Expo 2020 Dubai: Singer Sami Yusuf, Firdaus Orchestra part of weekend of music

Music fans visiting Expo 2020 Dubai are in for a treat over the weekend, with local and international artists set to perform on October 22 and 23.

British singer-songwriter Sami Yusuf will take to the stage on October 22 and 23 at Al Wasl Plaza with his show, ‘Beyond the Stars’. The hour-long music event starts at 8.30pm on both nights and sees Yusuf lead a group of musicians from around the world as they perform a special show inspired by the themes of Expo, the legacy of the UAE and the Silk Road.

Guo Gan, master of the erhu, a traditional two-stringed Chinese instrument, and Indian sitarist Asad Khan, as well as Moroccan singer Nablya Maan and Azerbaijani vocalist Teyyar Bayramov, will be part of the show.

On October 23, Expo 2020 Dubai’s all-female Firdaus Orchestra, led by conductor Yasmina Sabbah, will perform a space-themed repertoire at Jubilee Park comprising Western classical music and an original composition by Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman. The performance starts at 7pm and closes Expo 2020 Dubai’s Space Week.

According to a statement, the one-hour performance will include ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’, the theme from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, as well as music from ‘Star Wars’ and ‘E.T. – Adventures on Earth’. It will also feature Karl Jenkins’ ‘Palladio’, Beethoven’s ‘Symphony No 5’, and a grand finale performance by AR Rahman who will present an exclusive new composition, ‘Humanitas-Proorismós-Al Amal’ — an ode by the composer to explorers of space. ‘Al Amal’ is the Arabic word for ‘Hope’, which is also the name of the first Arab mission to Mars.

Expo 2020 Dubai ticket-holders aiming to attend the orchestra’s inaugural performance on Saturday should arrive early. Due to limited capacity at the venue, access will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.

Earlier, on October 21, Pakistani singer-songwriter Ali Zafar performed at Jubilee Park.