DUBAI: From the rooftops of a village in Lebanon, to concert stages abroad, Adonis is capturing the hearts of fans with their relatable lyrics and catchy music.
The Lebanese four-piece pop/rock band performed at the Beach Canteen event during the Dubai Food Festival on Thursday night and Arab News caught up with them beforehand to find out more about what makes them tick.
The name of the band was inspired by the lead’s home town, the village of Adonis, which also inspired the band’s debut single, “Stouh Adonis,” released in 2012. The song references gatherings on rooftops in the village and is heavily dosed with nostalgia.
Lead singer Anthony Khoury said he wasn’t actively looking to form a band when he met Joey Abu Jawdeh, it “started as a friendship, (we) clicked as friends and then naturally started doing music together.”
Together, they met the rest of Adonis and formed the band in 2011.
Perhaps the reason behind the relatable lyrics is the pool of inspiration available to the band. Gio Fikany, the band’s bassist, said they draw their inspiration from everyday life.
“We don’t really have one thing that inspires us, it (could be a) story of something that happened to one of us, or a friend of ours, it could be another song that’s inspired us. I’d say it is life experience in general,” he said.
Nicola Hakim, the band’s drummer, added that their songs are “about the small details of life,” which he believes is what makes their songs relevant for listeners.
Adonis said their dream venue would be somewhere in a natural setting, next to a beautiful lake or mountains. Perhaps the Jeitta grotto in Lebanon, Joey Abu Jawdeh, the band’s guitarist, said.
The one message the band would like to send to their listeners is about acceptance. More specifically, they want their listeners to feel empowered by the lyrics and inspired to accept themselves — and be tolerant of others too.
The band has released three albums so far, “Daw El-Baladiyya” (2011), “Men Shou Bteshki Beirut” (2013) and the most recent, “Nour” (2017).
