Lydia Canaan

Lydia Canaan is a Lebanese singer-songwriter, poet, humanitarian activist, and diplomat. She is noted for her four-octave vocal range, unique vocal stylings, songwriting, and for being the first Lebanese artist in music history to achieve global success. Widely regarded as the first "rock star" of the Middle East, she is cataloged in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Library and Archives.

Canaan first rose to fame in the mid-80s as an adolescent rock singer performing amid enemy attacks during the Lebanese Civil War, holding concerts in vicinities of Lebanon as they were being bombed. Society magazine writes, "in a small country that was ripped by war, there was this young girl making a difference".

Canaan is credited as the first artist in the Middle Eastern region to release English-language music only, and have music videos appear on MTV Global, MTV Russia, MTV Southeast Asia, and MTV Middle East. Her career has been described as having defied tradition, challenged convention, and transcended millennia-old gender barriers. According to Arabian Woman magazine, "as a girl who grew up in the midst of a bloody civil war, Canaan was breaking down seemingly insurmountable barriers ... She rocked the establishment".

Early life


Canaan was born to Greek Orthodox Christian parents George and Mona Canaan on Mount Lebanon in Brummana, Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War. She attended Brummana High School, and later studied at Lebanese American University.

According to Canaan, singing, writing, and dance served as a cathardic outlet for her from an early age. When she was only eight-years-old, her French elementary school, College des Saints-Coeurs, Bikfaya, awarded her the first place prize in a creative writing competition (in which grades K-8 competed against one another) for a poem she wrote about a child who wept for being scolded over trivial things such as staining her fingers with ink when she writes.

Canaan's conservative father and mother initially discouraged her from singing rock music, and forbid her to have a music education or any formal vocal training. In spite of these obstacles, a young Canaan composed songs in her head and committed the English lyrics and Western melodies to memory.

Early career
In 1984, the teenaged Canaan—under the stage name Angel—joined the heavy metal band Equation, who until then had been intent on finding a male lead singer. Canaan's four-octave vocal range, charisma, and stage presence got her the gig and quickly gained her national popularity among Lebanese youth. The same year, she donned what would become her characteristic, trend-setting look: revealing, studded leather outfits with dramatic capes and hip-length, blonde-streaked hair. As reported by the newspaper Campus: "For Lydia Canaan's first gig, she had to throw her trademark short rockish black leather skirt and studs out of her bedroom window in Brummana, put on a long skirt, lie to her conservative father about where she was going, and, after changing into her leather gear, singing her teenage heart out as Angel with the band Equation."

Off stage, Canaan was voted "Best Dressed" by Brummana High School. On stage, her provocative costumes contributed to the perception of her as a sex symbol. The Daily Star wrote: "On stage, with her daring looks and style, Canaan became a role model". Canaan's first original composition, "Why All The Hurt?", a tribute to a deceased friend that she wrote as a teenager, was a No. 1 hit on the radio charts in Lebanon.

Rock star
On Canaan's first concert with Equation, a Gulf Today writer notes: "The first show produced a phenomenal reaction... It is incredible that amidst the state of civil war that existed in Lebanon at that time, when most people had no idea if they would see another day, she managed to keep her ambitions alive". Society magazine writes: "Tickets were sold out but more teenagers stormed in to see the young Angel perform... To accommodate the crowd, the concert organizers had to stamp on each fan's hand as they ran out of tickets. It was... her first success".

Despite the dangers of warring militias and armies, Canaan held over 25 sell-out concerts from 1984 to 1988, recorded her English-language songs, and topped the radio charts in Lebanon. At the height of their success, the band drew a crowd of over 15,000. Canaan was hailed by the media as the first "rock star" of the Middle East.

Solo career
Canaan performed her last concert with Equation in 1986, and in 1987 embarked on a solo career. She performed her original compositions, including "To Oblivion and Back", "Does it Need Some Action?", "A Hard Situation", "Hey Richie", and "The Christmas Wish", all which were radio hits. As a solo artist, Canaan enjoyed a significant increase in popularity. With Lebanon under Syrian occupation, her concerts were held in East Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and the north of Lebanon. In Tripoli, the second largest city in Lebanon, Canaan performed before a sold-out crowd under tight security despite having received death threats. In 1987, Canaan performed to a crowd of 20,000 at the Beirut Rock Festival. In 1988, she held sell-out concerts for three consecutive nights at Casino du Liban, the last performer to grace its stage until the venue resumed activity following the end of the Liberation War in 1990.

