Lydia Canaan

Last updated

Lydia Canaan
ليديا كنعان
Birth nameLydia Kanaan
Also known asAngel
Born (1967-12-02) December 2, 1967 (age 57)
Brummana, Lebanon
OriginLebanese
GenresPop, Heavy metal
OccupationSinger-songwriter
InstrumentVocals (mezzo-soprano)
Years active1984–2001
SpouseThomas Vitins (m. 1993)

Lydia Canaan (Arabic : ليديا كنعان; born December 2, 1967) is a Lebanese singer-songwriter.

Contents

Canaan gained local recognition in Lebanon performing heavy metal cover songs during the Lebanese Civil War despite the conflict. [1] Canaan was one of the first Middle Eastern artists to sing solely in English, [2] [ failed verification ] and one of the first to have music videos played on MTV Europe, MTV Southeast Asia, MTV Russia, and MTV Middle East. [3] [4] [5]

Life and career

Early life and education

Born and raised in Brummana, Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War to a Greek Orthodox family,[ citation needed ] Canaan studied at Brummana High School (BHS). [1] From a young age singing, lyrical composition, and dancing served as an outlet and catharsis for Canaan.[ citation needed ] Canaan's parents discouraged her from singing heavy metal and forbid her to have a musical education or formal training.[ citation needed ] As reported by the newspaper Campus, "For Lydia Canaan's first gig, she had to throw her trademark short rockish black leather skirt and studs out of her bedroom window in Brummana, put on a long skirt, lie to her conservative father about where she was going, and, after changing into her leather gear, singing her teenage heart out as Angel with the band Equation". [6]

Early career

In 1984, Canaan—under the stage name Angel—joined the heavy metal band Equation, [1] who until then had been intent on finding a male lead singer. Canaan's talent, personality, and stage presence gained her national popularity among Lebanese youth. [7] [3] The same year, she donned what would become her trademark, trend-setting look: revealing, studded leather outfits with dramatic capes and hip-length blonde-streaked hair. [3] [6] Off stage, Canaan's Alma Mater, Brummana High School (BHS), voted her "Best Dressed". On stage, her provocative costumes contributed to the perception of her as a sex symbol. [3] [6] The Daily Star wrote: "On stage, with her daring looks and style, Canaan became a role model". [3] At the height of their success the band drew a crowd of over 15,000. [1] Canaan's first original composition, "Why All The Hurt", a tribute to a deceased friend that she wrote as a teenager, was a No. 1 hit on the radio charts in Lebanon. [3]

Following Canaan's first concert with Equation, a The Gulf Today writer noted: "the first show produced a phenomenal reaction . . . It is incredible that amidst the state of civil war that existed in Lebanon at that time when most people had no idea if they would see another day she managed to keep her ambitions alive". [1] Society magazine stated: "tickets were sold out but more teenagers stormed in to see the young Angel perform... To accommodate the crowd concert organizers had to stamp on each fan's hand as they ran out of tickets. It was... her first success". [8]

Since her first public appearance, Canaan held over 25 sell-out concerts in the country from 1984 to 1988, and despite the risks and dangers of warring militias and armies,[ citation needed ] recorded her songs for radio, and topped the charts in Lebanon. [3] Her last concert with Equation was held in 1986. [7]

Solo career

In 1987, Canaan embarked on a solo career, [7] performing her original compositions, such as "To Oblivion and Back", "Does it Need Some Action", "A Hard Situation", "Hey Richie", and "The Christmas Wish", all which were radio hits. [1]

As Canaan's music evolved, her local fame grew. [7] [8] With Lebanon under Syrian occupation, Canaan's concerts were held in East Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and the north of Lebanon. In Tripoli, the second largest city in Lebanon, Canaan performed in front of a sold-out crowd under tight security despite having received death threats. [3]

In 1987, Canaan performed to a crowd of 20,000 at the Beirut Rock Festival.[ citation needed ] In 1988, she held sell-out concerts for three consecutive nights at Casino du Liban, [9] the last performer to grace its stage until it resumed activity following the end of the Liberation War in 1990. [9]

Canaan's local success and aspirations for international success were reported on by the Arab media, [10] [9] [11] [12] [13] [14] Al-Hayat writing that she had " ... invaded the European market with her ballads". [10] In 1989, she left Lebanon and settled in Zurich, Switzerland, [6] where she became a naturalized Swiss citizen. [15] There she took vocal lessons with soprano Anita Monti. [6] In 1990, she was interviewed by Radio Z in Zurich where her songs received airplay. [15]

In 1991, Canaan began working with record producer David Richards (producer of Queen and David Bowie).[ citation needed ] The same year she gave a live interview for NBC Europe. [10] Also in 1991 Canaan signed a two-year contract with London-based production company Spinny Music (led by Queen manager Jim Beach) to write and record her original songs produced by David Richards at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland. [8] The same year she recorded the duet "Love and Lust" with Queen drummer Roger Taylor. [16] [17]

The same year, she recorded the duet "Love and Lust" with Queen drummer Roger Taylor. [16] [17]

In 1993, Canaan recorded songs "Libnan", "Fallin'", and her cover of John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth". [8]

In February 1995, Canaan, who had up until that time performed rock under the stage name Angel, dropped the moniker, and under the name Lydia Canaan presented the pop ballad "Beautiful Life" [18] (produced by Barry Blue and The Rapino Brothers) at the Midem in Cannes, France. [19] That Spring, Canaan's international release of the single "Beautiful Life" [18] by London-based Pulse-8 Records [18] gained her international critical acclaim, [7] [20] [21] the buzz culminating in a promo tour in England and radio airplay in the UK, Europe, South Africa, and the Middle East. [21]

Canaan performed "Beautiful Life" at the launch of MTV Europe held in Beirut on May 12, 1995. [22] [23] In promoting the event, MTV Europe billed her as "the diva from the Middle East". [22] During the press conference, President of MTV Europe Peter Einstein stated: "MTV is proud and privileged to play Lydia's videos on Music-Non-Stop Show... All at MTV have fallen in love with Lydia, her songs, and her performance." [23]

Canaan's second single, "The Sound of Love", produced by Barry Blue and The Rapino Brothers [ citation needed ] and recorded at Maison Rouge Studios in London, [24] was released in 1997. In 1998, Canaan's recordings made in New York City at Jay Ward's Dogbrain Music were exhibited on billboardtalentnet.com and appeared on its RadioBTN top 10 chart. [25]

Canaan's never-released studio album The Sound of Love was completed in the summer of 2000. Recorded in London and New York City, it included the track "Right on the Verge", featuring Bryan Adams' keyboardist Tommy Mandel. [7] [15] The album was distributed by SIDI/XEMA in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon.[ citation needed ] In support of the album release, Canaan performed at various venues in Beirut, Jumeira Beach Hotel in Dubai, and Savage Garden Club and Rifaa Golf Club in Manama, Bahrain. [26]

In 2004, "Libnan" was chosen as the title song of the advertisement "Rediscover Lebanon", produced and broadcast by CNN and commissioned by the Lebanese Ministry of Economy & Trade to promote Lebanon as a tourist destination. [27]

In 2014, Canaan was named a semi-finalist by the UK Songwriting Contest for her song "Never Set You Free". [28]

Public speaking and advocacy performances

Lydia Canaan gave talks at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, on seven occasions between 2014 and 2017, [29] and reportedly spoke at Casino du Liban in Beirut in 2014. [30] In 2001, she spoke at the American Community School in Beirut, Lebanon, [30] performed at the United Nations International Volunteers Day, [31] and was awarded for her humanitarianism. She participated in the Arab International Forum in Solidarity With Palestinian Prisoners in 2014 and the International Forum for Justice in Palestine in 2015, both held in Beirut. [32] In 2015, she performed at a rally in solidarity with Cardinal Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi's call to elect a president of Lebanon. [33]

