Beirut Buzz

With economic turmoil and skyrocketing prices, thrift shops have taken over our local scene but only one store succeeded in becoming Beirut’s favorite. On this episode of the Beirut Buzz podcast, we interview Morissa Choueiry, the woman behind Lebanon’s trendy online shop that displays a curated collection of quirky and colorful vintage clothing items. Establishing The Vintage Dealer in 2020, Morissa shares how that year's drastic events shaped her e-business’ development as well as some behind-the-scene challenges that come with marketing her second-hand wardrobe. Apart from shopping, our guest touches upon her first acting role which opens the door on a career she had never considered before. Tune in and find out where Morissa sources her products from and which thrift store she shops at!

Want to revamp your closet? Visit The Vintage Dealer on Instagram (@the.vintagedealer) to pick some incredible finds and be sure to follow Morissa (@morissaa) for some extra fashion content.

Follow us for more interesting content, @beirutcityguide on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and Beirut Videos on YouTube.

The Beirut Buzz is available on Anchor, Apple Podcast, and Spotify.

On this episode of the Beirut Buzz podcast, our host Lynn meets one of Lebanon’s deepest women! 

A freediving champion with two national records, Pamela Saghbini tells you all about what differentiates freediving from other water sports, the life skills it equips you with, and the tough competition she partook in at the time of the interview in Egypt. Getting out of the water and onto the land, our guest who is also a fitness trainer at Champs sports center gives her honest opinion about social media influencers who are not qualified to give fitness advice. Want to know what her favorite cheat meal and swimming locations are? Dive in!

You can follow Pamela on Instagram @pamelasaghbini, as well as her sponsor Zwaiz Foundation @zwaizfoundation to stay up-to-date on local athletes’ achievements.

Also be sure to follow us for more interesting content, @beirutcityguide on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and Beirut Videos on YouTube.

The Beirut Buzz is available on Anchor, Apple Podcast, and Spotify.

N.B. At minute 04:00, Marc Nissan was talking about the Lebanese food blogger Anthony Rahayel who was the first to put Marco's Pizza to the taste test. 

It’s National Pizza Month and we’re celebrating with the Lebanese pizzaiolo, Marc Nissan! His Neapolitan dough recipe is perhaps the most authentic one you will find in town, with quality ingredients imported from the Campania region of southwestern Italy and cooked to perfection in a wood-fired oven at his house in Mazraat Yachoua. On this episode of Beirut.com’s Beirut Buzz Podcast hosted by Lynn, Marc sauces up the conversation with his unfiltered thoughts on picky eaters, traditional Lebanese Pizza, pizza burgers (and other modern creations topped with gooey mozzarella and pepperoni slices), and makes sure you know what not to combine with his homemade Naples-style pizzas!

Are you curious to know when was the last time Marco ate a Domino’s pizza and how often he gets mistaken for “Pizzaria Da Marco” in Mar Mikhael? Tune in to find out!

A well-crafted "pizza Napoletana" awaits at Marco’s place, so be sure to book a visit on +961 70 035 555 or via Instagram DMs @marcopizzalover.

Follow us for more interesting content, @beirutcityguide on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and Beirut Videos on YouTube.

The Beirut Buzz is available on Anchor, Apple Podcast, and Spotify.

Sarcastic and outspoken, the Lebanese band Yansoon brings audiences a sonic experience of our culture’s beauty and blemishes through songs that harmoniously blend traditional Arabic music with hints of western genres. Vocalist Wissam Dib and music producer Antoine Maksoudian, co-founders of the four-member music group, have joined our host Lynn on this episode of the Beirut Buzz podcast to tell us all about it – from the band’s formation to their latest release and upcoming show.

What inspired the name “Yansoon”? How does the band make music while its members are geographically apart? What are the guests' opinions on Mashrou3 Leila and Adonis as well as the local metal scene? And who are their favorite local and international artists? Tune in for answers to these questions and many more!

You can sip on Yansoon’s latest song “Ishtirak” on Youtube, and keep up with the band’s work on Instagram @yansoon_music and their official website yansoonmusic.com.

Also be sure to follow us for more interesting content, @beirutcityguide on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The Beirut Buzz is available on Anchor, Apple Podcast, and Spotify.

