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Lydia Canaan | |
|---|---|
 Canaan performing on New Morning in 2020 | |
| Born | Lydia Canaan (Arabic: ليديا كنعان) |
| Occupations |
|
| Musical career | |
| Also known as | Angel |
| Genres | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals (four-octave range mezzo-soprano) |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Labels |
|
| Website | lydiacanaan |
Lydia Canaan is a Lebanese singer-songwriter, poet, humanitarian activist, and diplomat. She is noted for her four-octave vocal range, unique vocal stylings, songwriting, and for being the first Lebanese artist in music history to achieve global success. Widely regarded as the first "rock star" of the Middle East, she is cataloged in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Library and Archives.
Canaan first rose to fame in the mid-80s as an adolescent rock singer performing amid enemy attacks during the Lebanese Civil War,[1] holding concerts in vicinities of Lebanon as they were being bombed.[1] Society magazine writes, "in a small country that was ripped by war, there was this young girl making a difference".[2]
Canaan is credited as the first artist in the Middle Eastern region to release English-language music only,[3][4] and have music videos appear on MTV Global, MTV Russia, MTV Southeast Asia, and MTV Middle East.[5][6][7] Her career has been described as having defied tradition,[8] challenged convention,[5] and transcended millennia-old gender barriers.[9] According to Arabian Woman magazine, "as a girl who grew up in the midst of a bloody civil war, Canaan was breaking down seemingly insurmountable barriers ... She rocked the establishment".[9]
Early life
Canaan was born to Greek Orthodox Christian parents George and Mona Canaan on Mount Lebanon in Brummana, Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War.[1] She attended Brummana High School,[1] and later studied at Lebanese American University.[1]
According to Canaan, singing, writing, and dance served as a cathardic outlet for her from an early age.[10] When she was only eight-years-old, her French elementary school, College des Saints-Coeurs, Bikfaya, awarded her the first place prize in a literary contest (in which all grades competed against one another) for a poem she wrote about a child who wept for being scolded over trivial matters such as staining her fingers with ink when she writes.[11][12]
Canaan's conservative parents initially discouraged her from singing rock music, and forbid her to have a music education or any formal vocal training.[10][13] In spite of these obstacles, a young Canaan composed songs in her head and committed the English lyrics and Western melodies to memory.[8][12]
Music career
Early career
In 1984, the teenaged 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 four-octave vocal range,[11][13] charisma, and stage presence got her the gig and quickly gained her national popularity among Lebanese youth.[5][11] The same year, she donned what would become her characteristic, trend-setting look:[5] revealing, studded leather outfits with dramatic capes and hip-length, blonde-streaked hair.[5][13] 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."[13]
Off stage, Canaan was voted "Best Dressed" by Brummana High School. On stage, her provocative costumes contributed to the perception of her as a sex symbol.[5][13] The Daily Star wrote: "On stage, with her daring looks and style, Canaan became a role model".[5] 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.[5]
Rock star
On Canaan's first concert with Equation, a Gulf Today writer notes: "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 writes: "Tickets were sold out but more teenagers stormed in to see the young Angel perform... To accommodate the crowd, the concert organizers had to stamp on each fan's hand as they ran out of tickets. It was... her first success".[2]
Despite the dangers of warring militias and armies, Canaan held over 25 sell-out concerts from 1984 to 1988, recorded her English-language songs, and topped the radio charts in Lebanon.[5] At the height of their success, the band drew a crowd of over 15,000.[1] Canaan was hailed by the media as the first "rock star" of the Middle East.[10][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]
Solo career