Literature

American author Robert W. McGee mentioned Canaan's songs "So Much To Give" and "Never Set You Free" in his two novels Justifiable Homicide (2014) [34] and Annie and the Senator (2015); [35] Canaan and her songs "Shine", "Fallin'", and "Libnan" were referenced in all three volumes of McGee's The Iraqi Girl Trilogy (2015). [36] [37] McGee's characters often risk their lives to listen to Lydia Canaan's music. [34] [36] [37]

In 2017, Canaan was featured in British journalist for Newsweek Orlando Crowcroft's book Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East, about the dangers she faced and obstacles she overcame as a rock music pioneer in Lebanon. [38]

Honors and awards

Honors

On January 16, 2002, President Emile Lahoud thanked Lydia Canaan for her services to Lebanon. The First Lady, Andree Lahoud, expressed admiration for Canaan's positive representation of Lebanon and invited her to give a short a capella performance at the Presidential Palace on January 28 and February 15. On March 21, 2002, Canaan again gave a brief performance a capella at a presidential ceremony honoring the wives of fallen Republican Guard Officers. [3] [39] [40] [41] [42]

Awards

Videography

Music videos

Concerts

Oration

Discography

Studio album

The Sound of Love

Label: None
Released: Unreleased
Format: Compact disc (CD)
Track listing:

