Next Tuesday, Algerian singer, songwriter, and musician Khaled Hadj Ibrahim, commonly known as Cheb Khaled, will release a brand new song in tribute to Beirut in the wake of the devastating explosion that the city endured on August 4th.
In solidarity with the Lebanese people, Cheb Khaled said that the money that will be generated his new song – titled Elle S’appelle Beyrouth (Her Name Is Beirut) – and its music video, will be donated to the Lebanese Red Cross.
“The smile faded from my face, leaving in its place the grief that I share with you. Your people have been hurt, oh Lebanese brethren, and our hearts are broken,” the famous “King of Rai” said in a statement following the Beirut Port blast.
Khaled has been working on this French-Arabic song in collaboration with the Lebanese musical artist, Rodge, who described the explosion as “the most outrageous atrocity that Lebanon, my country, has witnessed as of yet!”
Rodge said that the song was created as an initiative to raise funds for the Lebanese Red Cross, urging his fans and followers to donate to the organization to help the ongoing relief efforts in Lebanon.
The music video, a section of which was posted by Khaled on Saturday, contains real photos and footage of the Beirut explosion that took the lives of at least 177 people, injured thousands, and wreaked havoc on the Lebanese capital.
“In the aftermath of this injustice, and in an effort to help and rebuild, each and every [person] has a civic duty to provide aid in his own way,” Rodge said.
Below is a short clip from the new Khaled song, Her Name Is Beirut, releasing August 18th.
Although short, one can already feel the powerful expression of grief that resonates with the Lebanese broken hearts and all those who love Lebanon.
