"The Angel of Music"

Welcome to "It's About Time"!

Join me today as I introduce you to Cynthia Khabsa.

Cynthia Khabsa, a 33-year-old Lebanese multidisciplinary artist whose creative journey began before she could even read. Painting since childhood, Cynthia was profoundly inspired by her mother, Mona Khabsa—a distinguished visual artist who holds a Master's degree in Visual Arts from ALBA University in Lebanon. Growing up surrounded by brushes, canvases, and her mother's artistic spirit, Cynthia developed an early and unwavering passion for the arts that has only deepened with time.

Her academic path reflects this lifelong dedication. Cynthia holds a Master's degree in Interior Architecture from USEK in Lebanon, a qualification that sharpened her eye for space, composition, and the dialogue between art and environment. With over 20 years of teaching experience, she currently shares her wealth of knowledge as an art teacher at the Antonine Sisters school, shaping young minds and nurturing the next generation of creative thinkers.

Cynthia's visual artwork—where she describes her process as translating rhythm into color and color into emotion—has been showcased in both solo and collective exhibitions across Lebanon and Dubai. Her exhibitions have drawn media attention from outlets such as OTV and Dubai TV, cementing her reputation as a distinctive voice in the regional art scene.

But painting is only part of Cynthia's story. She is also a classically trained violinist whose bow brings melodies to life with breathtaking skill and emotional depth. Her operatic voice is equally compelling—she has studied opera repertoire, including Handel's "Non lo dirò col labbro," under the guidance of Marie-Therese Hobeika at the Lebanese Conservatory. As an entertainer, Cynthia brings all of these disciplines together, moving fluidly between the concert stage, the gallery wall, and the classroom with an ease that speaks to her extraordinary versatility.

Splitting her time between Dubai and Lebanon, Cynthia maintains an active online presence where thousands follow her creative journey across social media, sharing in her violin performances, vocal showcases, painting sessions, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of her artistic life.

Cynthia represents something truly rare: a seamless convergence of disciplines where violin, opera, painting, architecture, and teaching don't merely coexist but enrich one another—each feeding into a singular, deeply personal creative vision.

So sit back and relax because "It's About Time" to get started!

If you want to know more about Cynthia you can follow her on:

@cynthiakhabsa.artist

Follow the podcast on Instagram: 

@itsabouttimeiat

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

I end up like without a visa, without a job, without a house, without nothing, only with my violin in Dubai. If you have a passion and a dream, don't ever let anyone destroy it. This year made me a strong woman or a strong person if you wanna say. This year is as 10 years of my life is equal to 10 years of experience of my life. Only the very hard, hard, hard working they will succeed in the YM.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

They will grow. So we have the architect, the painter, the violinist, the opera singer, business entrepreneur, of course.

SPEAKER_02 0:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Businesswoman. And off-roader.

SPEAKER_02 0:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

So race car driver basically. Hello everybody, and welcome once again to It's About Time. Today I'm joined by a wonderful, wonderful lady who comes from Lebanon. Her name is uh Cynthia Khafsa. Did I get it right? Yes. All right. Cynthia, welcome and thank you for being here today.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

Thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

So Cynthia is a performer, but before all of that, she is an architect. Yes. An architect who is also an artist, a painter, who as well is a self-taught violinist and an opera singer. All right, did I miss anything?

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Uh no, you didn't miss anything. Alright, very good.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

So I asked you to come today uh and and join me because I know that you have a wonderful life story. And then again, I believe everybody's life story is wonderful. But yours is truly impressive. You have gone through so many things to reach where you are today. I would like to ask actually for you to tell us a little bit about that. And um we can start very simply from uh your life in Lebanon. If you can tell me how did you get into architectural school?

SPEAKER_01 2:06

Okay, so first I studied uh architecture uh in the university, and after that I started uh teaching art and drawing in my mom's art school and in different schools in Lebanon for almost six years. For six years you were teaching art, yes, and drawing, and I was playing violin as a hobby. Like I started learning violin at uh uh I was already uh 22 years old when I started the violin, and I took it as a hobby, and then I was uh living my life as a school teacher, art teacher.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

And uh why the violin?

SPEAKER_01 2:44

Actually, there is a very specific story for this. Uh, my childhood best friend is a violinist, and uh, all my childhood she was playing for me uh on her violin, and I was like listening, it was very hard to learn. Then uh, when I grew up, um, she left her violin. Uh, she gave me her violin and she traveled uh to Germany because she's German Lebanese, and she left there for uh for a good time, and it was so long I didn't um meet her for almost 10 years. I didn't see her. Then one day they asked me if I can play um uh as a violinist in a video clip, just like acting, uh, for a for a background, you know, the shootings and things. I said, No, I'm not a violinist, how can I play? I don't even know how to carry the violin. But I remember that I had her violin as a souvenir from her in my house, and then I had a question like, why not? Let's try to carry again this violin and remember all her childhood memory. And this is how it started. I took her violin and I started playing and practicing, and it was sounding really bad and really hard, really so hard to start, especially at 22 years old. So it was not uh so easy to start.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

Uh, you know, I played the violin myself. I took classes and I was 35. And I took classes with uh with a lady, and uh I bought a very cheap violin, which maybe was not a good option, but I played a couple of songs, yeah, and I learned a couple of things, but it's truly difficult.

SPEAKER_01 4:25

Yeah, it's one of the hardest instruments to learn and to play at the beginning.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Yeah, yeah. So I understand what you're talking about, and the fact that you learned alone.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

Yeah, at the beginning I learned alone, and then I took a few classes with a teacher, but uh yeah, all the songs that I am playing is by ear. I played by ear. This is beautiful, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

This is beautiful. Okay, so you study architecture, yeah, and uh all of a sudden you find yourself working in your mom's studio. Your mom is an artist, yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

She studied art at the university, and also she has her own art school in Lebanon.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

Oh, that's beautiful! Yeah, and and then so you work for your mom together with your mom, and uh you did art. Subsequently, then eventually you learn how to play the violin in the meantime. But we are sitting today in Dubai, yes, and I know that you arrived here about five years ago.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

Why did you come to Dubai?

