Lebanon is lucky to host one of Opera's most humble sopranos; Monica Yunus. Born in 1979 in Bungladesh, she is the daughter of the Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and his then wife, Vera Forostenko. She moved to the US within months of her birth. Monica developed a passion for singing at a very young age. She was constantly chanting; in the car, the showers, her room, and in every corner, until her mom decided to take it to the next level. She enrolled Monica in vocal lessons at the age of 11 to later become a member of the Metropolitan Opera's Children Chorus for several years. This was the start to one of America's most promising talents.
Monica visited Lebanon in July last year to perform at the Zouk Festival. Captivated by the country, she decided to come back again this year in July with a more promising act. "I consider myself an ambassador for the Zouk;" she said when asked about it in our exclusive one on one interview. She expressed her admiration to the amphitheater as it is structured in a way that gives her a chance to communicate with the audience. She visited the country, however, one month prior to this year's scheduled festival purely to take part in visiting Lebanon's Chronic Care Center in its 20th anniversary. Monica heartwarmingly said: "We had a wonderful morning performing with the kids and having them perform with us. The institution's mission is to treat today's diseases and promote tomorrow's health. This entire week in Lebanon was purely dedicated to the chronic care center.
Monica, the Julliard grad, co-founded "Sing for Hope" with her best friend Camille Zamora in 2006. With volunteered artists, its sole mission is to make art accessible to everyone from school children to healthcare patients and many others. 88 piano instruments were placed in the public streets of New York for everyone to play. Music education is now available to whoever has the passion for it.
I won't go into further details, I will leave you to enjoy the interview and look forward to seeing you at the Zouk Festival. At last, a big thank you for Monica for all the efforts and care she has shown to Lebanon in general, and to the Chronic Care Center in particular.
By : Stephany B.
