Readdressing Power And Supremacy Through Song – Meet Lebanese Singer Juliana Yazbeck

Interview & Words: Bethany Burgoyne

Photography: Matt Marsh

Lebanese Singer Juliana Yazbeck has a voice capable of silencing crowds and a deliverance that fills rooms with a sense of gusto. Having trained as an actor before establishing herself as a musician, Juliana’s dramatic nature is celebrated in her debut album ‘Sungod’, a powerful mix of poetry, electronic beats and traditional Arabic melodies. We sat down with Juliana to talk about navigating the industry she finds herself in today and the role anger plays in her narratives.

Born in New Jersey before moving to her home country of Lebanon aged 6, Juliana’s decision to relocate to London coincided with a rollercoaster of key steppingstones which helped her arrive at the present day. “We are a result of our stories, the good, bad and ugly. How aware we are of being a product of these experiences and how we relate to them makes a big difference. The whole of my twenties was a series of bad decisions; I didn’t allow myself to invest in what I’m now doing, I thought I didn’t deserve it.

““It’s been a slow process of getting to where I want to be, its taken a stupid amount of determination and stubbornness, borderline crazy. But knowing my worth has been the achievement””

To work through these internal barriers, Juliana committed to psychotherapy, a process that allowed for “a lot of healing, of going inwards and coming out the other side” recognising how it’s “valid that our darkest moments are as important as our brightest.” During this time Juliana felt encouraged to start writing music and find her own voice. “All I heard was other people's voices, I wanted to meet my own.” Whilst carving out her own narrative, she found her self-expression took on a new form - a fusion of English and Arabic spoken word sitting atop melodies and vivacious percussive sounds. Explaining how she “didn’t sing in Arabic until I wrote in Arabic”, Juliana’s decision to perform in this bilingual manner has meant she now engages a broader audience to become involved in the raw and gritty stories she tells through her tracks.

Fueled with unwavering passion, aiming to “always be truthful and unapologetic”, Juliana explains that her songs often “start from a place of anger before becoming poetry” because, as she points out, “there‘s a lot to be angry at”. Using the art of language play and descriptive dialogue to confront many topics such as displacement, identity, gender issues and universal love, Juliana explains that

““So much of what I’m about is saying ‘Unlearn’ because it’s all lies. Thinking that your body is shameful, that virginity is (sacred)... this kind of oppression is bad.””

Juliana’s brand and self-image are as much a part of her expression as her songs, challenging ideas of femininity and beauty through her appearance - “When I’ve come out the barbers with a fresh buzzcut, wearing a suit and looking fierce, I feel so feminine.”- as well as encouraging and supporting female led projects and platforms.

““I dream of the day when I have an all-female team, when we can run our own shit, that we don’t work for free, that we have autonomy over our own businesses. I believe so firmly that women can change the structure. There are women of colour who are doing this already and they are so inspiring. Kelechi Okafor, Ava DuVernay - these are black women who are pioneers in their field. The rest of us need to stop being cowards and catch up”.”

““My first show was 15 people I invited to come and have an intimate concert in my house. I thought no one was going to book me, I didn’t want to sing in a bar, and after that show, I was booked to play my first proper gig at Rich Mix. That was a leap of faith. It was the first time I thought to myself, I am allowed to take up space and people will come.””

““I will always fight... Without our fight it would be much worst. Neutrality triggers me, there is no such thing. If you’re silent you’re complicit.””

Alongside this sparky, no bullshit energy of Juliana is a performer who is navigating the problematic habits of the music industry and what is expected of artists today. “A lot of the anxiety of ‘When will I graduate to the next level’ is not linked to how good I am, it’s about money, and artists don’t talk about this. You’re told that if you talk about (finance), no one will want to work with you anymore; that it will look unprofessional... But as artists we get glamourised and we’re pressured to keep up that image (despite) being severely underpaid. I don’t think people understand how we live privately in order to have this image and this is wrong, it needs to change.”

This point reflects Juliana’s purposeful approach to driving conversations forward through honest and open storytelling: “We have to stop fearing our own outrage at the reality that we’re living in. You have to honor your anger, it's very important, we can’t be half of ourselves.” By engaging in these principles herself, Juliana has found a way to develop her career with her own authentic voice being the root of all creations; trusting in these four powerful words of advice: “Always listen to yourself. I can’t stress this enough. In everything. I wish I had a way of showing people what happens when you go on that journey – its magic.”

You can follow Juliana Yazbeck on Twitter @JulianaYaz and Instagram here.

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