BY TALAL ADEL CHAMI The story begins in the San Andrés Valley of Veracruz, one of Mexico’s great tobacco-growing regions and the historic home of the Turrent family. The family has been involved in Mexican tobacco since 1880, and San Andrés is not simply another tobacco origin for Casa Turrent. It is part of the… Read more

A-SHORT-LOOP-IN-ONE-ACT TALAL CHAMI © The Blue Note Café was full. Not full in the ordinary sense of the word. Full of cigarettes, laughter, wet coats, spilled wine, broken conversations, soldiers pretending not to be soldiers, journalists pretending not to be frightened, and men who had come out of their houses because remaining inside had begun… Read more

Reconnect with the Terroir ™ at Lebanon’s Highest Vineyard. By TALAL ADEL CHAMI. ©  Escape the city for a day with the Reconnect with the Terroir™ experience by Muse du Liban.  Hosted by winemaker Nadim Khoury, the day includes round-trip transportation from Beirut, a traditional Lebanese breakfast, a high-altitude hike among the vines at 2,150… Read more

By TALAL ADEL CHAMI. Kalim Bechara Art Gallery Beirut Presents Between Light and Memory: The works of Robert Messarra in dialogue with Marie Traboulsi and curated by Randa Sadaka.  On view till 1st of August 2026. Through his extraordinary command of colour, his sculptural handling of paint, and his unwavering faith in the redemptive power… Read more

BY TALAL ADEL CHAMI © Casa Turrent makes a compelling argument that Mexico deserves a place among the very finest. With remarkable consistency, The Aztec Country has cultivated one of the richest tobacco traditions in the world. At the heart of this legacy stands Casa Turrent 1880 Rosado Gordito (4 x 60), a cigar that… Read more

TALAL ADEL CHAMI © The PDR A. Flores El Criollito Short Gordo is more than another medium-bodied premium cigar—it is a thoughtful interpretation of the classic Cuban smoking tradition, filtered through Dominican craftsmanship and contemporary blending expertise. Initially conceived as an exclusive release for the European market, the cigar quickly earned a devoted following among… Read more

TALAL ADEL CHAMI © The moment I step into Tabacalera, Beirut quietly fades away. In an instant, I am transported back to Cuba—to those unforgettable evenings in Havana, where time drifts at its own unhurried rhythm. The lush garden, the warm glow of the lights, the unmistakable aroma of fine tobacco, and the effortless cadence… Read more

Interview by TALAL ADEL CHAMI   © LEA SUNAIJ Lea Sunaij is a contemporary Syrian visual artist whose work explores memory, emotion, identity, and the psychological dimensions of human experience. Born in Damascus in 1994, she specializes primarily in oil painting and is part of a younger generation of Syrian artists whose practice has been… Read more

TALAL ADEL CHAMI As part of Beirut Art Days, Lea Sunaij’s recent solo exhibition, Adrenaline, presented at Kalim Bechara Art Gallery in Beirut and curated by Nour Salman, proved to be one of the season’s most compelling artistic events. The exhibition was met with remarkable critical and public acclaim, further cementing Sunaij’s reputation as one… Read more

A—LOOP—IN—ONE—ACT TALAL CHAMI © Part I The Pick-Up Westy camper was swooshing like a washing machine down the coastal road, its metal bones rattling with every pothole. Inside, there was only the humming engine, the salt wind slipping through the cracked windows, and the strange gravity of the moment: me and Little Sunshine tangled in… Read more