Send us a text In this conversation, Ricardo Karam meets Rima Bikhazi, a woman who turned pain into strength, fear into purpose, and leadership into an act of compassion. From a 14-year-old girl forced to leave Beirut during the war, to a woman who returned ten years later to rebuild not just a hospital but a mission, Rima embodies resilience in a country constantly on the edge. As the head of one of Lebanon’s most respected medical institutions, she speaks about the challenges of leading thr...
Send us a text In this profound and eye-opening episode, Ricardo Karam sits down with Dr. Elias Jarade, the doctor who became a voice for the wounded nation, and the parliamentarian who still treats people with the precision of a surgeon and the heart of a healer. From the Khiyam detention center to the operating room, from the echoes of explosions to the silence of Parliament, Elias Jarade has seen what few can endure. Between the South and Beirut, between medicine and politics, he continues...
Send us a text In this conversation, Ricardo Karam sits down with Yvan Caracalla, the calm and visionary force behind one of the world’s most renowned dance theaters. Away from the spotlight, Yvan shares his deep insights on art, legacy, and renewal, explaining how he and his sister have preserved the spirit of Caracalla Theater since its founding by their father, Abdel Halim Caracalla, in 1968, while adding their own vision to keep it alive and evolving for audiences worldwide. The discussio...
Send us a text In this thrilling and candid conversation, Ricardo Karam meets Ghada Salame the first field correspondent at Télé Liban, who broke barriers and entered the world of security reporting, a field considered almost exclusively “male-dominated”. From accompanying the Lebanese Army on missions during the war, to covering the attempted assassination of Minister Marwan Hamade in 1984, to witnessing the assassination of Sheikh Bachir Gemayel, and enduring repeated threats and accusation...
Send us a text In this conversation, Ricardo Karam meets Munib Al-Masri, a man whose life story mirrors a century of Palestinian history. From his childhood in Nablus, where he first heard of the Balfour Declaration, to his youth spent studying geology and politics in the United States, and his return home determined to make knowledge and success serve identity rather than exile. Munib Al-Masri is a businessman who viewed wealth as a responsibility, not a privilege, building institutions, uni...
Send us a text In this conversation, Ricardo Karam sits down with Hiam Abou Chedid, the multifaceted artist, media personality, actress, and trainer who has dedicated her life to reinvention and breaking boundaries. From her early beginnings on stage to her successful career in television, and her powerful return to theater in “Maamoul”, Hiam reflects on the moments that shaped her life and career, the roots of her artistic vision, and the boldness that defines her opinions and work. In this ...
Send us a text In this heartfelt and deeply human conversation, Ricardo Karam sits down with Carmen Chahine Debbane the woman who transformed her personal pain into a message that changed the face of specialized education in Lebanon. From the experience of a mother discovering that her child faced learning difficulties, an idea was born one that grew into a movement of love, knowledge, and dignity, embracing thousands of children and families through the Center for Learning Difficulties (CLES...
Send us a text In this captivating and surprising conversation, Ricardo Karam meets Maurice Sehnaoui a man who blends adventure with intellect, speed on the racetrack with precision in numbers, and a passion for life with the wisdom of experience. From a young man who loved challenges and car racing to a banker who led some of Lebanon’s most prominent financial institutions, from a Minister of Energy who proposed bold reform plans to an athlete who understood risk and triumph, Maurice shares ...
Send us a text In this episode, Ricardo Karam sits down with Fatma Al Shebani, a Qatari visual artist who broke social barriers to leave her mark on the art world. Fatma reflects on her early love for drawing and poetry, her unexpected journey into fine arts at Qatar University, and how art became her voice and identity. She shares her experience as an art consultant for several institutions, as well as her beginnings as a teacher and columnist. From her first solo exhibition in Doha to shows...
Send us a text In this conversation, Ricardo Karam sits down with Mounir Maasri, the distinguished Lebanese artist whose life has been devoted to theater, cinema, television, and creative expression in many forms. From his childhood in Aley to studying performing arts in the United States, Mounir shares a journey full of highs and lows, passion and challenges, and the defining moments that shaped his artistic and personal life. The conversation explores iconic milestones in his career, includ...