Canaan performed her last concert with Equation in 1986,[11] and in 1987 embarked on a solo career.[11] She performed her original compositions, including "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 a solo artist, Canaan enjoyed a significant increase in popularity.[2][11] With Lebanon under Syrian occupation, her concerts were held in East Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and the north of Lebanon. In Tripoli, the second largest city in Lebanon, Canaan performed before a sold-out crowd under tight security despite having received death threats.[5][10] In 1987, Canaan performed to a crowd of 20,000 at the Beirut Rock Festival.[22][23] In 1988, she held sell-out concerts for three consecutive nights at Casino du Liban,[24][25] the last performer to grace its stage until the venue resumed activity following the end of the Liberation War in 1990.[24]
International success
Canaan's popularity in Europe and the UK distinguished her as the first internationally successful Lebanese musical artist.[3][11][24][26][27][28][29] Canaan's global breakthrough was widely reported on by the Arab media,[4][24][28][30] Al-Hayat writing that she had " ... invaded the European market with her ballads".[28] Years later, in 1997, she would be the very first recipient of the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism's Lebanese International Success Award.[3] In 1989, she left Lebanon and settled in Zurich, Switzerland,[13] where she became a naturalized Swiss citizen.[9] There she took vocal lessons with soprano Anita Monti.[13] In 1990, she was interviewed by Radio Z in Zurich, where her songs received airplay.[9][31]
In 1991, Canaan began working with record producer David Richards[2] (producer of Queen and David Bowie).[32] The same year, she gave a live interview for NBC Europe.[28] 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 "Shine",[33] "Never Set You Free",[34] "So Much to Give",[35] "Desire",[36] "Love",[37] and a cover of Shirley Bassey's English version of "Never Never Never",[38] produced by David Richards at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland.[2] The same year, she recorded the duet "Love and Lust" with Queen drummer Roger Taylor.[39][40]
In 1993, Canaan wrote and recorded her songs "Libnan",[41] "Fallin'"[42] (including a remix that featured Tommy Mandel on keyboard),[43] and her cover of John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth",[44] (all produced by Robin Scott of M) at Grove Studios in Brighton and Hove, England.[3]
Crossover to pop
"Beautiful Life"
In the fall of 1995, Canaan, who had up until that time performed rock music under the stage name Angel, dropped the moniker, and under her birth name Lydia Canaan presented the pop ballad "Beautiful Life"[45] (produced by Barry Blue and The Rapino Brothers)[46] at the Midem in Cannes, France.[47] That spring, Canaan's international release of the lead single "Beautiful Life"[45] by London-based Pulse-8 Records[45] gained her international critical acclaim,[11][48][49] including an endorsement by American radio personality Casey Kasem,[49] culminating in a promo tour in England and radio airplay in the UK, Europe, South Africa, and the Middle East.[49] That summer, Canaan performed "Beautiful Life" in Beirut for the launch of the MTV Global channel.[50][51][52] In promoting the event, MTV Global billed her as "the diva from the Middle East".[51] During the press conference, President of MTV Global, Peter Einstein, said: "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."[52]
"The Sound of Love"
Canaan's second single, "The Sound of Love", produced by Barry Blue and The Rapino Brothers[46] (recorded at Maison Rouge Studios in London)[53] was released in the fall of 1997 ahead of the album of the same name.[54] Between the winter of 1998 and the spring of 1999, "The Sound of Love" and other songs by Canaan recorded by Jay Ward's New York City based Dogbrain Music were featured on Billboard magazine's billboardtalentnet.com eight times[55][56][57][58][59][60][61] and topped Billboard's RadioBTN chart for thirteen weeks.[55][56][57][58][59][60][61]
The Sound of Love
Canaan's debut studio album, The Sound of Love, was released in the summer of 2000.[54] Recorded in London and New York City, it included the track "Right On the Verge" featuring Tommy Mandel.[54][62] The album was distributed by SIDI/XEMA in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon.[54] In support of its release, Canaan performed at various venues in Beirut, including Jumeira Beach Hotel in Dubai, Savage Garden Club,[63] and Rifaa Golf Club in Manama, Bahrain.[64]
Rock fusion
As Canaan's music evolved, she began to innovate a unique style by fusing the use of Middle Eastern quarter tones and microtones with English-language pop rock.[11][19][65]
In early 2000, "Guardian Angel" and "The Bridge", Canaan's duets with Robin Scott,[66][67][68] appeared on M's album Famous Last Words, released by BMG Music.[69] In 2003, "Spiritual Man", a track Canaan performs vocals on with Scott, appeared on Scott's solo album Life Class, released by Scott's label Yup! Records.[70]