SPEAKER_01 5:19

Actually, also it was like an unplanned uh project in my life. So uh I believe in this uh destiny and coincidence that happened. Uh I end up in Dubai. Actually, my friend in Lebanon, uh, during COVID, uh, we went to a house party for a group of friends, like 10 or 20 people. And I was not so good with violin, I was just starting the violin and not so pro. Then uh she told me, Oh, there is a keyboardist, come bring your violin, yella, bling your violin, sing, sing for us. I said, uh no, I cannot perform in front of people violin. I'm so shy, I cannot do it. So my friend said, No, or you bring your violin or we're gonna leave. Like halas. She put me under the she was very strict to me. She went, she got my violin from the car, and she she she gave me, she said, Yes, she she's a violinist. I said, I cannot play in front of 20 people. And then I tried a song with this keyboardist, and it worked. At the end of the party, many people came and took my number, but you know why they took my number. Not because I'm a violinist. So I gave them my number. They said, Oh, yes, uh, we have events in Dubai, we're doing events. I said, Okay, take my number. After like a year, uh, one of these person, the people that were in the party, contacted me. I don't even remember his face, like I don't even know him. He told me, I have uh one event in Dubai, would you like to come? And that day it was COVID time. So, COVID time uh in Lebanon, even with the economic crisis, yeah. So uh COVID time, the like the currency change and the work was very bad. Uh as a teacher, as a salary became so so so less. So um that day I said to my dad, uh look, I'm going to have a job in Dubai. What do you think? And here was the problem because my dad was so angry, he said, No, you cannot go uh travel, live outside the country, you know, our Lebanese uh mentality, especially that he's a jeweler and he has his own business. So he cannot, he told me, No, you cannot go work as a musician, you're an architect, Cynthia. You cannot do this. I said, I will go only for one month, then I will come back. You know, this one month.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

Five years later, here you are. I know the one month.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

I tricked him and I told him only one month. He said, Okay, I went for one month's contract here in Dubai, and uh these uh people they liked me so much, they said we want to renew, we are very excited. Then, okay, let me go. I will uh get all my stuff from Lebanon, then I will move to Dubai. Then uh I moved there after this month, a second month, and it was not so good with my family. They were a little bit upset. It was so hard to move.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

Both your dad and mom?

SPEAKER_01 8:15

And my mom and my dad, of course, because my mom wants me uh as an artist, and my dad wants me as an architect, and me, I'm a musician.

SPEAKER_03 8:23

That's beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 8:24

Yeah. So I came to Dubai for this uh another contract, and after a week, COVID came again to the restaurant and to all the events in Dubai, and all the jobs were cancelled, all the performances were cancelled. And I was in a situation like I left my job in Lebanon, my uh schools, um, my contract with schools, my mom, all my students, my private students, I left them, and I was here also without a job. So this contract was cancelled in Dubai. Um, and also the restaurant closed because of the economic here and um the COVID time. Then I ended up like without a visa, without a job, without a house, without nothing, only with my violin uh in Dubai.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Then uh I decided to stay like 10 more days uh with my friend to try to find another job opportunities. And uh here the adventure started because I was uh without house, without anything, just trying to find a job, you know. I searched the social media, I asked all the friends, the Lebanese community, and then it was Valentine's Day, and I got an opportunity to play in a restaurant here in Dubai. So um I it was my first performance, like a freelance performance, and it was well paid, you know, because this is Valentine's Day. And uh and from here to here, I just started to get more and more events from this uh good luck day. The Valentine's Day. Oh, it's beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 10:02

Which restaurant was it?

SPEAKER_01 10:03

It was in uh Dubai Marina, no Nova restaurant. Oh, all right, yeah, I remember it, yes.

SPEAKER_00 10:08

Yeah, is it still there? I don't think it's there anymore. No, it's not there anymore.

SPEAKER_01 10:11

Yeah, but uh after this Valentine's Day, I was a resident uh in this uh uh restaurant for a year. So I had a fixed performance for a year that made me a little bit uh like uh stand up on my uh legs again, and then I did my visa, tried to find the freelance project, and uh and go on.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

So, how was how was your experience coming to Dubai? Because obviously, uh whether people understand it or not, you are an entrepreneur here. Yes, you're running your own business, you're running your own uh uh work. So, how was your experience? Okay, obviously, when you arrived, it was a little bit tricky, yes, but after that Valentine's Day, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

So uh as an artist, uh I'm an artist, but as you said, uh I I never mentioned it that I'm an entrepreneur, but you should be a businesswoman, you know, because if you don't know how to manage your money, uh because I don't even have a salary, so I have I'm earning money. If I spend them, halas, I will go back to Lebanon. You need to know how to manage it in a very smart way to uh be able to uh survive here in Dubai. You know, everything is expensive and costly, and how to manage to prepare your visa and all these things. So, yeah, this is one of my strength points that I've learned it here in Dubai because in Lebanon I had everything with my dad, you know. My dad he gave us everything, thanks God to this life, studying house and everything. But here you need to stand up alone and to survive alone. And as a woman, it's really tough, really, really tough to find a house, to uh to prepare everything. It's really hard without a car as well.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Yeah, you were telling me before about your adventures with your violin and your scooter and all your equipment.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

Yeah, I tell us a little more. I got a scooter at the first year, and then uh I put all my equipment on a backpack and with a small trolley, and I was traveling with scooters to all events and students and projects, so it was a bit funny. You mentioned students, yeah. So you're teaching, yeah. I'm still teaching uh art here uh in Dubai, so uh I have uh few students uh and art classes.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

If I remember correctly, because I follow you on social media, um I noticed that you are doing exhibitions of your students' art. Yes, and your students are primarily young individuals, yeah. Little people.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Yes, uh, but they are so talented actually and uh taking the classes so seriously. Uh I have students that started with me five years ago. Can you imagine now? After five years of artwork, they became really professional, and we're doing uh uh art exhibition for them uh each time in a different gallery. Okay, and it's getting uh like uh well uh year by year.

