Hardly fits of divadom.
Apparently, the biggest challenge is arranging the concert dates. International artists are busy people, and time is money, “The dates are a problem, we decided to have 4 artists, but we have gaps in the programme, and that’s hard.” Those gaps are due to the fact that Garou is on July 3rd, Yves Lecoq on July 17th, Sugar Ray on July 23rd and Nancy Ajram on July 31st. As the organiser, Bouez and her team do not own the venue, therefore they have to set up the light and sound systems for each artist before then dismantling everything and re-erecting it all for the next one.
While the festival is undoubtedly international, there is an overarching focus on the Lebanese community. Bouez has reached out to various sectors of society that others might have overlooked, “We began last year to contact social organisations, to let people attend the concerts for free such as orphans, handicapped and the underprivileged. We’ll continue that this year, and also include some schools.” Everything is built around the communal spirit and the concept of partnership is stressed at all times. Bouez approaches her audience, sponsor or supplier in exactly the same way.
“I didn’t want to do any festival, there has to be a reason,” Bouez enthuses. Of course she has a point, there are already a number of festivals in Lebanon and indeed the region, yet Zouk Mikael is different. The idea was to get as many diverse groups as possible together and put them in the same place. That blend makes the evening special. Last year there were 2,000 people dancing in front of the stage and the security people let them leave their seats and cut loose.
This sense of partnership extends to what some might call ‘the competition’. Bouez works with other festival organisers in order to make sure that artists don’t play one event off against another to receive higher fees, she’s even been know to drop out of the bidding if another festival is desperate to land a big name.
These efforts are set behind a commitment to low prices. The idea that anyone can attend is true; ticket prices are significantly lower than many regional festivals. “I think we are the least expensive festival. 90 per cent of our concert tickets are 20USD and 40USD. This festival, like any other, should be a non-profit organisation.” Whatever money is made is ploughed back into the festival to make it more affordable.
The Zouk Mikael International Festival is a truly a commendable organisation undertaking a truly noble endeavour within the realm of show business, one that that can benefit, not only the community of Zouk, but also all those who attend. The idea of international stars coming to play in a small Lebanese town is, frankly, astonishing, and they are doing it for the love of the event, which is an admirable thing indeed.
At the time of this interview the festival was drawing upon us and there were still plenty of sleepless nights ahead. Bouez was busily running a media campaign and this interview was part of it. “The adverts in newspapers, on the TV, on billboards and the radio are being worked on at the moment. In the coming days we’ll be working on the receiving the artists, the hotels are already done, but it’s a huge amount of logistics.” The science of getting people and equipment into the small town is quite a headache, especially when you consider that this is Lebanon and nothing ever goes smoothly. But Bouez has a deft-hand and maintained that she would pull it all off. Of course there is no rest for the wicked for she is already planning for next year.
Question and Answer Box:
What is luxury to you?
To be able to do what I’d like.
What is your most prized possession?
Each of my children
What is your favourite time of the day?
My early morning coffee
What do you want to remembered as / for?
As a person who always listened and was ready to help
What is the most important thing in your life?
My privacy
What makes you truly happy?
Succeeding in whatever I get involved in
Who is your favourite artist?
Placido Domingo
Contact the Virgin ticket office to buy your tickets +961 1 999 666, Bespoke subscribers can apply for a special giveaway.