International success
Canaan's popularity in Europe and the UK distinguished her as the first internationally successful Lebanese musical artist. Canaan's global breakthrough was widely reported on by the Arab media,  Al-Hayat writing that she had " ... invaded the European market with her ballads". Years later, in 1997, she would be the very first recipient of the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism's Lebanese International Success Award. In 1989, she left Lebanon and settled in Zurich, Switzerland, where she became a naturalized Swiss citizen. There she took vocal lessons with soprano Anita Monti. In 1990, she was interviewed by Radio Z in Zurich, where her songs received airplay.

In 1991, Canaan began working with record producer David Richards (producer of Queen and David Bowie). The same year, she gave a live interview for NBC Europe. Also in 1991, Canaan signed a two-year contract with London-based production company Spinny Music (led by Queen manager Jim Beach) to write and record her original songs "Shine", "Never Set You Free", "So Much to Give", "Desire", "Love", and a cover of Shirley Bassey's English version of "Never Never Never", produced by David Richards at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland. The same year, she recorded the duet "Love and Lust" with Queen drummer Roger Taylor.

In 1993, Canaan wrote and recorded her songs "Libnan", "Fallin'" (including a remix that featured Tommy Mandel on keyboard), and her cover of John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth", (all produced by Robin Scott of M) at Grove Studios in Brighton and Hove, England.

"Beautiful Life"
In the fall of 1995, Canaan, who had up until that time performed rock music under the stage name Angel, dropped the moniker, and under her birth name Lydia Canaan presented the pop ballad "Beautiful Life" (produced by Barry Blue and The Rapino Brothers) at the Midem in Cannes, France. That spring, Canaan's international release of the lead single "Beautiful Life" by London-based Pulse-8 Records gained her international critical acclaim, including an endorsement by American radio personality Casey Kasem, culminating in a promo tour in England and radio airplay in the UK, Europe, South Africa, and the Middle East. That summer, Canaan performed "Beautiful Life" in Beirut for the launch of the MTV Global channel. In promoting the event, MTV Global billed her as "the diva from the Middle East". During the press conference, President of MTV Global, Peter Einstein, said: "MTV is proud and privileged to play Lydia's videos on Music-Non-Stop Show ... All at MTV have fallen in love with Lydia, her songs, and her performance."

"The Sound of Love"
Canaan's second single, "The Sound of Love", produced by Barry Blue and The Rapino Brothers (recorded at Maison Rouge Studios in London) was released in the fall of 1997 ahead of the album of the same name. Between the winter of 1998 and the spring of 1999, "The Sound of Love" and other songs by Canaan recorded by Jay Ward's New York City based Dogbrain Music were featured on Billboard magazine's billboardtalentnet.com eight times      and topped Billboard's RadioBTN chart for thirteen weeks.

The Sound of Love
Canaan's debut studio album, The Sound of Love, was released in the summer of 2000. Recorded in London and New York City, it included the track "Right On the Verge" featuring Tommy Mandel. The album was distributed by SIDI/XEMA in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. In support of its release, Canaan performed at various venues in Beirut, including Jumeira Beach Hotel in Dubai, Savage Garden Club, and Rifaa Golf Club in Manama, Bahrain.

Later career
As Canaan's music evolved, she began to innovate a unique style by fusing the use of Middle Eastern quarter tones and microtones with English-language pop rock.

In early 2000, "Guardian Angel" and "The Bridge", Canaan's duets with Robin Scott, appeared on M's album Famous Last Words, released by BMG Music. In 2003, "Spiritual Man", a track Canaan performs vocals on with Scott, appeared on Scott's solo album Life Class, released by Scott's label Yup! Records.

In 2004, Canaan's English song "Libnan" (لبنان or, ) became the soundtrack of the advertisement "Rediscover Lebanon", produced and broadcast by CNN and commissioned by the Lebanon Ministry of Economy and Trade to promote Lebanon as a tourist destination.

In 2014, Canaan was named a semi-finalist by the UK Songwriting Contest for her song "Never Set You Free".

In 2015, the Curatorial Affairs Division of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Library and Archives in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, created and cataloged a subject file on Canaan for their world's-largest repository of rock and roll history.

In 2018, both Brooklyn College and the University of Southern California began teaching the Music in Global America musicology course, which includes study of Canaan's song "Hey Richie" as an example of "arab-rock fusions".

Diplomacy
"I was born in a world of borders, barricades, and demarcation lines. And since I could not change the world around me, I created a world inside me, and I held on to it. It was a world with no borders, barricades, or demarcation lines. It was a world of hope."

Growing up in a war-ravaged Lebanon, Canaan was herself the victim of numerous atrocities and humanitarian crises, compelling her to utilize her talents as speaker, writer, and peacemaker for diplomatic efforts across the Near and Middle East and Europe.

