SaladeFriday

SaladeFriday returns to Beirut for its second edition of blind improv.

Six anonymous musicians are split into two trios performing live in two acts. The trios play side by side, separated by curtains, hidden from one another, and without prior knowledge of who their collaborators are. After the two separate performances, the curtains will be removed, bringing the six musicians together for a final ensemble-like performance.

Founded in Beirut in 2021, SaladeFriday was created to highlight the Lebanese alternative music scene. It began as a private dinner where each guest brought a fruit or vegetable of their choice. The host would then combine all the ingredients into an improvised salad. During or after this shared meal, jam sessions would take place.

Following the Beirut port explosion and the economic crisis, many artists from the most affected areas were forced to leave Lebanon in search of new horizons where they could live, practice, and flourish in their art. After several intimate gatherings in Cairo, Alexandria, Italy, and Switzerland, SaladeFriday eventually found refuge in Paris, within the community of Middle Eastern artists based there, as well as the local scene.

Today, SaladeFriday takes the form of a series of concerts in different European countries, often consisting of two or three sets (solo or duo performances), followed by an improvised jam session that brings together participants from diverse cultural and musical backgrounds.