SPEAKER_00 13:07

Oh, that's beautiful. Um how are you promoting this uh art exhibitions?

SPEAKER_01 13:12

Uh actually I'm not promoting, but uh mainly the the students are Lebanese, so I'm well known now in the Lebanese community. Oh, this is great. Uh from uh ear to mouth, what is uh um it's word of mouth. Word of mouth, yes, so uh they get to know me and they are sending my my uh number to each other, and now they all knows me.

SPEAKER_00 13:35

That is the best marketing, yeah. That one works all the time and it's the most solid.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Yeah, it's solid because uh I was thinking like since five years ago, the same students are with me, they didn't leave. So this is so good.

SPEAKER_00 13:49

It's beautiful, yeah. So I remember we met uh at an exhibition. We was uh no, it wasn't an exhibition, it was a symposium of jewelry.

SPEAKER_02 14:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

Um my friend Alexandra, together with uh some of her partners, they organized a beautiful uh symposium about uh the history of jewelry and uh at the Waffimo.

SPEAKER_02 14:13

Yes, I remember.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

Yes, and I remember seeing you there, and we were introduced by Mr.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Abdallah.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

By Mr. Abdallah, correct. And uh you were of course uh beautiful and gorgeous. Uh I remember you were wearing a little labaya on top of you, yes, and uh we chit-chattered, and for some reason, I had this this this vibe with you. Like, I don't know what it was, and and uh Xenia was there, my wife was there, and we chit-chatted, and immediately that day we told you, Hey, we're having a boat party. Would you like to join us?

SPEAKER_01 14:45

Yeah, it was the second day or something, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 14:48

And and you're like, Yeah, sure we're not. Yes, and you arrived with your trolley, yeah, with your violin. I wasn't expecting anything, I really just wanted to you know have fun. I made it as a surprise, and and my god, to this day, everybody that was at that party remembers, remembers it to be the best ever both party, because thanks to your energy, your music, you just changed the vibe completely. Yeah, and then I remember we were singing karaoke on the way back, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

I remember, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:25

Um, and the most memorable, memorable part, and I have videos of it, and my god, I listen to them sometimes, was when you started singing Carmen, yeah, opera.

SPEAKER_01 15:34

I I end all I always end my event with opera.

SPEAKER_00 15:37

So it's just so so good. Yeah, uh, you also came to play at my father's uh birthday.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

Yes, I remember.

SPEAKER_00 15:45

He was so happy to to have you there. But we touched on opera, so okay. Architect, artist, self-taught violinist. Opera from where?

SPEAKER_01 15:59

Opera, also from uh the Lebanese conservatory. I studied there opera for almost seven years. Yeah, okay, yeah, and uh also it was a coincidence to go to this Lebanese conservatory because uh I was also 22 years old, and uh the last uh chance to uh to enter the conservatory is at 23. So one day I was crossing uh in Beirut next to the conservatory, and I said to my friend, please, please stop me here. I want to try to uh apply to this opera classes because at 23 I cannot do it, and at well, it's the last chance, let me go and do it.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

Did you like opera?

SPEAKER_01 16:41

So uh I didn't know it was uh like opera and all this technique. Like I know it's uh singing classes. Then I went to the to the conservatory. I asked the lady, uh, can I uh can I apply to these classes? How should I register? She said, uh oh, the registration is already done since last month, but today is the test. Uh you want to do the test? I said, which test? She said, no, there is a test. You go, you sing, and if you are uh if the jury accepts you, you will be in the opera, in the classes, the singing classes, not opera. Then I went and I made the test. Like really, my friend was waiting in the car, you know. I told him, Look, there is a test now, I will go and do it. It was a mince miscommunication between me and the lady. I went there, I the guy told me, sing, repeat after me, sing this song, sing this note. And I was going higher, higher, higher with the note. And at the end of the jury, uh, the lady told me, Oh, you are you you uh succeeded, you are accepted in the singing class. Uh, but give me the receipt. I said, Which receipt? I'm not even registered. Oh my god. She said, Oh, you didn't pay? I said, No, I I'm asking you, I want to um to come and to register. She said, Oh, you should have paid last month. Uh you cannot enter. I said, Please, this is the last chance. I'm 22 years old, and next year you won't uh uh accept the older people. She said, Okay, I will try to cheat and talk to someone, but don't say to anyone. Don't say to anyone.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

Yeah, baby! Little was over there.

SPEAKER_01 18:23

Yeah, so uh she went there and she tried to talk to someone. She said she told me you need to pay today, otherwise, uh the chance is gone. And they classified me as an opera in the opera courses because they've they heard my voice. The range of my voice is too uh high and too low. And it was like this very coincidence, also.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

Oh, it's beautiful. Yeah, okay. So you like opera now?

SPEAKER_01 18:49

I love opera, I love singing it. You love singing because it's a stress relief. It's it's like shouting, but without hurting your voice. So you release all the stress from your body. Oh, that's really cool. Yeah, okay. So, where have you performed? Uh, I've performed uh many places here, uh the main the mainly in the Dubai opera, also by Canto restaurant and different hotels, and also uh the most uh common places are the weddings. So many luxurious weddings and high-ed weddings in Dubai are asking for this style.

SPEAKER_00 19:25

Oh, that's beautiful. And what is your favorite song?

SPEAKER_01 19:29

My signature is the Carmen because I love it, it's a little bit similar to my character and my voice. So yeah, the habanera.

