In today's issue
Sounds of Arabia festival charms Abu Dhabi
Over six nights, more than two thousand years of history came to life through music and film at Abu Dhabi's Sounds of Arabia festival.
- By Eman Mohammed, Abu Dhabi Deputy Editor
- Published: 00:09 May 8, 2008
- Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty and Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
- Rida, a popular arts group, performed number of folklore traditional dances.
Over six nights, more than two thousand years of history came to life through music and film at Abu Dhabi's Sounds of Arabia festival.
Unique masterpieces of Arabic music chilled the capital's nights and brought to memory the "beautiful era" of Arabia.
Iraqi performer Farida Mohammad Ali and the Iraqi maqam ensemble brought the festival to a close with a performance at the Cultural Foundation on Tuesday night, with a promise by Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) to make it an annual event.
The festival hosted, for the first time, a selection of talented musicians and incredible voices in the rich Arabic music heritage.
The programme offered Iraqi maqam, Arab-Andalusian guitar and oud, classical qanoon, choir and orchestral performances, Egyptian traditional and mouashahat music.
Every night, the Cultural Foundation's audience was filled with Arab music lovers. Some watched the performance in the open air outside the auditorium on giant TV screens.
Farida, who is considered the pioneer of 20th century Iraqi maqam, has been based in Holland since 1997 and she is a student of the great Iraqi oud master Monir Basher.
Rida, a popular arts group, performed number of folklore traditional dances.
Artists performing in the festival also included Omar Khairat, the Al Fayha Choir, Furat Qaddouri, Tarek and Julia Banzi, Jahida Wehbe and Nadia Mustafa.
Eclectic mix
ADACH has chosen 2008 as the first year of the festival, which aims to offer an eclectic mix of sounds and styles from a uniquely complex musical heritage.
ADACH aims to make this festival as an annual event, to expand and ensure the artistic calendar of every music lover in the Arab world every May.
The evolution of this musical tradition offers an insight into the cultural identities that constitute being an Arab in the present day.
In addition to concerts and lectures on musical history, next year's festival will offer award-winning documentaries on Arabic music and musicians.
These films shed a different light on the social and cultural impact of music and the strength, courage, hope and inspiration it can lend to people's lives.
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