In 2014, Canaan was appointed as a United Nations delegate for Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture (KRC), and as of 2024 has delivered eight speeches before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

In 2014, Canaan delivered her speech "It's About Time, My Country" in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces on Lebanese Independence Day at Casino du Liban in Beirut, Lebanon.

In 2015, Canaan was first featured on United Nations Ambassador Muhamed "Mo" Sacirbey's website, Diplomat Artist, where Sacirbey describes her as a "global citizen and diplomat artist", and showcases Canaan's essay, "Diplomacy and Art".

In 2016, Canaan was invited by HuffPost to be a contributor to their newspaper, where she writes a column on matters such as war crimes and human rights violations.

In 2019, Canaan was appointed as a member of the International Advisory Council of the Academic University for Non-Violence & Human Rights (AUNOHR), whose former members include Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Desmond Tutu, Mairead Maguire, and Adolfo Esquivel.

Advocacy


Canaan has also from time to time applied her influence to promote various social and political causes.

In 2001, the American Community School in Beirut, Lebanon chose Canaan to deliver a speech to the students as Speaker of the Month.

In 2014, Canaan attended the United Nations Millennium Campaign's My World partners awards ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

In 2015, Canaan performed at a rally in solidarity with Cardinal Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi's call to elect a president of the Republic of Lebanon at St. George Cathedral in Beirut.

Humanitarian activism
"I have faith. I believe in this country. I believe in the spirit of these people. I am the daughter of this land. I'm a Canaanite." Canaan is known for benefit performances and activism as a response to the challenges faced by the Lebanese people, her nation's refugees and neighbors, and the world.

In 2001, Canaan performed at the United Nations International Volunteers Day in Beirut and was awarded for her humanitarianism by Yves de San, Head of UNDP Lebanon.

In 2010, Canaan performed at The Summer University of Palestine in Lebanon, a summer camp to educate and raise the level of awareness of the participants from all around the world on Palestine, the culture of the wider Middle and Near Eastern regions, and Lebanon's crucial part in it. The event was organized by Viva Palestina Arabia, founded by George Galloway, who delivered a speech alongside fellow speakers Norman Finkelstein, Gabi Baramki, and Ghada Karmi, among other notable guests.

In 2011, Canaan performed for elderly Palestinian refugees at the Social Support Society's Active Aging House within the Burj Al-Barajneh Refugee Camp in Beirut, Lebanon.

In 2014, Canaan participated in the Arab International Forum in Solidarity With Palestinian Prisoners, held in Beirut, Lebanon, with over three hundred fifty public figures and other international attendees, headed by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark.

In 2015, Canaan took part in the International Forum for Justice in Palestine, held in Beirut, Lebanon, with over five hundred attendees from the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, headed by former United States Attorney General Ramsey Clark.

In 2020, Canaan returned to the Burj Al-Barajneh Refugee Camp in Beirut, Lebanon, and again met with and sang songs for elderly Palestinian refugees and refugee school children to offer her support for a free Palestine.

Canaan actively supports the Palestinian Right to Resist movement,  Street Art for Mankind (for whom she granted use of her song "Beautiful Life"), Solitary Watch, John Legend's Free America campaign, Human Rights Watch, War Child Holland-Lebanon, SAWA for DEV & AID, and the International Campaign to Prosecute War Crimes in Iraq (once chaired by the late former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark).

Charitable concerts and philanthropy
Throughout her career, Canaan has made financial contributions to and performed in support of various charitable causes and organizations, particularly those concerning the welfare of children, women, animals, and the elderly.

In 1997, Canaan's song, "Beautiful Life", was selected by South African President Nelson Mandela as the theme song for a charity event he held in South Africa,  Mandela calling Canaan "a voice for peace".

In 2001, Canaan fully funded the construction of the Children's Care Unit wing of the Salmaniya Medical Complex, and made substantial financial contributions to Child Fund International (CFI) and St. Jude's Hospital.

In 2020, Canaan was appointed a board member of CARES, a Lebanon-based charity that supports children with Autism, Down Syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, developmental delay, and related disorders.

Notable performances by Canaan at charity and fundraiser events include the American Women's Club, the Children's Care Unit of the Salmaniya Medical Complex, the Beirut Rotary Club, the American Community School, Association pour la Promotion Feminine, Caritas Lebanon, Centre Renee Wehbe Le Vieillard Malade, Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA), the Lions Beirut Code Club, the Unite Lebanon Youth Project (ULYP), the Arab Resource Center for Popular Arts, Al-Jana (ARCPA), the Social Support Society Active Ageing House, NASMA Foundation, and Association Amour et Partage.

Support for animal welfare
Canaan, an outspoken animal welfare supporter  and animal rights activist,   champions the Asian Conservation Awareness Programme (ACAP/WildAid), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Le Roselet Foundation, and Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA).