Melhem Barakat’s 76th Birthday

Today’s Doodle celebrates the 76th birthday of Lebanese singer, composer and actor Melhem Barakat, widely regarded as one of Lebanon's most distinguished musicians. Acclaimed for his unique musical style and extraordinary live performances, Barakat prided himself as one of few musicians to perform primarily in colloquial Lebanese Arabic throughout his iconic career. 

Melhem (or Melhim) Barakat was born on this day in 1945 in the Lebanese town of Kfarshima, near the capital of Beirut. His teachers recognized his vocal gift early on when he performed an original composition to a rapt audience at his school. Barakat went on to sing and act in musical theater productions and proved himself as one of the country’s most promising voices.

As Barakat’s career progressed, he began to compose original music and developed a signature style that combined classical elements with improvisation. He established a huge fan base across the Arab world and went on to appear in multiple Lebanese films in the 1980s. His powerful voice reverberated across the globe as he toured internationally from Australia to the United States. In addition, he collaborated with some of the Arab world’s most famous singers and continued to compose music throughout his life. 

In 2008, for his contributions to Lebanese entertainment, Barakat received the prestigious lifetime achievement award at Lebanon’s annual Murex d’Or ceremony. 

Happy birthday, Melhem Barakat and thank you for being a vocal ambassador of Lebanese culture! 

Doodler Q&A

Today’s Doodle art was created by Doodler Kevin Laughlin. Below, he shares some thoughts on the making of the Doodle:
 

 Q: What was your creative approach for this Doodle? Why did you choose this approach?

A: I began by watching old recordings of Barakat’s performances, trying to get a sense of the singer’s stage presence, performance style, and how his fans might have seen him on screen or at home. 
 

 Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle?

A: There were two main inspirations, stylistically, for this Doodle. The first were stills from the recordings I mentioned above. There’s a kind of washed-out quality to the image, which results in blown highlights and highly saturated shadows. The second inspiration was pulp fiction covers from the 40s and 50s. The artists who illustrated those covers had a knack for creating life-like portraits with very few colors, which could sometimes add to a heightened sense of drama.
 

 Q: What do you hope people will take away from this Doodle?

A: If you are already a fan of  Barakat, I hope that your heart will be gladdened at the sight of this Doodle. If you didn’t know him prior to visiting the homepage, I hope that you will be curious enough to discover Melhem Barakat and his beautiful music.