Abu Dhabi: The musical Zayed and the Dream will be staged this August in London. The two night shows are scheduled for August 1 and 3 at the London Coliseum.

The play is produced by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH). The London show is part of the international tour of the play which was ordered by General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Overseas success

The show’s international tour, which was first staged in Abu Dhabi in December 2, 2008 on National Day, continues after the great success of the show in Beirut last February and Paris last March.

More than 100 artists and poets are taking part in this illuminating artistic vision inspired by the march of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the UAE, and validated by the authenticity of the region’s heritage and roots. Two essential values have been achieved through the performance of this play: artistic value and historical value.

The piece carries traditional values that were introduced artistically into the play for the benefit of society, which in turn will reform itself through upholding these values and appreciating this art.

Mohammad Khalaf Al Mazroui, Director-General of ADACH said, “We are proud to perform this work all over the world. We are gratified that it has been well received and that what Shaikh Zayed has given to his country and to his people, as well as to the Arab and Muslim nations and the rest of humanity, has been highly appreciated.”

On Sunday, Zayed and the Dream, an extravagant musical about the rise to leadership of Sheikh Zayed, the founding President of the UAE, opens in London.

Last weekend, the seven-piece band Takht al Emarat performed to thousands who attended the Womad music and dance festival in the English county of Wiltshire.

And at the same festival, the newly formed Abu Dhabi Folk Dance Group also gave its first international performance.

Thousands of miles away in Morocco, Mohammed Bin Hammad al Kaabi, one of the UAE’s leading poets, performed a recital to a packed house during the 32nd annual Assilah Festival.

The shows are all part of Adach’s strategy to strengthen intercultural dialogue and introduce Emirati culture and traditions to the rest of the world, said Abdullah al Ameri, the director of the department of culture and arts at the authority.

He called Womad one of the most important music festivals in the world and added that the UAE was a guest of honour at the Moroccan annual arts festival.

The various performances, Mr al Ameri said, “stress the pursuit of the authority to execute its strategic plan to preserve local heritage and to introduce it to the whole globe, not just the Arab world” .

The deputy director of the department, Dr Sami el Masri, said that while the capital was well known internationally for its oil, tourism and landmark projects such as Masdar City, it was their responsibility to “show the real face and identity of the country”.

Mohammed Khalaf al Mazrouei, the director general of Adach, added: “We are proud to perform this work all over the world.

“We are gratified that it has been well received and that what Sheikh Zayed has given to his country and to his people, as well as to the Arab and Muslim nations and the rest of humanity, has been highly appreciated.”

Zayed and the Dream was produced by the Lebanon’s Caracalla Theatre – the only professional dance theatre in the Middle East.

The show is an exploration of Sheikh Zayed’s character told through an imaginary plot in which he is raised by seven horsemen, each representing a vital virtue, including honour, courage or justice.

Zayed and the Dream was launched in Abu Dhabi on National Day last year. In May, it was staged in Paris, where 6,500 people came to see two shows at Le Palais des Congrès Theatre.

The two shows, which will be hosted at London’s Coliseum on August 1 and 3, have been described in previews as “spectacular” and “utterly ravishing”.

Dr el Masri said these were just a few examples of the broad scope of cultural programmes coming from the capital. “[These] are just a small portion of the vast and extensive portfolio of work that we have undertaken. These products are part of our strategic direction to curate and develop cultural products of international significance,” he said.

The UAE’s participation at the Assilah Festival, which ran from July 10 to 27 and drew more than 200,000 visitors, included a live painting of a mural by artist Abdulrahman al Maini, which was placed in the central square of the festival, an exhibition about the book industry hosted by Kitab and Qalam and the screening of nine short films.

Al Kaabi recited his poetry, which touches on themes such as loss, hope and passion, on Saturday night at the Hassan II Centre in the Moroccan town. He said it was an “honour” to represent his country.

The festival’s programme was “made to fill in the gaps in the area of culture regionally”, said Dr el Masri.

Speaking after his performance at the Womad festival on Saturday, Ali Obeid, the manager and lead performer of the band Takht al Emarat, said he was extremely proud to have represented his country on a world stage.

Many people told the 30-year-old performer, who is from Fujairah, that the show marked the first time they had seen an oud being played.

“Through our music we showed people another way of life and something different,” he said. “Most foreigners listen to Moroccan music and think this is the way all Arabs play, but in reality all countries have their own style.

“I feel happy to have been given the chance to show people about the UAE and our music. It was our pleasure.”

Mr Obeid said his band had been invited to play in South Korea and hoped to be able to return to the UK next summer.

Nasser al Junaibi, the director of performing arts in Adach and founder of the Abu Dhabi Dance Folk Group of 40 artists, said the international performances were vital to showing the rest of the world about the deep-rooted Emirati musical traditions.

“[They] shed light on our rich cultural history,” he said.

Children aged between 5 and 12 years can enjoy a sports programme which is designed to suit their interests including swimming, badminton, tennis, kinball, football, fitness circuit, dodgeball and arts. In addition, field trips are organised every Wednesday and special tournaments every Thursday.

