Ma-Beyn to premiere ‘Samak’ music video at Rumman Music Festival in Lebanon
‘Samak’, stylised on the EP as ‘samak <*)))>{ سمك’, will receive its first public screening on stage at Rumman Music Festival on September 5, before being released on YouTube the following day
Ma-Beyn (Mariam Shaath) is set to premiere the music video for ‘Samak’, the closing track from her collaborative EP with Sintax, ‘7agez eltawasol ~~] حاجز التواصل’, at Rumman Music Festival in Tripoli, Lebanon, on September 5.
The video arrives following a six-month production process that Ma-Beyn describes as the creation of an “entire universe”. Bringing together imagery inspired by both underwater and underworld settings, the visual explores a world of adventure, unanswered questions and “unquestioned answers”, created in collaboration with a team of artists working across the moving image.
‘Samak’, stylised on the EP as ‘samak <*)))>{ سمك’, will receive its first public screening on stage at Rumman Festival at 11pm on September 5, before being released on YouTube the following day.
The choice of Lebanon for the premiere also carries a personal connection for Ma-Beyn. The artist has been visiting the country since childhood, while her father was born there to a Lebanese grandmother. Describing herself as “1/8th Lebanese”, she cited the country’s natural landscape, resilience and creative culture as inspirations behind the decision to unveil the video in Tripoli.
‘Samak’ closes ‘7agez eltawasol ~~] حاجز التواصل’, Ma-Beyn’s collaborative EP with Sintax, released in June. The project explores the barriers that separate people from one another, from the ultimate boundary between life and death to those constructed through ego, patriarchy and social taboos.
Musically, the EP deliberately places contrasting worlds alongside one another, moving between ’90s-influenced rap, delicate vocals, electronic textures and breathless drum & bass rhythms.
In a 2023 interview with Kul Al Usra, the artist described herself as Egyptian-Palestinian and said she was born in Ireland, adding that her layered cultural identity helped inspire the name Ma-Beyn, which roughly translates to “in-between”.
The ‘Samak’ music video is directed by Sara Shahin, with art direction by Paula Amin. Listen to the EP and head to Instagram for a preview of the ‘Samak’ music video below.