Singles

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chandran, Sudha. "An Angel's Song", The Gulf Today , Sharjah, November 24, 2000.
  2. 1 2 Sinclair, David (December 27, 1997). "Global Music Pulse". Billboard . LEBANON: Singer Lydia Canaan returns to her birth-place in the mountain village of Brummana for the Easter ceremonies. Her April 25 performance in the Greek Orthodox church of her childhood is broadcast on national TV and radio.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Jubayli, Jinan. "'Angel' Canaan Brings it All Back Home", The Daily Star , No. 10,735, Beirut, March 18, 2002.
  4. ↑ Khonji, Tariq. "Lebanese Singer to Entertain Golf Fans", Gulf Daily News , No. 217, Bahrain, October 23, 2001.
  5. ↑ "The MTV Spirit in the Air of Beirut", Magazine, Beirut, May 19, 1995.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Livingstone, David. "A Beautiful Life; Or, How a Local Girl Ended Up With a Recording Contract in the UK and Who Has Ambitions in the U.S.", Campus, No. 8, Beirut, February 1997.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sinclair, David. "Global Music Pulse", Billboard , New York, May 10, 1997.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Habib, Hala. "Lydia Canaan: A Star is Born to The Sound of Love", Society, No. 3, Beirut, February 1997.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Khalife, Mireille. "Lydia Canaan Tells Her Story...and Launches Her English Songs Internationally from Lebanon", Al-Hayat, No. 13,732, Beirut, October 16, 2000.
  10. 1 2 3 Hayek, George. "The Lebanese Singer Lydia Canaan Has Invaded the European Market With Her Ballads", Al-Hayat , No. 12,513, Beirut, June 3, 1997.
  11. ↑ Hayek, George. "Lydia Canaan: 'President Mandela is a Fan of My Music'", An-Nahar, No. 211, Beirut, February 20, 1997.
  12. ↑ Al-Diri, Hanadi. "Meeting With President and CEO of MTV Networks and the Singer Lydia Canaan", An-Nahar, Beirut, May 19, 1995.
  13. ↑ Hayek, George. "Lydia Canaan: 'I Will Launch My International Career From the United States'", An-Nahar, No. 391, Beirut, July 28, 2000.
  14. ↑ Haddad, Viviane. "Lydia Canaan Shows Readiness to Hold Charity Concerts—The Only Lebanese Singer Who Performs in English and Has Toured the Major European Capitals", Asharq Al-Awsat, Vol. 24, No. 8,477, London, February 12, 2002.
  15. 1 2 3 High, Claire. "With Her Debut Album, The Sound of Love, Recorded in English, Lebanese Singer Lydia Canaan is Tipped to Be the First Middle-Eastern Female Singer to Break into the International Market", Arabian Woman, No. 21, Saudi Arabia, September 2000.
  16. 1 2 "Roger Taylor Collaborations". Ultimate Queen. May 8, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  17. 1 2 "Roger Plus". Queen Vault. June 10, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  18. 1 2 3 "Lydia Canaan – Beautiful Life". Discogs. January 25, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Cannes Bye Bye Day", Midem Daily News, No. 5, Cannes, February 3, 1995.
  20. ↑ Robinson, Nick. "Lydia Canaan: Beautiful Life", Music Week , London, May 13, 1995.
  21. 1 2 Sexton, Paul. "New Artist File", Music Monitor, London, April 21, 1995.
  22. 1 2 Daniel, Judith. MTV Europe press release, Beirut, May 12, 1995.
  23. 1 2 “Blitz Press Release”, Beirut, May 12, 1995.
  24. ↑ Harris, Tony. "Maison Rouge Studios". Classic UK Studios. Archived from the original on March 8, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  25. ↑ Billboard TalentNet RadioBTN Top 50, p.30 New York December 25
  26. ↑ "Charity Golf Drive Opens", Gulf Daily News , Vol. XXIV, No. 220, Bahrain, October 26, 2001.
  27. ↑ El Zein, Tarek. "Year-Long Advertising Campaign Promotes Lebanon as a Global Tourist Destination", The Daily Star , Beirut, April 16, 2004.
  28. 1 2 "UK Songwriting Contest 2014 Results". UK Songwriting Contest. September 9, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  29. ↑ Canaan, Lydia. "Islamophobia and Art". HuffPost . January 2, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  30. 1 2 "ACS Speaker of the Month Program Welcomes Singer Lydia Canaan", ACS Newsletter, Vol. III, No. 5, Beirut, February 2001.
  31. 1 2 The Celebration of the International Volunteer Day (IVD) and the Wrap Up of IYV2001 in Lebanon. UNDP Lebanon. February 17, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  32. ↑ The Celebration of the International Volunteer Day (IVD) and the Wrap Up of IYV2001 in Lebanon. UNDP Lebanon. February 17, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  33. ↑ "The Lebanese Report Before the United Nations Human Rights Council that Included Failure to Act Upon Recommendations as Pledged". National News Agency (NNA). November 8, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  34. 1 2 McGee, Robert W. (2014). Justifiable Homicide, Fayetteville. ISBN   978-1-5028-6213-6.
  35. ↑ McGee, Robert W. (2015). Annie and the Senator, Fayetteville.
  36. 1 2 McGee, Robert W. (2015). The Iraqi Girl: Trilogy Book 1, Fayetteville.
  37. 1 2 McGee, Robert W. (2015). The Iraqi Girl: Trilogy Book 2, Fayetteville.
  38. ↑ Crowcroft, Orlando. (2017). Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East, London: Zed Books. ISBN   978-1-78699-016-7.
  39. ↑ "President Emile Lahoud Receiving the International Pop Singer Lydia Canaan at the Presidential Palace", An-Nahar, No. 21,154, Beirut, January 17, 2002.
  40. ↑ "First Lady Lahood Receives Lebanese Pop Singer", Al-Mustaqbal, No. 890, Beirut, January 29, 2002.
  41. ↑ "Pop Star Brings 'Beautiful Life' to Baabda Palace", The Daily Star , No. 10,711, Beirut, February 15, 2002.
  42. ↑ "Lydia Canaan Performs at the Presidential Palace", Al-Mustaqbal, No. 938, Beirut, March 20, 2002.
  43. ↑ Jabra, Stavro. "Scoop d'Or", Scoop, No. 51, Beirut, December 1987 – January 1988.
  44. ↑ "Association To Promote Women", Mondanite, No. 75, Beirut, April 2003.
  45. ↑ "A Gala Dinner In Support Of Caritas Medical Action", Caritas Info, Beirut, March 2005.
  46. ↑ Global Music Awards: Winners—June 2016. Global Music Awards. January 17, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.