Michelle and Noel Keserwany: Satirical Lebanese Duo with a Twist

Michelle and Noel Keserwany: Lebanese duo with a satiric twist

Michelle and Noel Keserwany, are sisters, singers, songwriters and illustrators. After the huge, accidental  success of their first satirical song 'Jagal el USEK' [Cool University Dudes] they released other poignantly funny songs about Lebanese society and a CD titled "Belghalat" [By Mistake]--a work that turned out to be a mixture of lyrics, music, illustration, and design, all created by the Keserwany sister themselves.

Here is their hit 'Jagal El Usek' (sung by Michelle Kereway) which talks about self-absorbed 'cool dudes' who attend the USEK, a private Catholic higher education institution in Lebanon.
http://youtu.be/lgJdeFvMH5A

كنت قاعدة بالكافيت ( الكافيه) ما في شي ع بالي عم باشرب نسكافيه إجا شب وقعد قبالي لابس لونيت ( نضارة بالفرنسية) وشعرو مطبس بالجيل قالي بنجورك يا دموزايل انا الشب الكوول باسمع فيفتي سنت سيارتي بتلمع وما باقفي ايفيت ( ما بيفوتني حفل) عندي شاليه وفيلا بفارية واكس ميس لبون ( ملكة جمال لبنان السابقة) اي انا خيا ( انا اخوها) عملت حالي هبلة وعملت حالي مسطولة ما حيكته ولا شي وعا وشب البسمة الخجولة انا ججل الاوزاك عيوني ملونين باشرب فودكا سكوشيموزتي( قميصي) موسلين البابا كولونيل وبادخن سيجار

اعطيني رقمك جو تابيل ( هاعزمك) تا نضهر (نخرج) شي نهار هون راسي فار لا كتير هاقد عليا وشي كله احمر وطلعت دخنة من دنيى( وداني) ونهارتها عرفت ليه بيقولوا عن حوا حية قلت له نو واي .. القدر كيف جمعنا حياتي كلها قبلك ما كان الها معنى بس يا حب حياتي ويا شراين القلب تعا نتفق ع شغلة ومن اول الدرب علاقة عاطفية باقمص بيي ( بازعل بابا) ما في بدا تكون جدية تا يقبل بيي فيك يعني لازم نتجوز وتجيب لي سيارة ونجيب ولاد ونسمي البنت سارة وتعملي بيسين وتغيرلي اللمبة وتسفرني ع الصين وتقشر لي مانجة وتفرش لي بيت

وتجيبلي جهاز وتقص الجازونات وتلمع الازاز

واااو فكرة الجازة ( الجواز) عن جد حبيت يلا امتى بدك نخطب تا دلك ع البيت

وأخضر الشاب الشاب الكول .. ضب اللونات (لبس الناضارات)

وقالي اوه سوري مشغول لازم ارجع عالبيت

وبقيت لوحدي عم باشرب نسكافيه

وعم باضحك لحالي وطالعة ع السافيه

حكيته بكل محبة واتسمعت عليه

بس ما عاد مجه صوبي والله ما باعرف ليه

اختفى الشب الكول اللي بيسمع فيفتي سينت اللى سيارته بتلمع وما بيقفى ايفينت

عنده شاليه وفيلا بفارية واكس مسي ليبون ايه ايه ايه هو خيا

ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE LYRICS:
I was sitting in the cafeteria
Nothing on my mind
Drinking Nescafé
A guy comes and sits beside me:
Wearing sunglasses, gel all over his hair,
He said:

Guy:
Good morning dear Miss.
I'm the cool guy
I listen to 50 cent
My car shines
I never skip an event
I got a chalet
A Villa in Faraya
and Ex Miss Lebanon, yeah I'm her brother.

Girl:
I pretended to be stupid
I pretended to be dumb
I said nothing
While painting a shy smile on my face

Guy:

I'm the cool dude at USEK
My eyes are colored
I drink dry vodka
and my chemise's muslin
Dad's a colonel
and I smoke cigar
give me your number so I call
to go out someday

Girl:
Enough, it's too much to me.
My face went green and smoke went out of my ears.
My face went green and smoke came out of my ears  I realized why they say Eve was a snake.
I told him NO WAY! How destiny joined us! My whole life didn't have a meaning before you came.
But, love of my life and loins of my heart: let us discuss something from the beginning.
A romantic relationship doesn't exist in my dad's dictionary
It must be serious to get him to agree.
I mean...
It's time to marry
And to bring me a car
And bring some kids
And to call the girl Sara
And to build a swimming pool
And to change the lamp
And to take me to China
And to carve me mango
And to bring furniture
And to bring me before-getting-married wears
And to cut the grass
And to sparkle the glass
And about before-getting-married wears, I really liked!
Come on, when do you want us to get engaged, to show you where's home?

The cool guy turned green

Put away his glasses
And said: uh, sorry I'm busy and I should go home.

And I stayed alone drinking Nescafé,
Laughing at myself while going to class,
I talked to him with all my love and listened to him!
But he didn't come through, I swear I dunno why...

The cool guy disappeared!
The one who listens to 50 cent!
Whose car sparkles
And never skips an event!
He's got a chalet,
A Villa in Faraya
and the Ex Miss lebanon's ex, yeah he is her brother
the cool guy of USEK, his eyes are colored,
drinks dry vodka and his shirt if made of  muslin
his dad is a colonel and smokes cigars and he thought of calling me to go out someday...

Lyrics Video in Englabic also available at  http://youtu.be/ODKGoZBOuoI


After the success of 'Jagal l Usek' Michelle and Noel went on to release a CD titled 'Belghalat' as well as these other video clips:

3al Jamal bi wasat Beirut - [official clip] Michelle & Noel Keserwany http://youtu.be/X6MVWwtGvSM

Panique bel parlement - [official clip] Michelle & Noel Keserwany http://youtu.be/cuivJSOXYRY

Mama - Michelle and Noel Keserwany (Official Music Video) Video made by fans for the duo's track 'Mama' http://youtu.be/X-2mnHjOnOc



For more info:

http://www.youtube.com/user/michellekeserwany
http://www.youtube.com/user/MichelleandNoel

https://www.facebook.com/michelleandnoel

For more information, please contact Elie Obeid at elieobeid7@gmail.com