Adoon - Slimi
Tell us about you and how did you start?
The band was formed in 2021 by vocalist Tony Elk and guitarist Youssef Helayel. We've been doing music together since 2012. We've always thought of doing Phoenician folk music but didn't get the chance to do it until the COVID lockdown.
Seeing a new way of creating music and singing in ancient Canaanite-Phoenicianis inspiring and new. Tell us more about it and why.
The Phoenicians inhabited the land of modern-day Lebanon. As Lebanese artists fascinated by this culture, we thought there was untapped potential that we could venture into.
Describe your creative process when you create new music.
We spend a lot of time jamming together, and when we come up with a tune we like, we record it. The music we're currently writing is inspired by the Hurrian Hymn No.6, the oldest known melody.
You guys can go so far with this trend, where do you see yourself in the future?
We honestly didn't expect this to be a trend, but we will be writing more music in the future.
Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music?
No, our music is simply about the joy of creating and sharing melodies.
Are there any musicians who inspire you?
We enjoy many styles of music but since we're trying to create something new, we try to keep inspirations minimal and use our intuition.
What’s the story behind the name of your band or stage name?
After consulting the Phoenician Linguist and Translator Sammy Kanaan, we got inspired by the Phoenician word "Adun" which means father or lord.
How do you see the future of the music industry, especially with changes in technology and how people consume music?
We're happy that music is becoming more accessible to everyone, we haven't thought about the future of the music industry, right now we're doing music that we enjoy.
Have you had experience with live performances and how do you prepare for such events?
We've had some experiences playing live together before forming Adoon, preparation is fairly straightforward, and we practice a lot!
ADOON
Tony Elk & Youssef Helayel
Interview by Sleiman Dayaa