In 2004, Canaan's English song "Libnan" (Arabic: لبنان, lit. 'Lebanon' Libnān or Lubnān, Lebanese Arabic: [lɪbˈneːn]) became the soundtrack of the advertisement "Rediscover Lebanon",[3] produced and broadcast by CNN[71][72][73] [74][75] and commissioned by the Lebanon Ministry of Economy and Trade to promote Lebanon as a tourist destination.[71][72][73][74][75]
In 2014, Canaan was named a semi-finalist by the UK Songwriting Contest for her song "Never Set You Free".[76][77][78]
In 2015, the Curatorial Affairs Division of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Library and Archives in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, created and cataloged a subject file on Canaan[21] for their world's-largest repository of rock and roll history.[79]
In 2018, both Brooklyn College and the University of Southern California began teaching the Music in Global America musicology course,[80] which includes study of Canaan's song "Hey Richie"[19][65] as an example of "arab-rock fusions".[19]
Diplomacy
I was born in a world of borders, barricades, and demarcation lines. And since I could not change the world around me, I created a world inside me, and I held on to it. It was a world with no borders, barricades, or demarcation lines. It was a world of hope.[81][82]
— Lydia Canaan
Growing up in a war-ravaged Lebanon, Canaan was herself the victim of numerous atrocities and humanitarian crises,[2][14] compelling her to utilize her talents as speaker, writer, and peacemaker for diplomatic efforts across the Near and Middle East and Europe.[83][84][85][86][87][88]
In 2014, Canaan was appointed as a United Nations delegate for Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture (KRC), and as of 2024 has delivered eight speeches before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).[89][90][91]
In 2015, Canaan was first featured on United Nations Ambassador Muhamed "Mo" Sacirbey's website, Diplomat Artist, where Sacirbey describes her as a "global citizen and diplomat artist",[20] and showcases Canaan's essay, "Diplomacy and Art".[20]
In 2016, Canaan was invited by HuffPost to be a contributor to their newspaper, where she writes a column on matters such as war crimes and human rights violations.[92]
In 2019, Canaan was appointed as a member of the International Advisory Council of the Academic University for Non-Violence & Human Rights (AUNOHR),[84] whose former members include Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Desmond Tutu, Mairead Maguire, and Adolfo Esquivel.
Advocacy
In 2001, the American Community School in Beirut, Lebanon chose Canaan to deliver a speech to the students as Speaker of the Month.[93]
In 2014, Canaan attended the United Nations Millennium Campaign's My World partners awards ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.[14]
In 2014, Canaan delivered her speech "It's About Time, My Country" in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces on Lebanese Independence Day at Casino du Liban in Beirut, Lebanon.[14]
In 2015, Canaan performed at a rally in solidarity with Cardinal Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi's call to elect a president of the Republic of Lebanon at St. George Cathedral in Beirut.[14]
Humanitarian activism
I have faith. I believe in this country. I believe in the spirit of these people. I am the daughter of this land. I'm a Canaanite.[94]
— Lydia Canaan
Canaan is known for benefit performances and activism as a response to the challenges faced by the Lebanese people, her nation's refugees and neighbors, and the world.[85][86][87][88]
In 2001, Canaan performed at the United Nations International Volunteers Day in Beirut[95] and was awarded for her humanitarianism by Yves de San, Head of UNDP Lebanon.[4][95]
In 2010, Canaan performed at The Summer University of Palestine in Lebanon, a summer camp to educate and raise the level of awareness of the participants from all around the world on Palestine, the culture of the wider Middle and Near Eastern regions, and Lebanon's crucial part in it. The event was organized by Viva Palestina Arabia, founded by George Galloway, who delivered a speech alongside fellow speakers Norman Finkelstein, Gabi Baramki, and Ghada Karmi, among other notable guests.[96]
In 2011, Canaan performed for elderly Palestinian refugees at the Social Support Society's Active Aging House within the Burj Al-Barajneh Refugee Camp in Beirut, Lebanon.[97]
In 2014, Canaan participated in the Arab International Forum in Solidarity With Palestinian Prisoners, held in Beirut, Lebanon, with over three hundred fifty public figures and other international attendees, headed by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark.[14]
