In the lime light

Zara Quiroga is extremely busy ... after all, one of her dreams is about to be realised this month.

This 25-year-old managing director of Lime Green Entertainment is busy setting up what could be a boon to music makers in the region.

The company that created Dubai's first English-speaking online community, Dubai Lime is launching Dubai's first non-profit recording studio.

"As soon as the studio is operational [some time later this month] the artistes can commence recording ... and move on to bigger things,'' says Quiroga. "In fact, our first artists are already lined up for studio time and it's going to be an exciting period for them and us to work on such a major achievement. We are hoping to be able to release the first album before the end of the year," she says excitedly.

A music buff, she has been actively pursuing her passion for music even when she was a journalism student in Lisbon and then as a sales and events manager representing the music and entertainment industry. Having come to Dubai to become a part of Lime Green Entertainment's team, her main objective is to infuse the fast- growing city of Dubai with a buzzing music scene to enrich the cultural tapestry of the city.

The idea of launching a recording studio was an offshoot of the wide popularity the forum enjoyed among local artists. Says Quiroga: "Dubai is a fast evolving city but it lacked forums [where musicians could play] their original music. We began hosting Open Mic sessions at venues, to give original music artists the opportunity to showcase their talent. This provided artists opportunities to play to a live audience and promote their original material.''

Dubai Lime's Open Mic sessions have become popular and are now a magnet for artists who wish to perform before a large audience.

"Having developed this forum, our next step was to build on this pool of talent to give the artists an opportunity to record and distribute their music to enhance their experience in the industry.

"Initiatives like this are sure to enrich the city's cultural profile.

"Building the studio will boost the morale of the local talent pool here and encourage young talent to come forward. This is a progression that the city needs.

"Dubai Lime musicians will take precedence in the line-up of artists we are representing and these are the artists who have been with Dubai Lime since the beginning: Ramsay Phillips, Michael Drowley, Jennifer Gove, Ish and the band Butterspoon Experiment. Each of these artists brings their own fresh talent with their own composition and originality. In addition to the Dubai Lime artists, the studio will be open to others seeking to produce their own music.

"Our commitment is to promote talent and build on positive cultural exchange forums through art and music. There are always costs to worry about and we are looking for sponsors to support us through sponsorship of the open mic sessions, our websites and now our studio and the signed artists. We also organise corporate events and through our web development company, H2O, we are able to generate funds to continue running these non-profitable ventures," says Quiroga.

One thing is certain: if you start off on a good note, you will definitely be be able to create pure music all the way.