A Palestinian you should know: Ramzi Beshara
- What’s your name?
Ramzi Beshara
- Who are you?
I’m a second generation Palestinian American born and raised in Houston, TX.
- Where do you live?
Houston, TX
- How has your experience been in the music scene there?
I’ve been playing around town for over 20 years now. It can be hit or miss. But a large part of my musical career here in Houston has been playing in “emo” type bands, specifically late 90’s style emo That specific subgenre, in my opinion, hasn’t done too well here for quite a while. In my early 20’s, a good majority of the shows I played were well attended and an absolute blast. But as time went on the hype seemed to move elsewhere. But I’ve grown into the musician I’ve become because of this city and have loved every minute of it. Good or bad.
- What type of music do you make and how did you get into it?
Like I said, I’ve been a good number of “emo” bands, but the last 6 or 7 years I’ve changed focus and been involved in groups that cross over into punk, power pop, rock & roll and blues. My roots, as far as types of bands I’ve been in, is emo, but as I got older I felt like I needed a change. I needed more fun in music. I needed to play something more upbeat. I needed to not take things as serious.
- What kinds of bands have you been in?
My first band, if you listened to it, you would think right away, “late 90’s emo”. That band was called The Maria Project. The next 14 or so years I was busy with a handful of bands similar to that. Little Compass, Stadium, Smoky Mountain, and Hoofprints, to name a few. Then the change happened. I joined a punk band called Prison Love and the Lifers. We wrote and rehearsed for months, played our first show, and then broke up. I didn’t want it to end, playing in a band like that, so I started a group called Sparebones that I played guitar and sang in. That ended and not too long after I formed my current band called Fun Haunts. Same kind of thing in the crossover genre of punk, power pop, rock & roll, and blues.
- What themes do you explore in your music / lyrics?
In my current band, Fun Haunts, I try not to get too deep in metaphors and poetic type lyrics. Just want it to be fun. It’s a mix of themes, though. Some songs explore relationships like on our song ‘Lips’, where I sing “God, I miss my baby / I miss my baby / Hope you miss me too / God, I miss your lips on mine / Gonna wish you feel the same way too”. Some explore just good times with friends. The first song I wrote for Fun Haunts pretty much almost repeats the same thing over and over… “Gonna rattle my bones / Gonna rattle my bones in the night / Gonna rattle my bones”… which basically just refers to having a good time. Going out and getting rowdy with friends. I just want the lyrics to be fun and easily relatable.
- What's your favorite lyric you've ever written?
The band I was most active in as far as touring goes was a band called Little Compass. That was back in my early 20’s. Me and the other guitar player tag teamed on main vocals. It was the first group I was a main singer in. There’s a lyrical line I wrote in one of our songs that always sticks out to me as a favorite. “I remember when you said / Oh never mind / You, You were speechless instead”. It’s a very visual lyric to me personally. It takes me back to a sweet moment in my life even knowing, in hindsight, that I was a naive young kid thinking he was in love!
- Brag about yourself: have you collaborated with any cool artists?
One of my most proud moments as a musician was playing in a group called Panic in Detroit that got to open up 8 shows on tour with Braid. Braid is a classic late 90’s emo band that broke up in 1999. They regrouped in 2004 and did a string of reunion shows that we luckily got to be a part of. Those 8 show dates also included the groups, Murder By Death and Moneen. I’ve also gotten the opportunity to open for a lot of other amazing bands throughout the years. Jimmy Eat World, Mates of State, Minus the Bear, Waxahatchee, Paul Collins (from The Nerves), Joyce Manor, Black Joe Lewis, just to name a few.
- What are the dream collaborations that you're trying to manifest?
I’m going to include myself in this one! At this moment a dream tour would be with this band from Atlanta called Barreracudas, The Marked Men from Denton, Mikal Cronin, and then my band Fun Haunts opening the shows. That would be a dream! But honestly, I don’t know if my emotions could handle that kind of excitement.
- How does your Palestinian family / friends / community support you?
My parents have always been supportive of my musical aspirations. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for them, but in my early 20’s I delayed my career and a couple years of school to hit the road with my band Little Compass and they were there helping me the whole way. I was so broke. Also, my uncle had a restaurant that he luckily let me work at to make a few bucks when I was in between tour dates. To be honest, there isn’t much of a Palestinian presence in the Houston punk/rock & roll scene. But I have a good friend that’s Pakistani, who’s also in the punk scene, who I’ve spoken with a lot on the topic of growing up in a multicultural ethnic family. We share a lot of similarities in growing up and not feeling like we had fit in. Always feeling like a sort of outcast. That’s what got us into the art of music. Gave us a way to express ourselves. It’s nice to have that kind of understanding and support.
- What kind of future would you like to see for diaspora Palestinians in music?
I would absolutely love to see more Palestinians kids get into and become active in the punk and hardcore scene. In general, and especially diaspora Palestinian kids. Punk and hardcore are such important genres that allow you to speak your mind and allow you to really express yourself. Anger, anxiety, feelings of dissociation? Punk and hardcore is such an amazing format for all those types of feelings and is extremely inclusive of everyone.
- In the near future, Palestine is free, we're throwing a big party there to celebrate, and everybody gets to play some music, what records (not your own) are you bringing to play at the party?
Oh boy, I wouldn’t want to be a bummer but I feel like Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’ would be such a fitting record for that kind of celebration. Also, I’ll be bringing Rage Against the Machine’s self-titled record, Wyclef’s The Carnival and Beastie Boys ‘Licensed to Ill’ to help hype up the party.
- What are your social media handles and website(s)?
Instagram:
@screamingohmygod (personal)
@funhaunts (band account)