In 2015, Canaan took part in the International Forum for Justice in Palestine, held in Beirut, Lebanon, with over five hundred attendees from the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, headed by former United States Attorney General Ramsey Clark.[10]
In 2020, Canaan returned to the Burj Al-Barajneh Refugee Camp in Beirut, Lebanon, and again met with and sang songs for elderly Palestinian refugees and refugee school children to offer her support for a free Palestine.[85][97]
Canaan actively supports the Palestinian Right to Resist movement,[85][87][97] Street Art for Mankind (for whom she granted use of her song "Beautiful Life"),[14][98] Solitary Watch, John Legend's Free America campaign,[99] Human Rights Watch, War Child Holland-Lebanon, SAWA for DEV & AID, and the International Campaign to Prosecute War Crimes in Iraq (once chaired by the late former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark).[10]
Charitable concerts and philanthropy
Throughout her career, Canaan has made financial contributions to and performed in support of various charitable causes and organizations,[5] particularly those concerning the welfare of children, women, animals, and the elderly.[10][14][100][101]
Canaan fully funded the construction of the Children's Care Unit wing of the Salmaniya Medical Complex,[64] and made substantial financial contributions to Child Fund International (CFI)[14] and St. Jude's Hospital.[14]
Canaan's song, "Beautiful Life", was selected by South African President Nelson Mandela as the theme song for a charity event he held in South Africa,[30][93][102][103] Mandela calling Canaan "a voice for peace".[84]
Notable performances by Canaan at charity and fundraiser events include the American Women's Club,[101] the Children's Care Unit of the Salmaniya Medical Complex,[64] the Beirut Rotary Club, the American Community School,[104] Association pour la Promotion Feminine,[105][106] Caritas Lebanon,[107] Centre Renee Wehbe Le Vieillard Malade, Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA),[108] the Lions Beirut Code Club,[109] the Unite Lebanon Youth Project (ULYP),[5] the Arab Resource Center for Popular Arts, Al-Jana (ARCPA),[5] the Social Support Society Active Ageing House,[4] NASMA Foundation,[5] and Association Amour et Partage.[4]
Support for animal welfare
Canaan, an outspoken animal welfare supporter[100][108][110] and animal rights activist,[100][108][110] champions the Asian Conservation Awareness Programme (ACAP/WildAid), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Le Roselet Foundation, and Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA).[100]
Literary works
| Year | Title | Genre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Islamophobia and Art" | Oratorical | Canaan delivered her speech "Islamophobia and Art", about the need to combat anti-Muslim prejudice artistically) at the 25th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, gaining a round of applause and kudos.[91] |
| "Hostage to Injustice" | Oratorical | Canaan delivered her speech "Hostage to Injustice", a call for an end to unjust political imprisonment, at the 26th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, receiving a standing ovation and drawing media attention.[82] | |
| 2015 | "Humane Evolution" | Oratorical | Canaan delivered her speech "Humane Evolution", in which she spoke out against legally sanctioned torture, at the 28th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, winning her extended applause.[111] |
| "Human Rights" | Oratorical | Canaan delivered her speech "Human Rights", disparaging governments worldwide for failure to implement UN human rights recommendations at the UNHRC's 23rd Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), attended by over twenty-five delegations and representatives from Great Britain, Germany, Norway, France, the European Union, Denmark, Australia, Ireland, and Lebanon, and others at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. She also sang an a cappella verse of her activist anthem "Humanity Wake Up and Fight".[112][113][114] | |
| 2016 | "Fighting Terrorism Without Violating Human Rights" | Oratorical | Canaan delivered her speech "Fighting Terrorism Without Violating Human Rights",[90] her impassioned defense of civilian victims of counter-terrorism attacks, at the 31st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. It was streamed live on YouTube by the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).[115] |
