DJ Tala on political activism in Lebanon: 'A necessity and not a choice'
The power of art is one that is often forgotten in our everyday busy lives. But the fact remains that artists and musicians hold a great responsibility since they shape the views of a large number of people. Throughout history, there have been instances where the power of music has made an emphatic statement on the political scene. The most recent memorable instance, of course, was the counterculture of the 60's and 70's, a direct reaction to the Vietnam War that saw events like John and Yoko's 'Bed-Ins for Peace', Bob Dylan's anti-war efforts and fight for the Civil Rights Movement, the British Invasion and Woodstock '69 among many other such powerful movements.
Keeping the same spirit alive today is Lebanon's DJ Tala Mortada, who is using her music to spearhead political activism in Lebanon, which has been recently riddled with the immigrant crisis, both from within its own borders as well as from neighboring Syria. An art-director-turned-DJ, Mortada works to harness the buoyant energy of Beirut’s vibrant club scene as a cure for Lebanon’s political strain. The looming threat from ISIS and the immigrant crisis has left Lebanon with a crumbling infrastructure and capital Beirut without functional garbage disposal or recycling systems.
All this might make it seem like Beirut would be an unlikely home for trendy nightclubs like the Grand Factory, which DJ Tala considers her home and platform for her activism. But music, Tala shows, can be a powerful tool for amplifying the idealism of young people who are eager to affect change. Plus, it transforms Beirut’s technicolored dance utopia into a springboard for political organization. Channeling the club’s exuberance to inspire empathy in Lebanon’s nervous climate, Tala and The Grand Factory team, which consists of musicians, DJs and passionate artists, have built a recycling program at the Grand Factory. (It also also serves as a model to inspire sustainability practices at home.) Additionally, they’re running a clothing donation program to help refugee families — collecting second-hand pieces from patrons. Tala’s radical reimagining of the club as a place to foster activism, rather than just an escape from Lebanon’s problems, proves that hope is the greatest engine of change.
We caught up with DJ Tala to discuss her musical influences, the political climate in the country and the challenges she faced during her campaign for political activism through her music among other things. Check out the full interview below:
Growing up in Lebanon, what kind of music were you exposed to? Who are some of your idols that have influenced your music?
Tala: Growing up, I was listening to my father’s records while playing computer games. It was mainly Disco, Soul and Rock and Roll. There was always music around me and my sisters, at lunchtime, on weekends, during car rides, or in our bedrooms. My older sister and I were big hip-hop fans, aside from what we listened to on the radio, we discovered and fell in love with Aaliyah, Timbaland, TLC and Lauryn Hill… before moving to electronic and indie music when we were teenagers.
When did you start performing at the Grand Factory? What does a usual weekend look like in a Beirut nightclub?
Tala: I started performing with the CUNXTSAT crew in 2012, when we used to throw our parties in different locations, before we settled at The Grand Factory in 2014. Now, we operate The Factory on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and our summer venue: AHM on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
The idea is that we have completely different experiences and musical directions every night, with different audiences as well. It’s safe to say that a typical weekend in our nightclub holds a lot of variety, from live shows to techno DJ sets, to pop nights and disco nights… The Grand Factory itself is divided into Three Rooms: The main room which hosts the headlining sound of the night, Reunion with a more niche electronic sound, and Soul Kitchen, which is our laidback cocktail and vinyl haven.
The idea of using the nightclub as a place to increase social awareness is pretty unique. How did you come up with this?
Tala: We were always naturally collaborating with different charities to raise funds on many occasions, but the idea to influence our growing crowd positively also felt like a necessity and not a choice for a club like ours. We are a team of musicians, artists and passionate people before being business owners and event organizers, so being connected to the community, and not just have a transactional experience.
The “+1” campaign that is based on collecting clothes from party goers during the winter season was a reaction to the growing refugee crisis in Lebanon. Our recycling initiative was a reaction to the trash crisis, and the alarming lack of education Lebanese citizens have when it comes to sorting trash and protecting the environment. Our efforts to raise awareness and create a safe hub for the LGBTQ community is a basic reaction to the unfairness of the Lebanese law against their rights. While our different competitions/workshops to encourage artists and musicians to nurture their talent and learn new techniques, it's just a response to a big need young artists have in the country for inspiration and support.
What were some of your biggest challenges while reaching out to the people of Beirut?
Tala: With a wide, varied audience, and all the social media noise today, the first challenge was to make our messages cut through the clutter first, knowing that we are promoting issues that are not just usual “events”. The second big challenge we have is getting through a very blasé society, that’s used to things being “said” and never “done”. Which is why we always try to make things happen, before being loud about them, in order to prove that it’s not just a commercial marketing gimmick, we mean it and we prove it and we would love it if you join us.
What impact do you think the music and nightlife of Lebanon could have on the tourism in the country?
Tala: I think more and more, with very inspiring growing local talent around us, and a lot of promoters and clubs on the rise, Beirut is becoming the main music hub in the Middle East. I know we all hope this keeps growing amidst all the turmoil in the region, where the biggest risk would be all our efforts gone to waste if there’s any negative impact on the security situation in the country…
You’ve been getting quite a bit of global media attention for your efforts. Is it helping your cause?
Tala: Global media attention definitely helps our cause, people listen better when it’s a big news/content source, and respond more.
Has the government recognized your efforts towards the betterment of the Lebanese people? What changes would you like to see from the Government to help the cause?
Tala: The government hasn’t really done anything. And what we are doing, we consider a responsibility. When other organizations that fight for these causes as a main mission don’t get help from the government, we don’t really expect any kind of support.
We would like to see the government become more just, become more united and helpful with issues that are humanitarian, environmental, cultural … We have an upcoming election coming in Lebanon after 9 years without a vote, so hopefully more eyes will be on the government to deliver soon, and to take some of the responsibility from the private sector rising up to their ineptitude. But I don’t expect this happening anytime soon unfortunately which is why the private sector should keep rising with personal efforts.
If you had to pick one artist to collaborate with, who would it be? Why?
Tala: This is a very difficult question… but if I had to reduce it to one artist in music, it would be David Byrne from Talking Heads. I don’t know what I would manage to do other than drool over his genius. In art, I would probably go for Tim Walker, a photographer I admire a lot and that inspires me so much with his set design and crazy ideation.