by Dianne Apen-Sadler
West Meets the Middle East At BRED Festival. Interview With Lana Lubany
27 Mar 2024
BRED Abu Dhabi, the region’s first-ever neo-culture festival, will return to the capital for its second edition next month. Between April 24 and April 28, Yas Bay Waterfront will host regional and international artists as well as pop-ups from street food vendors, streetwear brands, and more.
Ahead of BRED Abu Dhabi, presented by Hypebeast, we chatted with one of the fantastic musicians set to hit the stage: Lana Lubany.
— As this is a festival celebrating neo-culture, I thought you might give us some background on your cultural upbringing and what influences you.
— So I am Palestinian. I grew up with Palestinian culture all around me: the music, the food, the people, the generosity, the art. I think Palestinian culture is so beautiful that it deserves to be celebrated and given a platform.
— When did you leave Palestine?
— About four years ago, I moved here to London and started really pursuing music. It was something I had to do in order to pursue this line of work because there wasn't much for me in terms of a career back in Palestine.
— Would you say that your experiences in London and interacting with London's culture have had much of an impact on your music?
— My collaborator Ben Thomson is from here, and as he is 50 per cent of the music, together, we create this hybrid of West meets the Middle East. I feel like working with him is where the taste of London and its culture comes in, but I have actually embraced my own culture more from being here than I did growing up back home, which is a beautiful thing. Now, I miss it, and it has made me appreciate Palestinian culture even more.
— As a neo-culture festival, this event is totally celebrating that kind of collaboration and intermingling. What does neo-culture mean to you?
— I think neo-culture is the future. People have gotten a taste of just one thing for a long time, and now we are looking for something new, a blend of things. With the way that the world is going, people are intermingling more and more, particularly in big, international cities like London, where different cultures are just living in harmony together. It is a beautiful thing, and I can't wait to see what a festival full of that is like.
— You have spoken previously about how important using both English and Arabic in your music is, and I was wondering if you could explain that to us.
— Most of my songs are bilingual in English and Arabic, and I started doing that a couple of years ago. My mom had always asked me to sing in both languages, but I never really got it until I was ready to embrace my true identity. The truth for me is that I grew up speaking both English and Arabic at home, but I used to just make music in English, which wasn't true to my story. I think the moment I decided to accept my story, to be vulnerable, and to be truthful out there with my music, that is the moment things started clicking for me.
That is when I wrote the song that changed my life, The Snake. It was the first song that had both English and Arabic and something about it just felt different. Something about having both languages felt fresh and different, and it felt real to me and to my story. I kept exploring that, and it just felt so me and so authentic, and I started naturally writing like that.
— Would you say that your use of both languages is what resonates with your audience, or is it something else?
— I think using both English and Arabic catches people's attention. Still, the thing that really resonated, especially with The Snake and the project that it was a part of, was that it was me telling the story of my journey to accept myself as I am. I talked openly about being lost before, and then I found myself in my culture, in my roots, and by accepting my true identity.
Growing up I personally wasn’t super proud of being Arab, and it took me so long to get to the point where I am singing and outwardly showing that I am Arab, and that I am Palestinian, and I think a lot of people felt represented. After I released The Snake, I received messages from people telling me that that song made them proud to be Arab, which made it worth it for me.
— You were talking about your journey to embrace your Arab identity, which resonated with many people. Would you say that this is part of a cultural movement, or was it more of a personal movement that others can relate to?
— Both. I think there is a cultural movement happening — there is definitely been a shift with Arabic music getting more of a global platform, which I am happy to be a part of, but my music is so personal and people see themselves in my struggles and that is what makes them relate to my music specifically. I am just trying to keep it real, I am just trying to keep it me, so I think it is a combination of both really.
— What are you excited about to experience at BRED Abu Dhabi?
— I have actually never been to a proper festival, so I don’t know what to expect, and I am very excited. Any and every type of art is a source of inspiration for me — I feel like any artist will agree with me on that. I am hoping to see other artists perform and explore fashion and street art.
— What can your fans expect to see on the day?
— I will be performing songs from my EP, the Holy Land, which I released last June, as well as my latest single, STANNA and potentially some new music that nobody has heard yet. Fans should expect good vibes, vocals — I love to sing on stage — and just like an experience. I love for my live shows to feel like an experience.
— Where did your love of music come from?
— I used to sing in a choir, which would have performances here and there, and that is where I really got my stage experience. It is not the same, of course, but that is where I got to develop my musicality, my musical hearing, my voice, my love for harmonies and just my confidence in general as well. It was so much fun.
At some point in the future, when it makes sense, I would love to have a choir with me on stage just to bring back those vibes from those days. I think that would be an incredible thing to experience one day, not yet, but one day.
Tickets to BRED Abu Dhabi start from AED75 for a one-day pass, and you can secure your spot now on bredabudhabi.com.
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