Quick Facts
Biography
Khaled Mouzanar (born on September 27, 1974) is a Lebanese music composer, songwriter and producer. He has composed music scores for several films, including After Shave,Caramel, and Where Do We Go Now?. In 2008, he recorded Les Champs Arides, his first solo album as a singer and songwriter. His work is rooted in various music genres, including classical, jazz, Mediterranean, and oriental melodies. His compositions are also influenced by Brazilian choro and Argentinian tango.
Career
Mouzanar studied under Boghos Gelalian – an Armenian-Lebanese composer.
In the year 2000, he established – in collaboration with Zeid Hamdan – his first label ‘Mooz Records’ through which he produced the majority of Beirut’s underground music scene. Groups such as Soap Kills, Kitaa Beirut, The New Government and RGB were among these productions.
One of his first professional experiences in cinema took place in 2005 with After Shave – a short film directed by Hany Tamba. The film won in France the Cesar Award for Best Short Film in 2006.
In 2007, and while signing with the French independent record company Naïve Records for a solo album, Mouzanar composed the score for Caramel – a feature film directed by Nadine Labaki whom he later married. In 2008, he won the UCMF Award for Best Music for the soundtrack of Caramel at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2009, he composed the music for the opening ceremony of the 2009 Jeux de la Francophonie, which was viewed by 60 million spectators all over the world. French choreographer Daniel Charpentier directed the show.
In 2010, while writing for different artists such as Natacha Atlas, Mouzanar composed the music score for the film Where Do We Go Now? directed by Nadine Labaki, for which he won the award for Best Music at the 2011 Stockholm International Film Festival.
That same year, Mouzanar recorded his first solo album (in French) entitled Les Champs Arides. The album was co-produced with the English producer Ian Caple. It includes a duet with French singer Barbara Carlotti.
Discography
- 2005: Beyrouth Après Rasage – After Shave (OST) (Cesar for best Short Movie 2006)
- 2007: Caramel (OST) (Best Music Award – UCMF in Cannes 2008)
- 2008: Les Champs Arides (Song-writer)
- 2009: Une Chanson Dans la Tête (OST)
- 2011: Where Do We Go Now? (OST) (Best Music Award 2011 – Stockholm International Film Festival)
