Forward

Wael Kodeih was born in 1979 in Nabatieh, a small village in the south of Lebanon, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother. In 1982 the family fled Lebanon upon the Israeli invasion campaign known as "Peace of Galilee". The tragic war sent them to Paris where Wael lived until the age of 13. In 1992, two years after the Lebanese Civil War ended, the family moved back to Lebanon.

Wael’s interest in the arts began at a young age as his father, an artist, taught him how to draw. This passion stayed with him through his education, and as a young man Wael focused his energy on his studies, completing a master’s degree in mass communication and graphic design in 2003 from the Lebanese Fine Arts Academy (ALBA or Academie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts). With Lebanon nearly destroyed from the continued violence of war, Wael then returned to Paris to begin work on his doctorate at the French National School of Fine Arts (Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Décoratifs). 

Wael's began his musical career at a time when most rappers in the Middle East were putting out records in English and French. Wael, however, decided to rap in Arabic. He adapted rap music to his personal background and created his own sound and style. His lyrics - always polished, sharp and committed - speak about Lebanon, its crisis, its war, its youth and disillusionment with politics by the new generation.

Wael, with his band Aks'ser (literally "Against the Current"), had their debut at the Fete de la Musique concert summer of 1997 in Beirut. This concert earned them critical respect. Aks'ser released two albums AHLA BI CHABEB (WELCOME YOUTH) in 2000 and KHARTOUCH (BULLET) in 2002 on the independent label ChichProd. In 2003, Rayess Bek released his first solo album 3AM BEHKEH BIL SOKOUT (TALKING IN SILENCE) as an independent release and went on tour throughout the Middle East and Europe. In 2004, Aks'ser was signed to EMI and released their self-titled third album 2005.

In 2007, Wael was commissioned by the UN to compose and produce a song for a special awareness campaign on disability. The song and video, "Ekhtilef Tabiyeh" (“Difference is Normal”) was the first media campaign promoting acceptance of handicapped people in the Middle East. It has been broadcast in over 20 countries in North Africa and the Middle East.

In June 2007, Wael completed his Doctorate in Fine Arts in Paris, and began work on another campaign for the United Nations, this time for an anti-war campaign, along with American co-writer and producer Frank Fitzpatrick. The song and video is titled “Just Like You” and debuted throughout the Middle East and North of Africa in 2008.

Today, Wael is working with musicians in his new band, The Rayess Bek Orchestra. The musicians use traditional instruments like the oud (oriental luth) and nay (oriental flute) with bass, upright bass and groove box to form orchestral hip-hop in French and Arabic. They have performed all over the world, in such places as Paris, Casablanca, Liverpool and Berlin.