SPEAKER_00 19:39

Ah, Carmen is such a beautiful, beautiful song. Yeah, and you sing it so well.

SPEAKER_01 19:43

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 19:45

Um, okay. Have you traveled to perform internationally, other than Dubai, of course?

SPEAKER_01 19:52

Uh actually through Dubai, I got many great opportunities to perform. Uh, one of them was uh in Saudi Arabia event, and one of them in Qatar. So they were a very big event that day, so um it was a good experience.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Very nice. So you've been to Saudi, to Qatar, the UAE, yes, and five years here.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

Uh and also in Iraq, in Erbil. Oh. It was a Christmas concert uh concert uh in a specific area called Ankawa. So I was uh singing there Christmas and New Year.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Wow! Yeah, okay, yeah. So you were singing Christmas carols, Christmas carols, yes, with an opera twist, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:34

Arabic, uh French and English. I was mixing.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

So oh my god, I would love to hear that one day. Yeah, that's I think it would be a crazy good combination.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

Yeah, good, very nice, also a few Italian okay.

SPEAKER_00 20:48

Well, uh opera, you know, Italian opera is well known.

SPEAKER_01 20:52

Of course, of course.

SPEAKER_00 20:54

I I remember I used to listen to Pavarotti. I still listen to him sometimes. Yes, yeah, but uh I like opera as well, very nice. Okay, so you've been here these five years, setting up your own work and uh working for yourself, and uh what what have been for you in your mind what did you see as the most difficult moment and how you get passed by it?

SPEAKER_01 21:23

The difficult moment was the first year. This is what hooked me in Dubai. I cannot now leave Dubai. It's all because of this first year, because I suffered a lot to find the house, uh way place to live, stable job, visa, uh, all this basic of life. It was so hard to find. Uh especially that I in Lebanon, as I mentioned, it was uh all very normal and simple through my dad. That was very great to us. So when I came here, I felt Like all the responsibilities is on me. I need to buy a car, get a house, and find a job and manage my money, my salary. So that was so hard. And even to find new students and get known in the market, especially that there is a big competition in the market in the music field. So this first year was so so hard, and sometimes with the hot weather, it will get much harder without a car. But this year made me a strong woman or a strong person, if you want to say. One of them is in a bridge, in a in an outdoor bridge in Lebanon. And one of them is for a kids' bedroom. So the most trending thing now is the kids' bedroom wall painting. And especially that I'm using the airbrush technique with the spray and the compressor. And it's so much fun.

SPEAKER_00 24:53

Yeah, I love airbrushing.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

Yeah. Yeah. Of course, you do airbrushing also, but for miniature things.

SPEAKER_00 24:59

Yes, ma'am, I do.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

Such hard things, such a hard thing.

SPEAKER_00 25:03

You'll be surprised. I think what you do is hard too. So maybe one day you come over and you try. You will see.

SPEAKER_01 25:09

Yeah, I would love to try.

SPEAKER_00 25:11

So you you're an educator because you are teaching uh children. You're I mean you're teaching adults as well, right? Yes. Could you tell me if there was a nice experience where your student make you feel amazing, valued, important.

SPEAKER_01 25:29

Okay, great. Uh, actually, uh, the solo the kids' exhibition that I've I'm doing uh since five years. Uh the fifth one was the top of them, okay, because first year I had 10 students, second year I had 20, 30, 40, and now I have 50 students in Dubai that I'm teaching every week. So every week I turn around and they come to my house, I go to their house, and it's almost the number of 50. So when I did the kids' exhibition last year in Dubai, um, like the people that came and the visitor were really impressed with the artwork and the level of my students, and that made me so much proud because everyone was saying if the students are so good, what uh what if their teacher is gonna be? Like if this is the artwork of the student, what is the artwork of the teacher?

SPEAKER_00 26:22

That's really cool. When is your next exhibition, by the way?

SPEAKER_01 26:25

I'm preparing for a big solo exhibition. Uh, it's gonna be in October.

SPEAKER_00 26:29

So uh your art.

SPEAKER_01 26:32

My solo exhibition, yes, my own artwork. Uh, it's under the theme of uh art and healing, because art can heal people from all the disease, especially from cancer, because I'm preparing to do a charity event with a cancer center here in Dubai. So all the painting that will be sold in auction or in a normal way, uh, it's gonna be uh for a charity for this center.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

Oh, that's beautiful. Yeah. And you're planning to do it when?

SPEAKER_01 27:02

Uh in October. I didn't fix the dates yet, but uh also it's a combination between a concert and uh exhibition. You're gonna play music. So I'm gonna perform a concert, uh, violin and opera singing with a small band. It's gonna be a live painting performance uh during the event. So musicians are gonna play music. I will be uh painting live, and then I'm gonna do an auction on this painting that is done live in front of the people. And also they will see the art uh exhibition. The theme of the artwork is musician, because I'm I love to paint and draw musician, and I love to draw the energy that uh uh goes from the music and from the sound. So if you listen to a melody, I can see the melody. So you can listen to the melody, but me, I can see it and shape it with colors and shapes.

SPEAKER_00 27:56

Oh, that's super cool. Yeah. We used to play, we used to do an exercise in elementary school in Italy, where we had music class. And the thing we the the the late the teacher told us to do was to close our eyes, she would put a piece of music, and then after you heard it and continue to hear it, draw. And we would draw lines, whatever we wanted, and colors, and uh and I you know, I maybe I still have that book uh in in in uh Italy somewhere. Wow, but uh it was really fun.

SPEAKER_01 28:32

It's such a great exercise uh that make uh creativity uh develop creativity.

SPEAKER_00 28:39

That's how cool. And um okay, uh man, what what a diverse uh careers you have. Yes, but then again, all connected.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

Yeah, um, it's uh fun. It's not a career, it's a fun uh funny, funny life or fun life full of adventure because it's very free, and every day you end up in a very new location with new people.

