It took some persuading to get this duo together, but now LUmi are making magic around the world.
Their country may be ravaged by war, but one Lebanese band is determined to help people see the light through the conflict.
LUmi, an abbreviation of lumiere, which means "light" in French, has one aim and one aim only — to dispel the negative stereotype of how Lebanon is perceived by the rest of the world through the power of song.
Made up of vocalist Mayaline Hage and Marc Codsi on keyboards and guitar, the duo aim to highlight that the spirit of joie de vivre that still lives on in Beirut today.
"Our music is all about the lyrics," says Codsi. "We ask questions and look for answers at the same time by delving into the honest truth about Lebanon. We appreciate the situation is not great but want people to remember the good things and times they have had here. It doesn't have to be such a gloomy environment and outlook. We must try and reach out and get people to look forward and see things in a good way."
As one of the most promising bands to emerge from the Lebanese music scene, LUmi embodies the glamour and creative dynamism of its native city.
The band was formed in January 2005 after a chance meeting at a mutual friend's party. However, Codsi had to convince his soon-to-be vocalist that they shared a musical chemistry.
"Let's just say it's amazing we're even together as a duo today as Mayaline wasn't the most receptive when it came to music when we first met," says Codsi.
Breaking new ground
"I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sat at a party where a bunch of my friends and I were jamming and having a great time and I noticed Mayaline had an electronic musical notebook.
"I asked her if she sang in a convoluted way and she took approximately 0.2 seconds to respond with a well-thought out 'no'."
But eventually warming to the idea of being a singer, Hage started humming along before plucking up the courage to take to the stage with the confident strums of Codsi to back her up.
With rehearsals starting almost immediately in early 2005, and the group's first live appearance in August that year, LUmi are now breaking new grounds on the Lebanese electronic scene.
Following an enthusiastically-positive reception from fans, LUmi released their first album in May 2007 which was followed by a tour in Lebanon and Europe.
"We have just one aim really — to produce music representing our generation," says Codsi. "We try and be optimistic, positive and full or spirit. We have big hearts and a big energy and just try and have fun while we express ourselves."
While LUmi as a group is a relative newcomer on the Lebanese music scene, Hage and Codsi are not. Separately they've been active in many different genres of music before collaborating on various musical projects for a number of years. Both Hage and Codsi have played and performed with various artists from Europe and the US. Codsi also plays guitars in an experimental rock band called Scrambled Eggs.
"Until recently we hadn't had the chance to record in professional studios so we really feel we are experiencing everything right now. It is very different to recording demo tracks in my home studio," says Codsi. "The music has become much fuller and consists of many more layers which is wonderful."
The pair have recently embarked on a European tour, the highlight of which was the Sonar International Music Festival in Barcelona, as well as gigs in Paris, Berlin and London.
Uniting people
"Playing music all over the world gives you a renewed faith in the world and the people who live in it. When you play your music everywhere else and the response is as good as it is when you're in your home city you realise music has no barriers. It unites people and is expression with no boundaries. That is the greatest feeling as an artist and it's something very special."
LUmi will finish with a one-off concert in Dubai this week. "We are very excited about coming to Dubai as the response is always so great from such a varied mix in the audience." But don't imagine for one minute the usual glitz and glamour enjoyed by famous bands and singers the world over as LUmi have to travel the 'old-fashioned' way. Our biggest challenge as a duo is not the music, hours of endless practice, issues with venues and managers or the headache of failing equipment, but instead it's the prospect of travelling with all our instruments and luggage. "Guitars, amps and leads are incredibly heavy so excess baggage charges are sky high — and that's even before we've put Mayaline's shoes on the belt."
LUmi?
Although it may look like the Caps Lock button on Codsi's laptop was playing up when he wrote the name for the first time, upper case 'LU' followed by lower case 'mi' is exactly as it's meant to be.
