Born in war-torn Lebanon, Christiane
Karam has become a leading figure in
world music, as well as an ambassador for
cultural understanding. Javier Limon has
described her as “one of the most
important voices in Mediterranean music
today.”
You were born in Beirut – where you went on to
study at the American University of Beirut, and
also taught and performed for several years. What
were these early years in Lebanon like for you?
You later moved to Boston, to study voice,
Very exciting, and very confusing at the same time.
composition and jazz at the Berklee College of
We were just coming out of 15 years of civil war –
Music. Was it a difficult journey for you to make
my childhood, even though wonderful in many ways,
from Lebanon to the US?
was tainted with terror and recurring episodes of
violence. I had graduated from a music prep school at
Yes, something about it was very freeing and natural,
age 16 and knew that music was a big part of my life
but of course like all transitions, it took some time. I
– but I was also very passionate about medicine and
had always had a little bit of trouble fitting in with
health care. I went on to get a degree in science, and
Lebanese social expectations so in that respect, the
was part of the Red Cross and other rescue/volunteer
US felt like home right away. What was hard was
initiatives during and after the war. Throughout these
letting go of friends and family, and finding the
experiences it became clear to me that music and art
courage to start over in a new country – a feeling
were healing tools as powerful as medicine, and could
shared by all immigrants around the world. From then
help me find the voice I needed to express myself and
on I knew that, depending on the day, I could go from
fulfil my purpose. Throughout my college years I was
feeling like I had many homes in the world, to feeling
already supporting myself as a piano teacher and
like I had no home at all. A very rich and fulfilling
vocalist/composer. It was time to take my
reality, but with its price.
commitment to music to the next level.