SPEAKER_00 29:05

Well, yeah, just like how we met. Yes, it's the same, of course. And I'm pretty sure you have met a myriad of individuals in Dubai.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

Yeah, but not unique as you.

SPEAKER_00 29:16

Oh, thank you so much. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 29:18

Really, because some uh I meet many people, but uh we are not always connected with many people. Sometimes the energy or the intention, like if you feel if you meet an artist or someone very specific, you can develop a great connection with them.

SPEAKER_00 29:34

Yeah, yeah, I I I understand exactly where you're talking about. Yeah, um how did you realize you wanted to do what you're doing today? How old were you when you realized it? And what was the the ah, this is what I want, this is what I like. Because you have been, I don't want to say fighting, but you have been pushing hard for the things that you want. Uh, the contrast you had with your parents, uh, maybe with your friends as well. Uh the experience you lived in Dubai where you wouldn't let it go, and you're like, no, this is what I want to do.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

Uh actually, the the pleasure and the passion that I earn when I'm on stage performing to all the people, clapping their hands, admiring my sound, my music, my vocal. Uh, this is what made me uh take uh this uh decision in life. Like uh all this um interaction with people, sharing this good energy with people and seeing a smile on their face uh through me because I'm doing some music for them, some painting or some artwork. Uh, this is what made me uh take a final decision like what I want to be in life, especially that before uh I was a school teacher and it was repetitive. So every year I should repeat the same program but for different students. So I am repeating myself and I felt that I'm not gonna improve uh in after 20, 30 years, I'm not gonna improve. I will stay a school a school teacher. And this is so hard, actually, the job of being a school teacher, dealing with kids, with kids that are not uh all of them talented, not all of them are passionate because I'm an art teacher, I'm not teaching uh mathematics or other uh material. So the repetition uh made me leave this job, and the passion and the interaction with people make me uh more attracted and uh defined like what I want in life with the crowd.

SPEAKER_00 31:41

And this happened to you while you were uh teaching on your mom's school. Uh you realized that what you wanted was different. What you wanted was music.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

Yeah, because uh I didn't choose to be an art teacher. I was born an art teacher because I was teaching when I was 13 years old in my mom's art school. You were teaching, yes. I had students that are five years old and I was teaching them art. This is really so young age. And my I was going with my mom and having fun, earning some money at 13 years old, teaching uh small kids. Then I grew up, I start teaching uh older kids, and I end up in the in the workshop with my mom. I love doing this job because these people are passionate with art.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

This is very selective people that like painting and drawing, not uh not comparing to the school, they are all forced to be in this class, of course, but people who choose to do it is different.

SPEAKER_01 32:40

Yes, so that gave me a passion to teach them actually. This is why I'm I'm continuing this job here in uh Dubai, and also I have a big experience with this uh art teaching.

SPEAKER_00 32:51

Yeah, that's beautiful. Yes, that's that's really really nice. Do you have any specific moment? Um uh you already told us about your uh uh when the parents come in and they're like, Oh my god, look at this. The the teacher must be amazing, and obviously you felt uh great. Yeah, but I don't know. I I I have had moments in which everything stops when I'm performing or doing something, everything stops, everything becomes quiet, and all of a sudden I feel connected to everything. I don't know if you ever experienced something like this.

SPEAKER_01 33:31

No, but what I am experiencing is uh the energy and the dopamine that I get after the event. So after the event is another thing to talk about it. So there is the stress of the event, stress to prepare to the event, and then the stress on stage, and then where the moment stop is when I started performing. Like I am disconnected from the earth. Okay. Performing is just really disconnected. So then uh comes the clapping, the applause, and the celebration. After that, I finish the event, finish the the 1000 people in front of me. Then I go back driving alone with this silence in my uh head. But then what I feel is like I have this feeling that I cannot describe here. It's it I cannot describe it. It's a really, really high uh level of feeling. I you feel so high or so happy, or something that you cannot uh describe it.

SPEAKER_00 34:35

That's really cool.

SPEAKER_01 34:36

But after the very high comes the very down.

SPEAKER_00 34:39

Oh, what do you mean the very down?

SPEAKER_01 34:40

Yeah, because like after you had all this uh energy, attention, and admire admiration, then it will go, it will not stay forever. Then you wake up the second day alone, feeling a bit lonely, and this is a little bit hard and challenging in Dubai since all my family is in Lebanon, so also the loneliness part is a bit tough here.

SPEAKER_00 35:03

Tell me more about the loneliness part because it seems to be something uh many people experience here.

SPEAKER_01 35:08

Yeah, uh, what I wanna say uh like sometimes what you see on social media is not always so true. Sometimes it's not so true, you know. You only I I only post the best part of Cynthia, the happy moments, the good moments, like now I just posted the podcast together, the events, the opera, but you never see the other side like sometimes being lonely here in Dubai, hard working, preparing, trying to be creative and trying to create a new project all alone. It's very tough for a girl, also for a woman. It's very tough.

SPEAKER_00 35:49

Is it your choice to be alone?

SPEAKER_01 35:52

Um, it's not I'm I'm talking about work. Yeah, I'm telling you, and no, like my choice. I I didn't decide anything in life. Even coming to Dubai, it was not my choice. Thinking opera, it was not my choice. Uh, I believe that uh there is a destiny, or like there is a past that I am working in life that is taking me here and there without having a specific decision. Sometimes I uh I work with a small team, but mainly as a musician, it's it ends up alone. But you are right, sometimes you need to be with some agents, manager, or event planners that can support my business.

SPEAKER_00 36:31

Okay. Well, obviously, the situation in this moment here it's not the most optimal for musicians and and restaurants, considering what's going on. Uh, but uh in Lebanon, you don't need a manager, you're doing great over there.

SPEAKER_01 36:46

Yeah, yeah. It's good now. Uh Lebanese people love party, as I told you before. So they will do party anytime, anywhere, with any situation.

