Dubai: An Umayyad era story of love, sacrifice and toil of a lover has come to life at the centre stage of Global Village through a grand scale musical production ‘Silk Road — The Journey of a Unique Necklace’.
Portraying the legendary story of Jubayr and Laila set during the Umayyad period in Andalusia, the 30-minute musical is produced by Ornina Arts Events and is one of the biggest shows of the 22nd season of Global Village.
‘Silk Road — The Journey of a Unique Necklace’ features opulent background vistas and scenes that depict the customs, dance and arts of numerous cultures from the Umayyad period. It carries the humane message of love, sacrifice, toil and industry.
The story begins when Jubayr meets Abu Laila, the Judge of Valencia, a musician and patron of the arts, who has two beautiful daughters, Laila and Salma. Jubayr falls in love with Laila and asks for her hand in marriage. Abu Laila puts forth a challenge that in order to have his wish: Jubayr must present the most exceptional necklace in the world as dowry.
In search of the world’s most exceptional necklace, Jubayr travels with the Silk Road caravans, crossing from Andalusia to Morocco, Egypt, the Levant, Iraq, India and China. He travels through mountains, deserts, seas and plains, comes in contact with various cultures and industries and surmounts numerous challenges.
He meets the best global talent in music, dance, arts and industry and concludes that the most exceptional necklace can only be created by bringing together the gems from the best global artistic and industrial talent. He invites them to Valencia and presents them to Abu Laila who accepts the dowry.
Commenting on the production, Nasser Ebrahim, director and designer of ‘Silk Road’, said: “The presentation is a cultural and artistic milestone that reflects the importance of art as a language to connect people and create bridges between civilisations.”
More than 25 artistes perform seven acts using over 350 different customs, media and instruments from various cultures to bring the story to life.
“It is an exciting story and an opportunity to exchange knowledge and develop upon the artistic expertise of guests,” he added.
Global Village has hosted a wide range of events and cultural performances this season. It recently brought the multi-award-winning Shaolin Monks, with more than 20 Kung Fu professionals from the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, for the first time in the Middle East.
In addition to cultural performances, a variety of entertainment events, including the mega Monster Stunt Show, Globo Shows for kids, Viva Bollywood, Tall Tails, High Voltage and City Jam, have regaled guests this season. All its events are included in the ticket price of Dh15.
Global Village is home to 27 international pavilions and more than 3,500 outlets, representing the cultures and products of more than 75 countries.
The 22nd season of Global Village will run till April 7 and is open from 4pm to 12 midnight from Saturday to Wednesday and from 4pm to 1am on Thursdays, Fridays and public holidays. Mondays are dedicated to families and women.
