Don't Border Me Project :: Official Launch

Don’t Border Me Project :: Official Launch
Phase
1 of the project :: Montréal – Beirut

Don’t Border Me Project aims at establishing solid bridges
for cultural exchanges and collaborations between creators committed in an
artistic, positive and unifying endeavor, but separated by rigid geopolitical
borders, making the circulation of individuals and their ideas both complex
and essential.

The concert on June the 9th is the official launching of the
project. The performances are kindly offered by the artists, and the evening’s
benefits will allow the creation of a fund that will finance the first exchange
Montreal-Beirut, expected this summer ::

* During summer, two Montreal ambassadors
with double nationality, Christelle Franca (France–Canada) and Serge
Abiaad (Lebanon–Canada) will document and participate in Beirut’s
flourishing music scene in order to collaterally build the first footbridge
between artistic communities, while reinforcing preexisting links and budding
collaborations.

*Audio and Video documentation made during the trip will be
available on the project’s website: dontbordermeproject.net which will
enable us to nourish and centralize exchanges between creators, thus, virtually
encouraging those exchanges to be expressed more humanely. The Evening will
be accompanied by the artists from the Don’t
Border Me Orchestra (Canada,
Lebanon, France, Iran, Turkey, Italy, Argentina, Vietnam, Japan…)

PROGRAM ::

7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. :: Acoustical Aperitif and Bites
• Antoine Berthiaume
and his band Rodéoscopique
• Ziya et Kiya Tabassian (Constantinople
ensemble) and Ismaël Fencighu
• La Fanfare éphémère (musiciennes du Cirque Eloise)

22:00 p.m. to 23:00 p.m. :: Mix Improv Montreal-Beirut (in sound
and image)
• Will Eizlini (Shalabi effect), DJ Dubline (Montreal),
DJ YoYoWho! (Montreal- Beirut)
• Musical pieces especially concieved and sent by Lebanese
experimental music leaders Sharif and Christine Sehnaoui

23:00 p.m. till 3:00 a.m. :: The
Party
11 well-known Dj’s under unknown traits

• Akufen, The Mole,
Scott C, Vincent Lemieux, Ernesto Ferreyra, Matthew Burton, Soul Sista, Cheeba
Cheeba Kid, Bleuchut, Christian Miron, Christelle Franca

VJ’s Pillow and Mademoiselle, as well as various members of the Moment
Factory collective will follow in images the evening’s progress
The list
of artists is not exhaustive as yet, and is deliberately reserving surprise guests.

Don’t Border Me Project :: Official Launch
Saturday, June 9 2007
7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
Ticket :: $12 (presale, Laika) / $15

– – –

ORIGIN OF THE PROJECT

The project finds its roots and inspiration in two previous musical events
organized in reaction to last summer’s war; at the SAT on August the
5th, 2006 with Lhasa and Patrick Watson and in Marseille in September 2006
with Anais and Vibrion amongst others. The benefits of both concerts (30,000$)
were forwarded to active Lebanese humanitarian organisms.

Following those social and artistic demonstrations, Monique Savoie,
President-founder of the SAT and Christelle Franca, organizer
of the Marseille concert decided to pursue the project in the main vein of
converging arts and new technologies to decompartmentalize individuals and
thoughts. The Don’t Border Me Project takes
off and is immediately joined by various artists and musicians sharing the
same commitment of reconciliation within their creation. Is thus unofficially
founded the Don’t Border Me Orchestra, a musical
and multidisciplinary entity without borders.

– – –

Christelle Franca is a well known figure of
the Montreal music scene since 1998 gaining recognition
for her performances and musical versatility behind turntables (Laika, Montreal Jazz
Festival, Francofolies…). Infatuated with unlikely blending, she is constantly
looking to converge communities whatever their differences. She trusts Music
in weaving those encounters beyond words and other forms of boundaries.

Serge Abiaad aka YoYoWho! Is since late 2005
permanent sound designer at Laika reconciling the cleavage between classical
and experimental. Cofounder of Commusications, the first and only
freely distributed Lebanese cultural review, he has worked in cultural environments
between his native Lebanon and residential Montreal.
His obsessive passion with film has earned him many scientific publications
in Manière deVoir, the bimonthly of Le Monde Diplomatique, Commusications and Cadrage,
online film journal in which he is also part of the editing committee.

image :: varial.org