SPEAKER_00 36:56

Okay. Well, if you ever feel lonely or you need a break, you're always welcome to come visit us.

SPEAKER_01 37:02

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 37:03

We'll feed you, we'll chit-chat, we'll listen to you, and anything you want.

SPEAKER_01 37:07

I mean, yeah, of course. But uh, what I'm talking is about this contrast, you know. When you are with a lot with a thousand of crowds of people that are watching you and wanna communicate with you, then you go back and you're alone. So this is a very big contrast.

SPEAKER_00 37:22

Of course.

SPEAKER_01 37:22

You wake up alone, silence.

SPEAKER_00 37:26

How do you think you could fix that? Or it doesn't need to be fixed.

SPEAKER_01 37:29

Uh, sometimes uh being alone is also good. This is what I learned recently. At the beginning, it was too hard for me to wake up and seeing that I'm alone in the house here in Dubai, especially that in Lebanon I was living from with my family. Uh so but sometimes uh waking up alone and having your own uh time with your own self is a strange point, it's a good point to to be with. So yes, so I'm trying to learn to enjoy my loneliness, kind of, and really you will learn a lot of new things when you sit with yourself.

SPEAKER_00 38:07

Oh, 100%. Yeah, I had Xenia teach me this as well, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:11

And I learned this from Xenia actually, yes. She taught me this as well.

SPEAKER_00 38:16

My guru.

SPEAKER_01 38:17

Yeah, she's really good.

SPEAKER_00 38:20

So um you mentioned to me as well that you are planning a little uh uh opera singing with some um musicians, yeah. And uh and I don't remember specifically what you told me about, but um well, I then again you're always planning something, so it's not like a new thing. Um but um we're gonna with the it's a choir.

SPEAKER_01 38:46

There you go with the choir. Uh Italian uh choir.

SPEAKER_00 38:49

I wanted to ask you why you haven't gone to Italy to sing yet.

SPEAKER_01 38:52

Yeah, so they invited me to uh to be a member with them here in Dubai, and also they uh suggest uh for me that they're gonna have uh a few uh choir concerts in Italy, and uh I will be a member with them also.

SPEAKER_00 39:07

Are you gonna let us know when you go there?

SPEAKER_01 39:08

Of course, but it's gonna be the next season. So we're preparing now. It's okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:14

Are you gonna have close sessions?

SPEAKER_01 39:17

Uh what do you mean by close sessions?

SPEAKER_00 39:18

Like the practice sessions and all that. It's gonna be closed and private?

SPEAKER_01 39:22

Yeah, we're gonna have uh many uh practicing sessions usually.

SPEAKER_00 39:25

I would love to come visit you.

SPEAKER_01 39:26

Okay, you are you are more than welcome.

SPEAKER_00 39:28

I'll bring food for everybody.

SPEAKER_01 39:29

Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 39:32

This is super cool. I I used to sing in a military choir when I was in USA.

SPEAKER_01 39:37

Oh, that's why you have a wonderful voice. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 39:40

Yeah, but thank you so much. You're gonna make me blush now. But I used to sing in a military choir, and I was part of a quartet. We used to sing all this, like um, what's the name of this uh guys? Uh you know, uh old old American music. Um the I don't remember the name of the group, and some uh uh Dean Martin music. So all this crooner style.

SPEAKER_01 40:10

Oh, nice.

SPEAKER_00 40:10

Yeah, it was pretty cool. It was it was really cool.

SPEAKER_01 40:13

Actually, you have a nice repertoire also with the oldest song Frank Sinatra. I heard you.

SPEAKER_00 40:19

I like Frankie, I really like Frank Sinatra, especially my way, my favorite song. There's something about it, but by the way, he didn't write it, he just sang it. Really? Yes. I didn't the song originally is from another gentleman, I don't remember his name right now, but I'll get it for you. And he wrote many beautiful songs and he sang them as well. But Frank Sinatra bought the right, and he sang it, and it became popular.

SPEAKER_01 40:44

Yeah, and we sang it once together.

SPEAKER_00 40:47

Yes, for my father's birthday.

SPEAKER_01 40:48

Yeah, I remembered.

SPEAKER_00 40:49

It was nice, yes, it was a very nice uh contrast because I was singing with my voice, and you were adding that opera lyrical to it, which was super cool.

SPEAKER_01 40:59

Yeah, I still remember that day.

SPEAKER_00 41:01

Yeah, nice. Um, okay. Um, I want to touch on uh on something that you told me not to talk about, but I love it that you are an off-road queen. Don't believe him. Oh, yeah, don't believe me. Sorry. Um, somebody mentioned to me that they were champion in 2019.

SPEAKER_01 41:26

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 41:27

Yes, of what?

SPEAKER_01 41:29

Of uh ladies of road in uh Lebanon. All right, yeah. I used to compete almost uh I won 12 competitions in the Ladies of Road.

SPEAKER_00 41:39

So you won 12 competitions, yeah. So so wait, wait, wait, wait. So we have uh the architect, the painter, the violinist, the opera singer, business entrepreneur, of course. Yes, businesswoman, and off-roader. Yes, so race car driver basically.

SPEAKER_01 42:00

Yeah, yeah, but the mainly Jeeps, and they are modified uh Jeeps. So uh we modified them to go into uh rock rolling, mud, and sometimes snow.

SPEAKER_00 42:12

Rock rolling, mud and snow. Yes, and uh yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_01 42:19

So from princess to offroad.

SPEAKER_00 42:21

That's amazing! Yeah, this is super and when you say we, who is part of your team?

SPEAKER_01 42:26

Uh you have a team that does this? Uh I had a team that prepared my car and modify my car. If anything happened for uh like it broke with my car, they will adjust it like a sponsor if you want. Okay. And I have a co-pilot also with me. Uh he's a guy, not a girl. So when I used to compete, but he sits on the side. He sits on the side and he helps me uh with the direction and things. Sometimes the co-pilot is outside the car, so uh he he can see more the tracks and guide you.

