ABSTRACT
Beirut hosts a very active scene of free improvised music. Paris-based Lebanese musicians Sharif Sehnaoui (*1976—he has lived in Beirut since 2008), his former wife, Christine Abdelnour (*1978), and cartoonist and trumpet player Mazen Kerbaj (*1975), living in East Beirut, started the scene around 1997. the three formed a trio, attracted more musicians, and created Musique Improvisée Libre au Liban (MILL), 2 an organization for free improvisation in Lebanon. Since 2000, Sehnaoui, Kerbaj, and friends have organized the annual international festival known as Irtijal (Improvisation). From its second edition onward, they have invited musicians from Europe, North America, Japan, India, and other Arab countries. 3