| 2017 | "Global Effects of the Persecution of Religious Minorities in the Middle East" | Oratorical | On March 14, 2017, Canaan delivered her speech titled "Global Effects of the Persecution of Religious Minorities in the Middle East",[116] which primarily focused on the persecution of Christians (who, according to her speech, are the most persecuted religious minority in the Middle East and the world), at the 34th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland; her emotional delivery ended with Canaan in tears.[117] |
| 2018 | "No Refuge for Refugees" | Oratorical | Canaan delivered her speech "No Refuge for Refugees", about the global refugee crisis, demanding asylum and fair treatment for war refugees, at the 37th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.[118] |
| 2024 | "Zionism and Apartheid in Occupied Palestine" | Oratorical | Canaan delivered her speech titled "Zionism and Apartheid in Occupied Palestine", condemning the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and what she called the systematic "genocide" of Palestinians, at the 55th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.[119] Canaan was the first and only delegate to request the observance of a moment of silence for the victims of war crimes in Gaza, the West Bank, Southern Lebanon, and for U.S. Air Force servicemember Aaron Bushnell.[120] |
Awards and honors
Awards
| Year | Award | By | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Scoop d'Or Award | Scoop magazine | [121] |
| 1997 | Lebanese International Success Award | Lebanese Ministry of Tourism | [3] |
| 2001 | International Year of Volunteers Award | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | [95] |
| 2003 | Association pour la Promotion Feminine Award | Association pour la Promotion Feminine | [105] |
| 2005 | Caritas Award | Caritas | [107] |
| 2014 | Lebanese Army Award | Lebanese Armed Forces | [14] |
| UK Songwriting Contest Semi-finalist Award | UK Songwriting Contest | [76][77] | |
| 2016 | Silver Medal for Outstanding Achievement | Global Music Awards | [122] |
| 2023 | Global Goddess Artemis Award | Euro American Women's Council (EAWC) | [123] |
Honors
| Year | Honor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Granted presidential audience | Canaan was granted audience with Lebanon President Emile Lahoud at the Lebanon Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon. President Lahoud thanked Canaan for her "devotion to, affection for, and altruistic services rendered to country".[5][124][125][126][127][128] |
| 2002 | Granted presidential audience | Canaan was received by First Lady of Lebanon Andree Lahoud at the Lebanon Presidential Palace, who expressed her gratitude and admiration for Canaan for putting a positive cultural and artistic face on Lebanon.[129][130] |
| 2002 | Granted presidential audience | Canaan was received by the First Lady Andree Lahoud at the Lebanon Presidential Palace, who also requested that Canaan hold a concert at the Presidential Palace in honor of the wives of the fallen Lebanon Republican Guard officers.[131][132][133][134] |
| 2002 | Granted presidential audience | On Mother's Day Canaan was received at the Lebanon Presidential Palace where, upon the request of First Lady Andree Lahoud, she performed at a presidential ceremony in honor of the wives of the fallen Republican Guard officers.[103][135] |
| 2015 | Cataloged in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum's Library & Archives | The Curatorial Affairs Division of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Library and Archives created and cataloged a Subject File on Canaan.[21] |
| 2019 | Sang Lebanese & Swiss national anthems | A dual citizen, Canaan was asked by the Embassy of Switzerland in Lebanon to sing both the National Anthem of Lebanon and the Swiss National Anthem at the Swiss National Day celebration, held at Horsh Beirut Park in Beirut, Lebanon.[136][137] |
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| The Sound of Love |
|
Singlesedit
| Year | Title | Writer(s) | Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "The Sound of Equation" | Lydia Canaan | Radio |
| 1986 | "Why All the Hurt?" | Lydia Canaan | Radio |
| "To Oblivion and Back" | Lydia Canaan | Radio | |
| 1987 | "The Hope Song" | Lydia Canaan | Radio |
| "Does It Need Some Action?" | Lydia Canaan | Radio | |
| "A Hard Situation" | Lydia Canaan | Radio | |
| 1988 | "And You Call Me" | Lydia Canaan | Radio |
| "Hey Richie" | Lydia Canaan | Radio | |
| 1989 | "The Christmas Wish" | Lydia Canaan | Radio |
| "Me and Little Andy" | Dolly Parton | Radio | |
| 1991 | "Love and Lust" | Lydia Canaan & Roger Taylor | Unreleased |
| 1995 | "Beautiful Life" | Barry Blue | Pulse-8 Records |
| 1997 | "The Sound of Love" | Barry Blue | Pulse-8 Records |