Dubai: Music lovers in the emirate may once again get their music fix at the ‘Fete de la Musique’ (Music Festival) at the Souk Madinat Jumeirah on Thursday.
Organised by the Alliance Française of Dubai, under the sponsorship of the French Embassy, ‘Fête de la Musique’ will feature 80 musicians playing a variety of music be it Arabic fusion, Moroccan Rif, Iranian fusion, Gypsy jazz, Rock & Blues, French songs, classical music, Tango & Flamenco, and others.
Fête de la Musique takes place every June 21, the day of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, in more than a hundred countries worldwide. It was launched by the French Ministry of Culture in 1982 to enable the expression of all musical styles to flourish.
In Dubai, two special participating groups from France will grace the music stage - the Turban Project group and Mohammad Abozekry and Heejaz group. The list of musicians also include the Hamami Brothers, The Fridge, Gypsy Swing Project, Blues Trip, Funk’n’ Groove, among others. All the musicians are asked to play music at the festival for free, and admission is open to the public at no cost.
“We have been doing this in Dubai for eight years now to give a chance and provide a platform for small groups, new groups to perform in an event for the public to hear their music,” Ossama El Shammaa, Cultural Coordinator at Alliance Francaise, told Gulf News.
“We have seen that in the last three years, there has been an increase in participation from new musicians from different nationalities and that I think is the secret to the success of this event,” El Shammaa added.
Around the world, Fete de la Musique is held in open air areas such as streets, public buildings such as museums, train stations, castles, and parks. This enables major music institutions such as orchestra, operas, and choirs to perform beyond their usual locations.
In Dubai, the Dubai Classical Guitar Orchestra and Jumeirah Music Centre have agreed to perform on Thursday outside the typical concert house setting.
