Featuring Mesopotamian Maqam Music And Arabic Poetry Readings
Thursday 23rd June 2011
Free Entry: 6pm - 10pm
Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
Artscape NEO Babylon is the next edition of Abu Dhabi's art happening that will revive the music and legends of Babylonia with an evening of Mesopotamian music, ancient poetry as well as children and adult workshops. The event marks the final week of Splendours of Mesopotamia, the exhibition on show at Manarat Al Saadiyat for the past three months celebrating the cultural riches of Mesopotamia, considered by many, the birthplace of civilisation, and offering an introduction to the content of the forthcoming Zayed National Museum on Saadiyat Island.
Organised by Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) and supported by Air France KLM, Artscape NEO Babylon will be held at Manarat Al Saadiyat on 23rd June 2011, kicking off at 5pm when both children and adults can join workshops to make their own forms of art inspired by Mesopotamian artefacts. Classes will be held in the Central Gallery of Manarat Al Saadiyat, and will continue throughout the evening until 9pm.
The evening's Maqam performance will feature the voice of prominent female singer Farida Mohammed Ali and the Iraqi Maqam Ensemble. Described as 'the mother of all Maqam', Farida Mohammed Ali is one of only a handful of artists to have mastered the ancient musical discipline of Maqam which is traditionally performed by men. The study of Maqam music is a lifestyle pursuit as singers must develop not only a command of complex melodies and scales but also the scripture and philosophy behind them.
"I was fortunate to be born in the southern Iraqi town of Karbala, where attitudes towards women were a little more tolerant," Farida says. "Even so, for a woman to sing maqam is most unusual, because it is more than simply music: it is bound up with culture, food, spiritualism. It is a way of life." The ensemble honours the Maqam Iraqi music which is deeply rooted in Mesopotamian culture and their performance signifies the role of such traditional music in culture today.
International performer and Syrian poet Omar Al Farra will also recite Bedouin and contemporary poetry to take listeners across generations of Arabic poetry and stories. He will perform six diwans (long poems) in classical Arabic and Bedouin dialect, reflecting his roots in the Beni Sakher tribe.
Speaking of the event, Rita Aoun Abdo, Director of the Cultural Department at TDIC said "The response to Splendours of Mesopotamia has been extremely positive, receiving the highest attendance of any of our exhibitions to date. Artscape NEO Babylon allows us to celebrate the closing of this popular exhibition in one evening and we are very proud to welcome such established performers to the stage at Manarat Al Saadiyat."
Artscape NEO Bablyon is one of the many arts events on Saadiyat Island's cultural calendar and is part of a series of specially programmed evenings featuring music, dance, performance, and workshops designed to compliment arranged exhibitions. The Island's Manarat Al Saadiyat is the Emirate's primary arts venue and similar diverse performance events are being held to serve the growing audience prior to the opening of the Saadiyat Cultural District institutions. Visitors to Artscape NEO Babylon will also be able to take advantage of a discounted menu that evening at the venue's popular and elegant Al Fanr restaurant.
For more information visit artsabudhabi.ae or call +971 (0) 2 657 5800
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About TDIC
Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) is a master developer of key cultural, residential and tourism destinations in Abu Dhabi. The principal goal of its cultural programme, including the creation of the Saadiyat Cultural District - the world's largest single concentration of premier cultural institutions - is to establish an international platform in the UAE for arts and culture. Unprecedented in scale and scope, the Saadiyat Cultural District will include museums such as Zayed National Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
One of TDIC's missions is to engage the community in the capital's urban, cultural and artistic development and help build professional skills and knowledge in the community through a dialogue with representatives from the world's leading cultural organisations.
Alongside this, TDIC presents a diverse series of art exhibitions and public programmes to further engage audiences in the Saadiyat Cultural District institutions, vision and concept.
Press Relations
TDIC:
Contact: Emma Cantwell
TDIC Cultural Department Communications
ecantwell@tdic.ae
Brunswick Arts:
Contact: Amanda Buckley / Wajih Halawa
+971 (0) 50 708 0232 / +971 (0) 50 100 9207
Email: saadiyatisland@brunswickgroup.com
© Press Release 2011