Tucked away on the busy streets of Mar Mikhael is a refined lounge that is named and themed after the world’s first solo female aviator, Amelia Earhart. Firas Youssef, an award-winning mixologist who is currently managing the Amelia Bar in Beirut is our guest on this episode of the Beirut Buzz podcast. Throughout the discussion, Firas joins our host Lynn to talk about leaving the world of filmmaking to enter that of spirits, the influence that his university degree has on his work behind the bar, his ability to match drinks to customers’ moods, and the inventive and luxurious martini cocktails that earned him the first runner-up spot at the grand finals of the Elit Art of Martini competition in Ibiza back in 2017. Are you curious to discover what the most ordered drink at Amelia is and what cocktail Firas would like to see disappear? Tune in to this boozy conversation to find out! 

Firas Youssef uses his Instagram platform (@firas_von_joe) to share insights on the bar industry. Be sure to follow him for some interesting facts and eye-catching cocktails!

If you liked this podcast episode, follow us for more interesting content, @beirutcityguide on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and Beirut Videos on YouTube.

The Beirut Buzz is available on Anchor, Apple Podcast, and Spotify.

Venturing into what is seen as a daring genre of art, Lebanese beauty and commercial photographer Oliver El Helou has gained recognition for his fine art nudes that sculpt the human body with elegance before our very eyes. He joins our host Lynn on the Beirut Buzz podcast to tell us more about his photography style, his experience with male nude photography, and how he helps models move beyond the stage of awkwardness into posing comfortably in front of the camera. If you are interested in delving deeper into the world of nude photography and modeling, Oliver has some helpful tips for you – and an intriguing list of DON’TS.

Don’t forget to take a look at Oliver’s exquisite web gallery by following him on his Instagram account @portraitone.

Also be sure to follow us for more interesting content, @beirutcityguide on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and Beirut Videos on YouTube.

The Beirut Buzz is available on Anchor, Apple Podcast, and Spotify.

From not having a personal Instagram account to creating Lebanon’s leading wellness space, clinical psychologist and mental health advocate Karim Khalil became an internet hero saving many young lives through his “Yalla Let’s Heal” platform. On this episode of the Beirut Buzz podcast led by our host Lynn, Karim shares with us his self-care routine for preventing counselor burnout, his first dream of being an actor, and insights on how collective trauma is being translated among the Lebanese population today. Stay tuned for Karim's tips for coping with financial stress and activities to help you unwind in celebration of The National Relaxation Day!

Feeling blue from being overexposed to daily social media content is all too common. That’s why following mental wellness platforms like Karim Khalil’s @yalla.lets.heal is key to revitalizing your feed – and your overall mood. And if you feel the need to seek psychological support, be sure to reach out to NINE9 @ninelebanon– the mindful wellness center where Karim's clinic can be found.

Also be sure to follow us for more interesting content, @beirutcityguide on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and Beirut Videos on YouTube.The Beirut Buzz is available on Anchor, Apple Podcast, and Spotify.

Breaking into the male-dominant world of motorsports in Lebanon is not an easy gig, but our guest Vanessa Rady has defied the norms, taking the Lebanese drift scene by the storm! Join this episode of the Beirut Buzz podcast as Vanessa, who also happens to be a certified Reiki practitioner and an on-demand graphic designer, tells you all about her journey: the family member who introduced her to drifting, the current obstacles pushing her, and other local drivers to drift away from their hobby, her dream car, and the famous male racer she looks up to. If you’re someone who wants to get involved in motorsports, our female drifter has an important message for you, so be sure to tune in!

Want to see Vanessa in action? Check out her posts on Instagram @vee.rady and let your head spin!

Also be sure to follow us for more interesting content, @beirutcityguide on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and Beirut Videos on YouTube.

The Beirut Buzz is available on Anchor, Apple Podcast, and Spotify.

From being known as “the kid who can draw” amongst family members to getting featured in GQ Middle East’s “50 faces of Lebanon’s global creative community,” interior architect and illustrator Tony Maalouf has been successfully associating his emotionally-filled mixed media artworks with Lebanese culture and local political and social events. You might be familiar with his viral “Bonjus and Mankoushe” valentine-special illustration, or the powerful animation he created for Pfizer’s #WorldCancerAwarnessMonth2022 campaign. If not, this is a good chance for you to become familiar with Maalouf’s journey, the singular compositions that make him recognizable, the influence that his background in architecture has on his art, and his two favorite female singers! Tune in to this episode of Beirut Buzz to find out more about the inspiration behind Maalouf’s drawings and his upcoming collaborative project with Greenpeace!

Follow Tony Maalouf on his art account @Elmaalouf. We promise he is going to make your Instagram feed prettier!

Also be sure to follow us for more interesting content, @beirutcityguide on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and Beirut Videos on YouTube.

