Tania Saleh | Tania Saleh Quarrel with Allah - | Intersection 6 years @taniasalehofficial | Uploaded 11 months ago | Updated 14 hours ago
Quarrel with Allah -
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Poem by: Younes El Ebn
Music by: Khalil Judran
Programming, electronics and sound design: Khalil Judran
Clarinet, duduk and soprano saxophone: Mohammad Fawzi
Violin: Nancy Mounir
Double bass: Andre Segone
Percussions: Hani Bedair
Super special guest on oud: Hazem Shaheen
Recordings of voice and acoustic instruments by Erik Hillestad Assisted by Martin Abrahamsen. Acoustic instruments recorded at Art Mania Music Center, Cairo, Egypt. Tania's voice recorded at studio Nordraak, Oslo, Norway
Mixed by: Khalil Judran
Mastered by: Bjrn Engelmann, Cutting Room, Stockholm
Executive producers: Tania Saleh and Erik Hillestad
Produced by: Kirkelig Kulturverksted with the support of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Rise Above Lebanon film all rights reserved to the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism with special thanks to Mrs. Nada Sardouk
Producer: Two Wheels Across - Director/DOP: Christian Ghammachi
Quarrel with Allah poem recited by the late Younes El Ebn used by permission from an interview conducted by Ghida Younes and directed by Chadi Younes for Future Television, Lebanon

Creative direction by Tania Saleh
Film directed and edited by Elie Fahed

Lyrics translation:

I pray every day, when I pray I pray loud
Till God once visited me, in light and fire he appeared and said to me:
Here I am, what are your demands? I told him: We are your servants
Did you see what we have become because of your tests?
He said: Son, Lebanon is tiring me
It falls into sin and says God is testing me
I created the universe in no time
But you, the Lebanoids created ten or twelve different gods
And when you fell, you came back, confusing me with your vanity
You separated me, dissected me, divided me and yourselves
If I werent God, the Almighty, I would have become a crazy Lebanese
I told him: Excuse me for a minute, He said: Go on elaborate
Explain to me, what does God have to do with the mess you are in?
I created a green Lebanon, my most beautiful land
When you were done destroying it, you blamed me for it
Did you forget all your madness, you forgot your nasty reputation?
Drunk from my grapes, you became jaded and unconscious
You ask me to annihilate your enemy and make you triumphant
And give you my force multiplied by thousands
Your enemy wants me to do the same to you!
Who shall I listen to, which one of you is listening to me?
Oh please, if you want to pray and let your voice reach me
Understand that God, the creator does not have any favorites.
Since then, whatever I am told, I only believe His words

All song excerpts taken from Tania Salehs album "Intersection"
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Winner of the German Records Critics' Award 2018