English (United Kingdom) 
Arabic (اللغة العربية) 
After a long absence, Lebanese artist Elissa greeted the Carthage International Festival audience through the gateway of memory, choosing to open her concert with a video documenting pivotal stages of her musical career. That moment was a journey through time, as Elissa and her audience together revisited the milestones that shaped her artistic glory, from humble beginnings to the summit she occupies today.
In the stands, her audience was right on time, catching the first notes of the songs and repeating the lyrics until she appeared, accompanied by a halo of applause and cheers. The song "Kell Elly Bihebbouni" was the secret password with her fans. That song, which has always been a bridge between Elissa and her audience, became a collective anthem that night, chanted by the crowd as if it were a promise of eternal loyalty and love.
From her first appearance, a palpable chemistry flowed between her and the diverse audience that filled the chairs and stands, glowing with remarkable interaction shaped by her movements on stage as she greeted the crowd, who left their seats and crafted with her the contours of an unforgettable evening. The energy flowing between the stage and the stands was evidence of a solid relationship that transcended time, making this return more than just a concert—a celebration of shared memory.
Elissa did not hide her joy at returning to the Carthage International Festival after an absence, establishing a historical link between herself and the place that has held her voice for 17 years, speaking of "Alissa" (Elissa/Dido), the legendary Tunisian queen whose name she proudly shares. In that moment, the ancient Tunisian legend met the contemporary Lebanese star, as if history were rewriting itself on the ancient stage, where civilizations meet and hearts harmonise.
Accompanied by an orchestra led by Maestro Fadi Ezzo, a succession of songs from her musical catalogue followed—works that bet on the poetry of lyrics, the sincerity of emotion, the fluidity of melodies, and their openness to various musical colours. The orchestra was a perfect support for Elissa's performance, adding new dimensions to the songs and making them a complete auditory experience, moving between quiet romance and loud enthusiasm.
"The most beautiful return to Tunisia is with you" – Elissa never stopped charming the audience that answered her call from the moment she said "Yalla Yalla" at the start of her concert, accompanying her as she revisited different stages of her career and moved gracefully between her old and new work. Each song was a stop on a rich artistic journey, carrying memories and emotions, and embodying a continuous evolution in her style and voice.
Elissa, who is among the artists whose songs, over more than three decades, have created a unique artistic identity and a special memory for a wide Arab audience, returned to the Carthage International Festival in its 60th edition to renew her bond with an audience that knows her voice, knows her songs by heart, and follows her transformations from one album to another. She is one of the few who have managed to maintain their presence through decades of rapid changes in the music industry, without losing their essence or drifting away from their audience.
At Carthage, where songs are tested in their ability to reach crowded stands and an audience of diverse tastes and generations, Elissa took the stage carrying an artistic and popular legacy that made her one of the most prominent names in the Arab music scene in recent decades. This presence was not built on the abundance of production alone, but on a clear artistic identity that chose from the very beginning to make emotional song its primary language.
Elissa has a memory with Carthage dating back to 2009, when she took the ancient stage as part of the festival's 45th edition before a large audience that sang along with her songs from the album "Ayami Bik." That encounter was one of the early moments that revealed the depth of the relationship Elissa had built with a Tunisian audience that found in her voice and songs a reflection of its own emotional details.
Today, after many years, Elissa returns to the same stage, but in a different context. The artist who began her journey from "Studio El Fan" in 1992 has lived through significant transformations in Arab music, from the era of albums to the era of singles, and from television and radio to digital platforms. Yet her artistic line remained clear, and her songs never lost their fundamental features—she chose from the beginning to bet on her voice and her ability to convey emotion, and to work on a singing persona based on warmth, intimacy, and closeness to emotional details.
From "Ayshalak" to "Ajmal Ehsas," from "Tsaddak Bimeen" to "As'ad Wahda," "Saharna Ya Leil," and "Kell Elly Bihebbouni," these songs constitute a legacy that has made emotional song a permanent part of her artistic image. Elissa has benefited from numerous collaborations with influential figures in Arab music, including Marwan Khoury, Mohamed Rahim, Ziad Baraji, Walid Saad, and others—collaborations that helped diversify her repertoire and maintain her presence in a constantly shifting music market.
What is striking about Elissa's career is that her success did not stop at the limits of popularity; she managed to make her style a recognizable trademark, and to maintain a special space within a generation that saw many female voices emerge. She redefines romantic song at every stage through new productions, different arrangements, and themes that touch her audience's changing sensibilities. Hence, one can understand the continuity of her presence—her works are not all similar, but they originate from the same artistic sensibility, and from that balance between simplicity in reception and clarity in expression.
At Carthage, the relationship between her and her audience takes on another dimension—they did not come only to listen to new songs, but also to rediscover what accompanied them in previous years. Thus, the concert becomes a space where old and new songs meet, where memory meets the present. The 60th edition of the Carthage International Festival adds symbolic value to this encounter—the festival celebrates six decades of major musical and artistic events, and Elissa returns to it after a long time, carrying in her experience many changes.
Between the festival's history and the artist's history, two memories intersect: the memory of a stage that hosted major Arab and international names, and the memory of a voice that chose to make emotion its path to the audience. The real test for Elissa at Carthage was not to prove she is a popular artist—her career had long since settled that—but to affirm that the relationship with an audience can transcend time. For Elissa to return to the same place after years, and to be greeted by the audience's voices singing her lyrics, is proof that she has succeeded in turning romantic music into a cohesive artistic identity, and that emotional song, when sincere, remains alive in hearts, no matter how times change and listening methods evolve.