SWMF concludes after entertaining UAE’s music lovers

Sharjah / Emirates Business

The fourth edition of the Sharjah World Music Festival (SWMF) concluded successfully after engaging and entertaining hundreds of thousands of music fans and cultural enthusiasts over 20 live music concerts. This prestigious nine-day event brought together 24 artists and musical bands from 14 countries, featuring popular Arabic voices as well as international artists representing myriad musical genres. The concerts were conducted at three of Sharjah’s premier addresses for public events, namely Masrah Al Qasba Theatre, Al Majaz Amphitheatre and the Flag Island Theatre.
Organised by Furat Qaddouri Music Centre and sponsored by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), SWMF also organised complimentary outdoor musical evenings for the general public, which featured creative artists from around the world like ‘Latin Street Band’, ‘Trio Allegria’ and ‘Nina & The Guitar Player’ and others. These artists engaged visitors to Al Qasba’s walkways as well as the other venues in graceful cultural and musical interactions, which the audience gathered around and cheered for loudly as they savoured a mix of local and Western renditions.
Artist Furat Qaddouri, Manager of Sharjah World Music Festival, said: “SWMF 2017 succeeded its objective of holding a dialogue between civilisations and musical traditions in line with Sharjah’s cultural vision. Not only did it bring together artists from across the world, but attracted audiences from a multitude of nationalities and ages. Our venues, whether big or small, were packed with music enthusiasts who came in to enjoy and appreciate the diverse moods and emotions of Western, Arabic, Indian, Asian or Latin American ‘music’ – which is a language that that transcends bearing of race, nationality, ethnicity and other such factors.”
“The resounding success of this edition of the Festival motivates us to organise our forthcoming editions in a way that will meet the aspirations of our audience and visitors even better than it did this time. Through the Festival, everyone involved is able to gain invaluable artistic experiences, which is one of the foremost objectives of Sharjah’s innovative cultural project, and we look forward to using music as a medium of peace, love and constructive dialogues in our upcoming editions,” he added.
Emirati superstar Hussain Al Jassmi and Egyptian pop queen Sherine Abdel Wahhab opened SWMF 2017 at the AL Majaz Amphitheatre, in the presence of Sheikh Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Corporation and Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre, and Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq).
The second night featured the ‘Legend of Oud’ concert with celebrated Iraqi musician Naseer Shamma, Syrian artist Husain Sabsaby, Iraqi composer and musician Khalid Mohammed Ali and Turkish star Necati Çelik – an artistic compilation that represented the various schools of classic and modern oud.
Audiences also witnessed a stunning tribute to the late Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, popularly known as ‘the brightest star in the eastern night sky’, by artist Reham Abdul Hakim, accompanied by the Cairo Opera House Orchestra conducted by maestro Mohammed El Mougi.
One of the festival’s evenings featured the ‘Fusion of Souls Jazz and Indian Sitar’ concert at Masrah Al Qasba Theatre. The Dutch Jazz led by Mike del Ferro, together with American jazz vocalist, Deborah J. Carter, and renowned Indian musician Niladri Kumar delivered a riveting musical feast blending soul jazz, percussion and Indian classical.
At the ‘Flavour of Paris’ concert, audiences came to watch one of the most renowned accordionists in the world, Daniel Mille, pay a personal tribute to Astor Piazzolla. Along with seasoned cellists and a double bassist, they presented an eclectic mix of compositions, heavily laden with the distinct flavours of Parisian music.
The ‘Jewel of Flamenco’ concert with Marina Heredia and David Peña Dorantes featured the very soul of Arabic and Spanish fusion music. The audience at Masrah Al Qasba Theatre cheered loudly for Heredia’s mesmerising (olé), a lively Spanish interjection derived from an Arabic invocation of Allah; chanted when singers rise above themselves in performance.
‘Chico and the Gypsies’, in addition to mesmerising listeners with their hugely popular folk gypsy heritage songs, also performed some special pieces fused with Arabic music. During the concert, Artist Furat Qaddouri was seen accompanying the band with the Qanun instrument. The performers blended Arabic with gypsy tunes fusing the Qanun and guitars.
One of the evenings on Flag Island showcased popular Lebanese artist Hiba Tawaji and Lebanese artist Oussama Rahbani. The concert recalled the Rahbani’s unique musical experience, featuring a collection of Arabic songs with western rhythm.
SWMF 2017 concluded with an ‘Emirati Night’ – a concert that provided a platform to exceptionally talented local artists, including singer and composer Jasem Mohamad, and Emirati band Nagham Al Emarat. The concert brought together gulf folk music and classical Arabic in a series of exceptional compositions accompanied by skilled instrumentals. The fourth edition of the SWMF concluded to the rhythms of Emirati daf, and other Arabic music instruments such as Qanun and oud.
By organising this first of its kind festival, Furat Qaddouri Music Centre seeks to boost the cultural and art presence of Sharjah and the UAE, introduce various musical cultures around the world to the UAE community and add a new dimension to the emirate’s repertoire of tourist, art and culture attractions.