Send us a text In this candid and engaging conversation, Ricardo Karam meets Andrée Sfeir-Semler, a pioneering gallerist whose influence has shaped the course of contemporary Arab art for four decades. From opening her first gallery in Kiel in 1985 to building a bridge between Hamburg and Beirut, she has given a platform to voices that might never have been heard. For the first time, Andrée looks back on her early aspirations, the emotional return to her homeland after years of exile, and the...
Send us a text In a rare and deeply moving conversation, Ricardo Karam meets Ginane Makki Bacho, Lebanese artist and grieving mother, who speaks publicly for the first time since the loss of her son. After years of silence, she opens about war, exile, and memory, revealing how her art, often sculpted from bomb shrapnel, became her voice. This is more than an interview. It is a return, a reckoning, and a reminder of art’s power to transform grief into hope. Support is needed to bring this stor...
Send us a text In this episode, Ricardo Karam meets Sarah Chalabi, a Lebanese/Iraqi journalist and publisher with over 20 years of experience in writing and cultural work, based between Beirut, Paris, Kuwait, and New York. Sarah talks about her upbringings, her identity and her belonging. She discusses founding Dongola Publishing, which focuses on artist books exploring cultural, social, and political issues across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. She highlights her projects tha...
Send us a text In this episode, Ricardo Karam meets with Wadad Halawani, a civil activist who has dedicated her life to advocating for the rights of war victims and their families. Wadad shares the story of losing her husband Adnan who was kidnapped in 1982 and how this tragedy led her to establish the committee that unites the voices of women and families from diverse backgrounds to champion the cause of the forcibly disappeared and kidnapped. She discusses her journey through the war years ...
Send us a text In this episode, Ricardo Karam meets with Nada Boulos, a pioneering auctioneer and expert in Middle Eastern art based in Beirut, Lebanon. Nada shares her unique journey from studying political science at the American University of Beirut and Université Paris II to pursuing art history at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. She reflects on her formative apprenticeship with renowned auctioneer Guy Loudmer at Drouot in Paris, where she gained invaluable experience in the world o...
Send us a text In this episode, Ricardo Karam meets with Josyane Boulos, a prominent Lebanese writer, actress, and theater director known for her profound contributions to theater and media in Lebanon. Josyane shares her artistic journey growing up in a creative environment as the daughter of the late journalist Jean Claude Boulos, and how this background influenced her career in theater and media. She talks about her beginnings in school plays, her rise to become one of the leading figures i...
Send us a text In this episode, Ricardo Karam meets with Maria Hibri, Lebanese designer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Bokja, a renowned Beirut-based design studio known for merging traditional craftsmanship with contemporary expression. Maria takes us on a journey through her life in Beirut, where she was born, raised, and continues to draw deep creative inspiration. She speaks about her academic background in Arabic Literature and Journalism, and how her early experiences as an event desi...
Send us a text In this episode, Ricardo Karam meets with Dr. Karam Karam, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the American University of Beirut, former Minister of Health, and one of the leading figures in public health reform in Lebanon and the Arab world. Dr. Karam shares his journey from the southern Lebanese town of Al-Khyam, where his father was tragically assassinated to becoming a global advocate for healthcare, education, and reform. He talks about the deep connection to his roots, the ...
Send us a text In this episode, Ricardo Karam meets Nehmeh Taouk, a man whose journey began in the modest surroundings of a simple village life among cows and sheep in Bsharri, northern Lebanon. From these humble origins, Taouk carved an extraordinary path. After early work at "Beit Al-Mustaqbal", a prominent Lebanese research center, he left Lebanon in 1988, driven by a relentless desire to learn and grow. In France, he developed his skills in distribution and technology, eventually founding...
Send us a text In this episode, Ricardo Karam meets with Salim Edde, the leading Lebanese businessman who succeeded in turning his dream into reality through his global company, "Murex." Born in Beirut, he is the son of former minister Michel Edde. Despite growing up in a political environment, Salim chose a path away from politics to build an economic empire in the world of software and financial technology. Salim studied at Notre Dame Jamhour College in Lebanon before continuin...