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22
Alumni News
Kilimanjaro update
On September 21 2007, five Lebanese
men climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. They
were part of the Lebanon United group
(based in London) committed to raising
funds for Lebanese in need. IC is proud
to be one of the sponsors of the climb
which benefitted over 6,000 children,
over 500 teachers (retraining program),
and 180,000 members of the local com-
munities. The rehabilitation of impover-
ished schools project was carried out by
the International Medical Corps (IMC
UK).
“The installation of water tanks and
the building or renovation of bathrooms
and water supplies have had an imme-
diate impact,” writes Maureen Ali, from
Lebanon United in her report. “…All
the schools have greatly benefited from
the installation of sanitary and drinking
systems. Some had never had a proper
source of water or bathrooms, so the
lives of students have been positively
transformed by the installation of toi-
lets, basins, drinking taps and a clean
water supply.”
Details of the climb can be found in IC
Newsletter, Winter 2007-2008
IC alumnus
mingles with
the world of
oriental jazz
P
hilippe El-Hage mesmerized his audi-
ence on the 10th and 11th of May 2008,
in the quaint St. Jean Marc church in Jbeil.
Accompanied by renowned percussionist
Khaled Yassine, El-Hage introduced the airs
of his album “Oriental Jazz” as he transport-
ed the audience with his tunes. What was
additionally impressive was the large turn-
out even with the political crisis that Leba-
non was witnessing at that time. Unfortu-
nately, the saxophonist Damien Hennicker,
was unable to arrive because of the closed
airport, yet the audience enjoyed immensely
El-Hage’s concert with the hypnotizing beat
of percussions. Many were seen bopping
their heads as they recognized well-loved
tunes by the Rahbani composers.
El-Hage is not new to the music world.
With a gold medal awarded from the Con-
servatoire National Regional de Reuil-Mal-
masion in France in 2004, he continued to
study Jazz with the infamous David Patrois
in Paris and pursued superior classical
studies with notorious Chantal Riou where
he excelled and was deemed a promising
artist “of high-
est excellence, one who shows great
motivation and exhibits diversity through
his musical tastes.”
Byblos, Beirut, and Paris embraced his
music the past years. With a new album that
reflects his spirit and the fusion of Oriental
Music and Jazz, his last concert in Byblos
highlighted the grandiose steps El-Hage
had taken during the past years. His album
“Jazz Oriental” is a harmonious bonding
of Oriental Music and Jazz, with shades of
Byblos’ grandeur and his love for Lebanon.
Agnes Jourdain reported in the magazine
Piano Bleu her impressions, “nostalgia
and joy are intermingled often in the same
pieces, the young pianist does not hesitate
to escape on the path to musical
liberty, encouraging listeners to follow him
because of his creative improvisations.”
El-Hage’s album has truly gained its po-
sition in the music production. The album
is on sale in Virgin Megastores (Beirut) and
can be found in Fnac (France) or ordered
online. El-Hage stated, “It is from Byblos,
my natal village, forever symbol of open-
mindedness, where I have brought the taste
for musical creations that reflects blends of
cultures, and this desire to create a universe
midway between the Oriental and Occi-
dental worlds.”
Claudia Matta ’05