“It’s a good song,” I scream over the pounding beats of his latest hit On Tour. He looks back at me, smiles and then carries on tapping his foot in sync with the rhythm. It was 10am. This is not what I expected. But then again, what should you expect from a musical guru?
After the second consecutive song played at full blast in this sound-proofed room, I dropped my question paper, and decided to flow with the uplifting vibes. A question and answer session was by no means the way to understand this artist. So I just listened. The mastermind under examination is Guy Manoukian by the way; a world-renowned Lebanese Armenian music composer, who has created a name for himself, from New York to Cairo.
When he did lower the volume, only to change songs that is, his excitement and passion for music dominated the discussion. But this love is not newfound. Manoukian’s musical journey actually began at such a young age, that it was physically impossible for him to compose. “My fingers were too small for the piano. My brothers both played music, and I started out of innocent jealousy.” Both brothers, I learnt, have nothing to do with music now.
Starting at such a tender age, allowed him to sculpt his own style, a distinctive one for that matter. He has come to describe his music as, “Lebanese sounds.” English poet Robert Frost might say, Manoukian took the road “less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.” He grew up in the midst of a whirlwind of cultures; it was difficult not to be influenced. “I am Lebanese of Armenian origin. All that has found its way into my music. I listened to classical music. Then I started listening to pop, from Michael Jackson and Madonna to UB40.” Then he grew fond of French songs.
“Up until I was 12 or 13, I was hearing ten different kinds of music per day. The first album I bought - well the first time I fell in love with Arabic music - was when I heard Warda’s song, Bitwanes Beek, and I did a remix of it.”
But just as his music is a blending of different cultures, all spoken with the complexity of a beat, so is his background. “I studied law as a safety net, and played professional basketball for 10 years,” he shared, all alongside his passion for composing music. These apparently diverse fields all complimented each other according to Manoukian. “In basketball, you learn how to play in a team. You work like a clock. In music, I have 63 musicians that I work with, and 11 of them travel with me all the time.” And law? “It’s the same thing with law, to learn how to differentiate between right and wrong and to be practical. I try to be realistic in achieving my goals, I took that from law.”
Over and above the blasting beats, Manoukian’s phone kept ringing. Each time, I noticed, he addressed the caller in a different language. “I’m so sorry,” he said, “but I’m opening a new company and I need to sign the papers before I leave.” He is a man in high demand, with a flight itinerary not granting him a day’s rest. “I just played for the Egyptian President, and for Queen Rania of Jordan. I played in a concert and Prince Al-Walid bin Talal was there.” And each of them appreciates his musical compositions in a different way.
Music is subjective after all, just like any art form, and not all ears are appreciative of Manoukian’s intricate beats. Although he is not moved by negativity, there was one critic that did get under his skin. “In Armenia I’m a huge star. My concerts are always sold out. Maybe he is jealous,” he pondered aloud. Then he signalled for me to look at his screen, where the war of words took place.
“He says I’m Arabising Armenian culture and music. Being an artist in Lebanon, surely you will be influenced by your surroundings. I’ve never heard an Arab guy tell me that I’m Armenianising Arab music,” he muttered as he went over the fiery exchange of words.
And so to verify his point on the universalism of his music, he played the hit in question, Harem. “If you are Arab, you will feel the sense of Arabia in it. Same with Armenia. And if you are from the West, you will definitely feel it with the production and arrangement,” as his chord sequences mirror Bach’s works. To me, Harem was reminiscent of a Fairouz song in fast-forward.
His proudest moment is “yet to come,” he stated. “I didn’t come from a musical family. You know if my kids become musicians, people will say ‘Ok, this is Manoukian’s kid, what’s new?’ But with me, I made my name.” Apparently his unborn children will have to make their own name, he “will not teach them anything.”
“I started from under zero. I used to play in piano bars and hotel lobbies. I couldn’t have dreamt of seeing my albums or posters around the world.” His success has allowed him to reach the point where he is now lifting up souls across the world, from the most remote areas of Asia to the Americas. “In Japan, I sell 60,000 units,” he confirms. His music even caught the attention of Wyclef Jean. “He’s the best, he is like my brother. Wyclef is saying Yerevan, which is the capital of Armenia, three times in his song. Who would have thought he would be saying that?”
Manoukian then instructed me to “listen to the music,” as he pumped up the volume once again. He lowered it moments later to speak of dreams again. “My first present was a Yamaha pianica, and now I am the ambassador of Yamaha in the Middle East. You know at every age, you need something to motivate you. Pleasing my parents used to motivate me. When I got older, I used to study at an all girls’ school. I wanted to get their attention, to be a jagal [Lebanese expression for a stud], and all I had to do was play.”
After much time tapping our feet and drumming our fingers on the table to the beats, Manoukian suddenly sat upright, looked worriedly at his watch, “Damn, I have a flight to catch.” And off he went, a man truly in pursuit of his dreams.
FROM DAWN TO DAWN
7am to noon: He wakes up early and has “tea or Honey Smacks. Then I get ready for work. Not all artists wake up at 11. I leave home at 8:15am and I’m usually in the office before 9am.
Noon to midnight: He works “till 2:00pm. I then grab a quick lunch, either at home (I love tabeekh [home-cooking]) or with the guys come back to the office and work till around 7:00pm. Then I grab a quick coffee or an arguileh and play tawle with the guys before going home. Some nights I play football or basketball and others I go out. I prefer going out during weekdays rather than weekends.
MANOUKIAN’S TWO CENTS ON…
Favourite movie: Many, but The Blues Brothers is one that I've seen - over 20 times.
Favourite song: Your Song by Elton John.
Do you collect anything: Football shirts, from every country I visit.
Chance: I believe in chance and I think so far I have been really lucky in life even though I truly believe that a person makes his own luck.
Work ethic: Just like school, you study you pass, you work hard you get results.
Most prized possession: My Lancia Delta HF Integrale Giallo Ginestra - there are only 200 in the world.
Best lesson learnt: The biggest risk you can take is when you don’t risk anything at all.
Life: My only source of inspiration.
Love: Fuels life.
The future: Is today.
