Onomatopoeia - The Music Hub

A stone throw up from Sioufi Gardens and 10 minutes’ walk from Sassine and its noisy franchise cafés is the one of a kind Onomatopoeia – The Music Hub. Open from 10:00 to 00:00, this quaint café cum music school with a library, decorated with retro furniture, creative elements and upcycled items, offers a quiet working space, good coffee and stable Internet on the ground floor of a residential block. Sitting areas include inside and outside spaces. The menu also includes an array of teas and infusions, fresh juices, homemade cakes, sandwiches, light meals, as well as wine and beers.

Onomatopoeia is a non-governmental organization initiated privately. It was established in 2013 as a concept space and is the first of its kind in the region, with an emphasis on music. While serving as a hub for diverse cultural activities, Onomatopoeia provides a place for musicians to facilitate learning, convergence, and experience exchange. It furthermore aims to contribute to music skills development and works on disseminating musical culture in the community. In addition to that, the founders induce young people to participate in music related humanitarian projects and work towards creating careers in the music field.

Throughout the day, The Music Hub runs a music school, running classes in anything from singing to piano and oud and at night-time, all kinds of music related events take place. These include film screenings, jam sessions, concerts in an intimate setting, and music talks, often on themes taken from classical Arabic music or also jazz. Performances include locally known independent musical talent as well as visiting artists from various countries and musical backgrounds.

The crowd is laid-back and loyal-you’ll quickly get to know people if you regularly attend events.

Ono, as it’s also referred to, also has a good selection of local indie music CDs on sale in the back area, near the classrooms.