SPEAKER_00 42:59

Of course, especially during rock crawling, right?

SPEAKER_01 43:01

Yeah, and there is a track, so uh they will put a timer uh and uh you need to finish a specific uh specific track uh with the on time, or on time or before the time. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 43:12

Are you gonna be competing again anytime soon?

SPEAKER_01 43:15

Actually, and you made me so excited now to this game, but uh due to some back injuries, I stopped it. I'm not going extreme with it, but I'm just going with it for fun. Uh just uh so road tripping in Lebanon with the nice views and mountain.

SPEAKER_00 43:33

Oh, I remember some pictures. Yeah. Again, in your Instagram.

SPEAKER_01 43:38

Yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 43:42

That's very, very nice.

SPEAKER_01 43:44

Yeah. So sometimes after being uh like sitting the full day teaching and being very uh passionate or very calm with the student, repetitive, and things, you need to escape in a nice way. So my only way to escape is nature. Actually, and off-roading, so this is how we escape.

SPEAKER_00 44:03

I understand you.

SPEAKER_01 44:04

Yeah, I feel like God is sitting there only in the nature. I'm very well connected there.

SPEAKER_00 44:10

I I feel the same every time I go to Russia.

SPEAKER_01 44:13

Ah, nice.

SPEAKER_00 44:14

And uh we go outside of St. Petersburg. It's just forest, wild forest. Like and and we walk there, we're saying yeah, and we pick up the berries, little strawberries that grow under the trees. We go for uh hunt for mushrooms as well. Wow, but these moments in this fresh air, I I can smell the air, you know. I I got goosebumps, yeah. It's it's it's just gorgeous, yes, and uh and I I feel at peace, but I feel free when I am immersed by nature. We got had the same feeling when we went to South America, to Patagonia. Oh, the same waterfalls everywhere, just just life.

SPEAKER_01 44:57

Yeah, just sitting there is is the best therapy or remedy to heal.

SPEAKER_00 45:02

Even here in the UAE, the desert, yeah, the desert has so much life to it that that not many people understand. There's there's there's a whole ecosystem out there.

SPEAKER_02 45:13

So true.

SPEAKER_00 45:14

And of course, right now, with all the city expansion, a lot of it has moved out, so you need to go further in.

SPEAKER_02 45:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:21

Um, I went off-roading because I used to do off-roading as well. Doom bashing, like they call it here. Oh, yeah. I used to have a pickup truck, and I would go to to do all the dunes and the jumps and everything.

SPEAKER_01 45:33

Nice!

SPEAKER_00 45:34

I set it up myself. I didn't know this about you, actually. Yeah, I set it up myself, and uh, I used to go pretty crazy. Yeah, but uh one day I went on a little adventure with a friend of mine with two cars. He was on a Wrangler, I was on my pickup truck, and we went to uh the empty quarter. Okay, uh, so it's Liwa basically. Yeah, I know Liwa two kilometers away from the Saudi border.

SPEAKER_01 45:59

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:00

We drove 35 kilometers into the desert and we got stuck. No way, we got stuck. We couldn't get it.

SPEAKER_01 46:08

I know what does it mean to get stuck?

SPEAKER_00 46:11

We but our stuck wasn't because we sunk in the sand, no, we realized that uh because of the way the wind was blowing, it was creating these high walls and these uh plateaus. So when we looked back and we were like, okay, we can go back, our cars couldn't go up. And so we're sitting there like, what do we do?

SPEAKER_01 46:35

Was there any connection uh international? Yeah, we had phone, we had everything. I thought you had the connection because sometimes in the desert there there is no connection.

SPEAKER_00 46:43

I know, and uh I came prepared, I had water for a week. I had uh I no, no, I never go to the desert without oversupplying, yeah, yeah. Because you never know, yes, you know, so I'm sitting there. My friend is a bit freaking out, and we're like, listen, man, no need to worry now, it's getting dark. Let's set up camp and uh let's uh just have some barbecue and uh we barbecue, we set up, yeah. Because I knew nothing was gonna happen to me. I knew worst case scenario, I called rescue, they come pick us up, I pay the money, and then we figure out what to do with the car. It's not a problem. So I was okay, but my friend was freaking out.

SPEAKER_01 47:25

Yeah, maybe he's not used to this situation.

SPEAKER_00 47:28

Well, he he's pretty adventurous, but I guess not. Yeah, I guess he went into a little panic, and to the point so that it was four o'clock in the morning. Four o'clock in the morning, there was a huge sandstorm. We had to tie the tents to the cars. Yeah, yeah. So it was four o'clock in the morning, and I come out and we did a little bonfire, you know. So the the the embers were still there, and I just rekindle it, and I'm sitting outside looking at the sky. The sky. And I will never forget this the moon was just going away. So there was this moment between the moon going away and the sun coming up, where all of a sudden, the moment the moon disappeared on the horizon, the sky exploded with stars. Wow. And everything was moving, and I was looking, and it was it was so beautiful. And my friend comes out and he's like, Oh, you're awake. I'm like, Yeah, I'm awake. Uh, how are you? I didn't sleep, I thought a succubus was coming to get me. Sucabus is a little demon, and I'm like, bro, seriously, man, just come sit here, warm up by the fire. And then sunrise comes up. I'm I'm okay. And uh we start packing up everything, take out the camp, and then we start thinking, how do we go back? Now that we have sunlight, call me. We we started walking up and down the dunes. It took us six hours to get out of there, but we figure it out and some aggressive dune bashing because we really need to smash some of the dunes with the dunes. Of course, but we managed to get out the moment we hit the asphalt of the road. We're like, Yeah, I remember we were yelling and dancing and screaming. There were cars passing by looking at us like these weird people.

