Assasi’s Bilad El-Sham Movement closes out Biddeford’s River Jam Festival

Biddeford’s annual weekend of art, performances, cultural experiences, and summer activities ended with a performance by Assasi’s Bilad El-Sham Movement, followed by fireworks.

August 24, 2022 beunderlined

For its second performance since Assasi left Beirut in 2015, the Bilad El-Sham Movement co-headlined RiverJam Festival with Coyote Island on Saturday, August 20, 2022, on the banks of the Saco River in Assasi’s adopted hometown of Biddeford, Maine. Fireworks followed the performance.

The lineup included Assasi on lead vocals, Mike O’Hehir on lead guitar and vocals, Duncan Hardy on qanun, Mavy on electric violin, S6ef on rhythm guitar and vocals, and Gregory Gull on djembe. Members of Coyote Island also joined spontaneously for the set of new original music and a cover of Algerian rai classic, Abdelkader.