Meet Mona Eye-yoob

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mona Eye-yoob.

Hi Mona, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My passion for music and performing started when I was about seven years old. I used to be a part of the school choir. My first music instrument I had was a tiny Casio keyboard. As a teenager, I developed an interest in learning to play guitar and signed up at the Lebanese National Conservatoire. Years later, when I moved to Colorado, I decided to reconnect and pursue my childhood dream of becoming a singer/songwriter/Musician. I wrote my first song, Gone Away and released it Fall of 2018. Beginning of 2019, I found out about open mics and decided to start performing at open mics and attending as many live music shows as possible. My first performance ever was at a Middle Easter show at CU Boulder in 2019. After that performance, I got more involved in the music scene and met a wonderful ensemble, Al Zuhoor, led by the Moroccan musician Rachid Halihal and decided to join the ensemble. Summer of 2019, I released my second song, Mantra. This song is very close to my heart and I love performing it on stage a lot.

Later during the year, I formed my band Eye-yoob and Les Americans. We performed at multiple events, including the Colorado Lebanese Festival in Lakewood, CO and another Middle Eastern North African Night at the CU Boulder, in addition to various shows in different venues across the State. Year 2020 was hard on everyone around the globe, including myself. Obviously, no shows or performances were taking place. So I used this time to build my online presence and joined a music course with the CAMunity Music Team and became a member of the Colorado Music Business Organization (COMBO). I also released my third song, Monica in Quarantine, which I was basically talking about myself during the period of lockdown. Monica in Quarantine, in my opinion, reflected how many of us were feeling.

August of 2020, a terrifying and horrible explosion happened in Beirut, Lebanon – my homeland. This incident left me, as all my fellow Lebanese in the world, with deep scars and shocked. It took me a while to process what happened and finally decided to put all my emotions in a song, this is how Be Beirut came to life in July of 2021. ‘Be Beirut’ differs from my other songs in its writing techniques, its music production and its vibes. I am embodying my country, Lebanon, as my beloved and addressing [it] in the city that never sleeps, Beirut, as I long for the good old days. It also represents a milestone because it’s the first time I officially mixed Lebanese, Arabic and English languages in an original recording. Be Beirut played in 4 radio stations in Lebanon and made it to multiple playlists on Spotify.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I believe being a full-time musician is never an easy road. Aside from being a musician, I do have a full-time job that helps pay the bills, as well as makes it easier to invest in music production especially that I collaborate with music production houses/ studios in Europe in addition to local studios. As well as building my image in terms of online presence, marketing and advertising my music. Everything comes with a cost.

If you ask any local musician, they will probably tell you the same thing. It’s possible to sign up with a record label, but the space of freedom in publishing and ownership of the music is limited. I personally, like to be in control, and sometimes that takes a lot of energy, time and money.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Middle Eastern Lebanese Musician/Singer-Songwriter and a bandleader of Eye-yoob & Les Américains, based in Denver, Colorado. Trying to blend between R&B/Soul, Pop, Rai & Levant music genres, I believe I am creating my own unique genre which others see as something new and different.

My style is a combination of R&B/Soul, French Pop, Rai and North African Music. I try to blend these genres my own style. I find music as meditation to the soul; no matter which language you speak, music touches the humans soul in a way or another.

I am proud of finally coming out as an openly Lebanese lesbian artist and live my life the way I deserve.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I would like to think that I am a very open person. Up until this summer, I was not ready to tell the world that I am a part of the LGBTQ+. But finally, I was able to get out of the closet and face the world with the best version of me. I am currently in a relationship with a wonderful, successful entrepreneur pageant girl who ranked top 7 in Miss Colorado this year, Allison M. Harrison. She is a heart of gold! Allison and I performed together on stage not too long ago. She has a beautiful voice.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.eyeyoobmusic.com
• Instagram: @eyeyoob
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/eyeyoob
• Twitter: @eyeyoob
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/eyeyoobmusic 

Image Credits
Dustin Moon Photography Connor Koldeway Portrait