The Beirut Buzz is available on Anchor, Apple Podcast, and Spotify.

After opening his house to the public as a three-story museum built from pieces of demolished Beiruti heritage homes, Lebanese artisan, architecture enthusiast, and antique collector Henry Loussian has been featured in Reuters as “The keeper of Beirut’s past” who revived the city’s bulldozed treasures. In this episode of Beirut Buzz, we discover Henry’s love for the old Beirut, the reason why he chose the town of Koubba in Batroun as an ideal location for his residency, the first vintage piece he brought to the museum and the number of years it took him to finish the hand-painted murals. Our guest also uncovers the age of his Henry’s Handmade jewelry store in Hamra and the location he’s eyeing for a new cultural museum.

Want to immerse yourself in Beirut’s glorious past? You can book your Henry BB museum tour on +961 03 753 654, and follow the designer of this masterpiece on Instagram @museehenrybb.

Also be sure to follow us for more interesting content, @beirutcityguide Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and Beirut Videos on YouTube.

The Beirut Buzz is available on Anchor, Apple Podcast, and Spotify.

A skydiver, surfer, skateboarder, snowboarder, slackliner, and the only base jumper based in Lebanon, Mikel Khalil has a resume that boasts an accomplished adrenaline junkie. The athlete joins our host Lynn on the Beirut Buzz podcast to discuss all you need to know about base jumping and skydiving and give you insights into the behind-the-scenes of his risky Habtoor Hotel Roof base jump, his regular flights over the Metn highway, and the local spots he plans on jumping off next! For those who want to experience the thrill of action sports, Mikel will also give you basic tips and motivational tools to test your own limits, so stay tuned!

Want to go on a virtual adventure with Mikel Khalil? Watch his daring stunts on Instagram @mikelkh and YouTube @Mikhel Khalil.

Also be sure to follow us for more interesting content, @beirutcityguide Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and Beirut Videos on YouTube.

The Beirut Buzz is available on Anchor, Apple Podcast, and Spotify.

In keeping up with the modern changes that relationships underwent at the dawn of the 21st century, two Lebanese entrepreneurs have developed a social networking application that enables users to meet like-minded people while creating a safe space for them to explore love relationships.   Joining us on this episode of Beirut Buzz is Kareem Bou Khzam, the co-founder of Blaxity app. He will be sharing with you the purpose behind this startup, the exclusive features that make it different from other dating platforms, the role it plays in eradicating cheating, and its appeal to the Lebanese public.  

Blaxity app can be downloaded from Google Play and App Store, and is complemented by theFluid Romantics podcast and Instagram page.  Be sure to subscribe and tune in to other Beirut Buzz episodes on topics ranging from food to racism and even sex therapy. Follow @beirutcityguide on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Aside from being an engineer and photographer, Taleen’s guest is known as the "bicycle mayor of Tripoli" and the co-founder of eco-friendly Wasel Delivery initiative. Listen in as Lebanese cyclist Natheer Halawani talks about the first Coca Cola bicycle he bought at the age of 17, medical bicycles in Mexico, how safe is it to ride a bike on the streets of Lebanon, and how this transportation medium can be a magical solution to all your problems.

Follow Natheer on Twitter & Instagram @Natheerhalawani to familiarize yourself with cycling community in Lebanon!

Be sure to also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more content (@beirutcityguide on all three), and stay tuned for for more!

As Lebanon's drag scene has flourished over the past few years, this incredible art form remains unknown to many. This episode is here to give you the lowdown on the art of drag. Our host Lama is joined by the one and only Ziad AKA Zuhal to discuss the Lebanese drag scene, mental health, the social stigmas associated with drag, and so much more. Tune in for a laugh and valuable information about what drag is, and what it definitely is not.

Website: https://kawkabzuhal.com/

Instagram: @kawkabzuhal

TikTok: @kawkabzuhal_I_

Twitter: @kawkabzuhal

Taleen chats with Sawti representatives, Tarek and Ralph, about the importance of active citizenship, what it's like living in Lebanon's political environment, and the shift in our understanding of political parties after October 17. They also discuss what the Sawti initiative is all about and how important it is for upcoming elections.

Marianne and Taleen debate the benefits of social media ever since the pandemic began. The discussion delves into the Lebanese TikTok community and its dark side, concluding with what it really means to be an "influencer".

Marianne and Taleen discuss their the difficulties of planning their futures after university, the effects of the crisis on their post-grad plans, and the problem with performative activism among the youth.