SPEAKER_01 49:15

Yeah, but this is the best part of it when you have when you have a good like uh suffering memory or hard memory there, like uh you were stuck, then something happened, and the sunrise, and the and then you made it, so you will never forget this day.

SPEAKER_00 49:31

Oh no, I tell the story to all I tell it to my kids, I tell it to my friends, and maybe I add a little bit more color to it. But yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 49:38

But you know, but it's uh it's a very nice memory. As one time, also I got stuck in Lebanon in the snow. We were off-roading in the snow in the tempest. Very crazy people.

SPEAKER_00 49:49

That's okay.

SPEAKER_01 49:49

So we were almost like three, four cars, and also uh when when uh when you go off-roading, you put down the tires, so the you deflate, you deflate the tires, and I deflated my tires a bit more than it should be, and also I was driving like a crazy, so the tires went out from the from the rim, from the rim, and then we were like everyone, we were freezing first because we are on the snow. Uh, we didn't had much things to uh for the heat and things, and at the end, we learned something very new from one guy that if you put uh gas inside the tire and uh put some uh fire on it, it will uh hook with the rim again. And this is what I learned that day. Some technical things. I told them, My tires are new, don't uh don't put fire on my tires, they are very new. They say, No, no, it's the only way that we can put your yeah, and it works, and it works like magic. Yeah, yeah. So, also that day I still have uh memory of it because of this uh accident that happened, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:57

Oh, very nice. Um, okay, so off-roading champion.

SPEAKER_01 51:04

Yes, a bit. It's a hobby. This is my hobby, actually. It's your hobby, yeah. The other one is my job.

SPEAKER_00 51:12

Or your passion.

SPEAKER_01 51:13

Yeah, my passion.

SPEAKER_00 51:14

Okay, is there any other passion that we don't know about?

SPEAKER_01 51:17

Um no. Oh, yes, there is fishing. But fishing is my hobby, really. Otherwise, is uh other things is my passion. Fishing is my hobby.

SPEAKER_00 51:27

What type of fishing?

SPEAKER_01 51:28

Sea fishing? Uh yeah, I go in the ocean uh for uh tuna fishing.

SPEAKER_00 51:33

Ah, so little fishes, huh?

SPEAKER_01 51:35

Yeah, little tiny cutie fish.

SPEAKER_00 51:38

Yeah, of course. 50 kilo tunas and whatnot.

SPEAKER_01 51:41

Yeah, we're doing it here in Dubai and also in Lebanon. You do it here in Dubai?

SPEAKER_00 51:46

Yeah, but in Dubai you get bonito.

SPEAKER_01 51:49

Yeah, and sometimes in Fujira, we're going uh a long when you say we, you have a club of fish at yeah, there is a club actually, uh Sea Wake, if I can mention it. They are my friends and they are into uh very deep ocean fishing professional uh uh way of fishing.

SPEAKER_00 52:08

Yeah, I wouldn't mind joining you if you let me know. You're more than welcome. Hotel Xenia, also she'll come for sure. I I love fishing.

SPEAKER_01 52:15

She she likes to kill fish.

SPEAKER_00 52:17

She likes to eat fish.

SPEAKER_01 52:18

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 52:19

I know how to make sushi.

SPEAKER_01 52:20

I don't know if she likes to kill the fish.

SPEAKER_00 52:22

Oh, it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 52:23

Some people don't like it.

SPEAKER_00 52:25

I'm the cook.

SPEAKER_01 52:26

Yeah, okay. I will get you the fish, you're gonna cook it.

SPEAKER_00 52:29

Yeah, look, I um my great-grandfather, he used to um used to fish by river and lake fishing. So he used to take me out with him. Oh wow. This is in Chile in South America.

SPEAKER_01 52:41

Nice, I've never tried it actually in the river.

SPEAKER_00 52:44

Oh, it's a different story. It's uh much more peaceful because you're surrounded by trees, the river that goes by. Wow, and there's you can do fly fishing or you can do uh trailing, but everything is slow, everything is quiet, it's beautiful. Nice, yeah, yeah. So uh my passion for fishing came from there.

SPEAKER_01 53:09

So we have uh a passion in common.

SPEAKER_00 53:12

I think we have a lot of passions in common.

SPEAKER_01 53:14

We are artists, I guess so.

SPEAKER_00 53:16

Yes, I guess so.

SPEAKER_01 53:17

We are artists, even cooking is an art.

SPEAKER_00 53:21

Oh, thank you very much. Yeah, um well, look, um, we spoke about uh your life and we spoke about what you how did you get here, what you're doing here. What's in the future?

SPEAKER_01 53:36

Um the future, also uh I don't know what's in the future because for me, as I told you, it's the destiny. So I am walking on this path that God created for me. I'm not planning for nothing, of course. Hard working with all the talents that I have, but I'm not planning for any future. The future will come.

SPEAKER_00 53:57

That's beautiful. You are truly, truly an inspiration, Cynthia.

SPEAKER_01 54:02

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 54:02

It's uh it's uh any little girl would be blessed to have you as a teacher, as a coach, just as somebody to look up to.

SPEAKER_01 54:13

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 54:14

Uh and I am inspired by you. Xenia is inspired by you since from the moment we met you.

SPEAKER_01 54:19

Thank you so much, really.

SPEAKER_00 54:21

Uh look, I want to thank you for uh joining me today. I want to thank you for making taking the time. And I know you've been practicing because you are preparing to sing a very beautiful song that I love.

SPEAKER_02 54:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 54:32

Um, thank you so much for taking the time to be with me and to share your story with me and with everybody else that will be looking at this.

SPEAKER_01 54:39

Thank you so much, and thank you for inviting me to your podcast. It's an honor for me, actually. And uh looking forward.

SPEAKER_00 54:47

Thank you, Cynthia.

SPEAKER_01 54:48

Thank you, thank you.