Dubai: An all-Filipino choir wowed its audiences of different nationalities in Al Qouz on Monday night. The audience requested for more platforms for local performers in Dubai.
The 30-member Dubai Vocal Ensemble received a standing ovation and seemingly endless applause from the audience after their one-hour concert at The Fridge, a venue that aims to connect locally-based artists to the music scene in Dubai.
"This is the best choir I've seen in Dubai. They sang from the heart, they sang with emotion, they sang with a purpose. Their sound was incredible and I am left speechless," Zachary Rush, a Dubai-based American music teacher and member of the audience, told Gulf News.
On its first concert performance since its inception in 2004, the ensemble performed a wide repertoire of choral works, ballads, world folk, and Filipino folk songs. They also gave their version of Lady Gaga's Pokerface and the Beatles' Let it Be, among others. But the Filipino folk songs were the crowd favourite.
"It was tropical; for us it was nice. Coming from Europe, it's nice to get to know other culture here," Karel Costenoble, who came with his wife Patty, told Gulf News.
Having lived in Dubai for 25 years, the Belgian couple commented that more could be done to promote local talent in the UAE.
"We love to go and and hear live music. It would be good if there could be more venues or a repeat of their concert in different places," Costenoble said. "Sometimes we go to classical concerts in Abu Dhabi. I find it a pity that they just take them in Abu Dhabi, though they could repeat the performance in more locations in the UAE."
The ensemble comprises Filipino expatriates from different fields--engineers, architects, artists, and others. They regularly sing for the St. Mary's Church, weddings, concerts-for-a-cause, and other events. Their love of music and love of country reflect in the ensemble's song lineup.
"We would like to show our guests the rich culture and kind of music that we have in the Philippines. We also want Filipinos to remember where they're from through our music," musical director Jocelyn Santos told Gulf News.
The well-loved performance did not come as a surprise as members of the ensemble revealed the hard work they had to exert from months back.
"We have very stringent practices which happen thrice a week. Every Friday, we have to wake up at four in the morning to practise for our services and our regular singing engagements," said Cristina Blanco, DVE member.
The ensemble will have a two-hour concert at the St. Mary's Church on November 24. It is also preparing for an international competition in Istanbul, Turkey next year.
