Abu Dhabi: The French community in the UAE will join music lovers in more than hundreds countries across the globe to celebrate the World Music Day (Fête de la Musique) on June 21.
Amateur and professional musicians and singers — both known and unknown — will perform at public venues where music lovers can freely enjoy the music.
“It is nothing but music for music,” Jean-Yves Carnino, Director of French Alliance — Abu Dhabi, which organises the celebrations in the capital. The French Alliance is the largest linguistic and cultural multinational non-governmental organisation in the world with a mission to open up the borders of French language and culture, with respect for the diversity of local cultures. It has 1,000 offices across the world.
It is the third consecutive year the French Alliance is organising the World Music Day in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The event will take place on June 20 from 5pm to 10pm at the Souq Central Market in Abu Dhabi in collaboration and with the support of Al Dar, CARNINO said.
It will also take place at Souq Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai on June 21.
Launched in 1982 by the French Ministry for culture, the Fête de la Musique is held in more than 100 countries every year on June 21, the day of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere.
The musicians are asked to perform for free, and all the concerts are free for the public. So the events are organized in open air areas such as streets and parks or in public buildings like museums or train stations across the world. It encourages the major music institutions (orchestras, operas and choirs) to perform outside their usual locations.
There are an estimated 400,000 French-speaking people from 77 countries living in the UAE.
The organisers have called for applications from UAE resident musicians and singers to participate in the event. They will announce the selected participants on Monday May 20.
Amateurs and professionals of all musical trends, all age and all nationalities were considered.
Last year 520 cities in 106 countries hosted an event related to Word Music Day. In Middle East and North Africa, 20 cities in 9 countries hosted the event, including Manama in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE, and Muscat in Oman.
