The World Metal Congress is about to make history by adding to its line-up speakers from metal’s unlikeliest place on the planet: Syria. Syrian metal musician Jake Shuker, lead singer of celebrated Syrian metal band Maysaloon, will be coming all the way from Damascus to speak at WMC in London. This will be the first time since the start of the Syrian war that a Syrian metal musician based in Damascus is able to travel from Syria to take part in such an international event.
Jake will be joined at WMC by Monzer Darwish, another Syrian musician and director of the film Syrian Metal is War. WMC is delighted to premiere this incredible documentary. Monzer shot Syrian Metal is War on location in Syria in the middle of the conflict, documenting both the devastating impact of the war on the Syrian metal scene but also the resilience of the country’s metalheads who defied the war by continuing to hold concerts. Monzer then fled Syria, arriving in Europe as a refugee on a rubber boat, and has since sought asylum in the Netherlands.
Jake, meanwhile, stayed in Damascus throughout the war and formed Maysaloon at the height of the conflict, organizing concerts in historic old Damascus under the bombs. That WMC succeeded in securing visas for both men to come to London is in itself a feat, as the average success rate for such visa applications is almost nil.
The World Metal Congress will be a rare opportunity to listen to these remarkable gentlemen tell their stories of war, metal and personal triumph. Their unique experience (that they will be sharing as part of a Q&A on the second day of WMC, Saturday, March 23) will be an insight the music industry and metal community will not be able to get anywhere else!
Jake Shuker, Maysaloon – “I’m so excited to be a part of this landmark event! The World Metal Congress will put the metal scene in our war-torn country on the international map for the first time ever. I formed my band Maysaloon in Damascus at the height of the Syrian conflict in 2015. I cannot wait to share our experience with the global metal community at WMC.“
Monzer Darwish, musician and Syrian Metal is War director – “When I first started filming ‘Syrian Metal Is War’ back in 2013, I wanted to help preserve the Syrian metal scene in any way possible. What triggered this idea was the loss of many of my friends whom I witnessed transform from being artists and musicians into being soldiers fighting on different front-lines and for different causes. It’s so hard to imagine that no one will ever know who these people really were and how war and circumstances forced them to change.
“That’s what I am trying to remind myself and my friends with this film, that we are musicians, artists, performers, creatives and metalheads… and war shouldn’t change who we are.
“I think the World Metal Congress is doing the same thing, it’s reminding us of who we are by sharing our stories and our work and by bringing us together in a move that would have been impossible to do on our own. I’m so happy to be part of this event!”