The General Manager of the Etisalat Academy, David Brennan, said: “This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Summer Sports and Leisure Camp and we are proud to again offer young people a fun and healthy series of events. This year we have planned more activities, more fun and more learning than ever. The Etisalat Academy has one of the best sporting facilities in Dubai within its learning campus and we are very happy to share these facilities with children in the UAE.”

Parents who are traveling during summer can benefit from the possibility of registering their children at the camp for 2, 4 or 6 weeks. Transportation is also insured for the children those who live in Dubai and Sharjah at special rates.

The Etisalat Academy has a large indoor sports hall, in addition to gyms, aerobics and karate studios, a swimming pool and a library. All these facilities are available to participants. The children will be accompanied by professional coaches and trainers who ensure that all children take part in all the activities.

There are also field trips such as to the Fun Corner for kids from 5 - 6 year olds, bowling, ice skating, Discovery Center - Sharjah, and to the Children City in  Dubai.

The Etisalat Academy’s Summer Sports and Leisure Camp is taking place at its modern campus amongst the palm trees in Al Muhaisnah, Dubai near Mirdiff. Admissions are open every day during the camp from 9:00 am till 5pm and parents can register their children for only AED 1,100 for 2 weeks, AED 2,000 for 4 weeks, and AED 2,800 for 6 weeks.

For information on the Etisalat Academy Summer Sports and Leisure Camp please call 04-2543070 or 04-2043326 or visit www.etac.ae/summercamp

Maraya Art Centre

Sharjah, July 28, 2010:  Bringing colourful insights into life of UAE residents during the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Maraya Art Centre is proud to announce a new alliance with the Emirates Photography Society for an upcoming art exhibition titled Life in Ramadan, running from August 22 – September 18 at Al Qasba. 

Supported by a variety of both young and experienced photographers living in UAE, the Life in Ramadan exhibition gives visitors the chance to discover a local perspective on the many unique traditions and customs that characterize this very special time of the Islamic year.  With predominantly local photographers, organizers say that they are also working to promote photography within the UAE while strengthening the connection between art foundations and local communities.

“The treasured moments shared between family and friends during the Holy Month of Ramadan are fantastic memories to capture as part of our modern Emirati history,” says Ammar Al Attar, Manager of Emirates Photography Society. “It is the hope of Maraya Art Centre that this will be the first of many collaborations with Emirates Photography Society as our two organisations share mutual ambitions for supporting artistic creativity in the Emirate of Sharjah.” 

Open to the public at large, Life in Ramadan is one of several cutting-edge exhibits from across the globe being featured at Maraya Art Centre. Recent projects have included partnerships with institutions like the Sharjah Art Foundation and award-winning pieces on display from the 2009 Abraaj Capital Art prize.

The conference was organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) through their Al Ain Centre for Music in the World of Islam initiative.

The conference was designed to give artists an opportunity to discuss wide ranging questions such as “How should we safeguard our musical heritage?” and “What musical heritage should we safeguard?” The roundtable discussion heard contributions from participants from Senegal, Uzbekistan, France, China, Jordan and Turkey.

Cherif Khaznadar, chairman of the Advisory Board of the Al Ain Centre for Music in the World of Islam highlighted some of the centre’s work in this field, “We are working on local projects, organising workshops and concerts every month. We are working on some large scale projects, including the digitisation of all of the content recorded at the Arabic Music conference in Cairo in 1932. This project, which has been a dream of musicologists for many years, will come to fruition next year — with 17 CDs being released.”

He presented a short video clip highlighting one of the centre’s other major projects. “We want to raise awareness of lullabies. Many of these songs and many other children’s songs are disappearing as parents use CDs and other electronic devices rather than singing to children.”

Khaznadar then presented a short clip from a DVD recorded in Uzbekistan. The clip showed a mother singing a traditional Uzbek lullaby to her child. This is part of an ongoing project to document these songs in both audio and video formats.

Papa Massene Sene, advisor to the Prime Minister of Senegal suggested that we should look at how we should safeguard this musical heritage.

“Perhaps we should record these types of music for researchers and for museums. These are elements of our evolution.”

The exhibition, which takes place from Sept. 22-25, is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s representative in Al Gharbia (the Western Region) of Abu Dhabi, and president of the Emirati Falconers Club (EFC).

Competitions at the eighth edition of Adihex 2010 include a traditional coffee brewing competition; Nabaty poetry competition, which describes loss of birds and description of hunting known locally as “miqnas”; a contest for best painting and photograph in hunting, equestrian and heritage; as well as a Saluki beauty contest.

The Arab coffee brewing competition represents the art of preparing Arabic coffee. Deeply engrained in the inherent heritage of the Arab world, coffee brewing and its related traditions are a mark of hospitality and generosity. Nabaty poetry, which is closely associated with the cultural history of the UAE and the rest of the Gulf, witnesses wide participation from local and Gulf poets every year.

The best art painting competition represents an overview on the fine arts, addressing a heritage theme through a variety of techniques and methods including photographs and impressionist portraits.

Meanwhile, the Saluki beauty contest will give Arabian saluki owners the opportunity to showcase their precious hounds - both smooth and feathered, on an international show level.

The adjudication will be based on basic standards of the breed, such as the head, the overall structure, cover skin, movements and general impression. Arabian Salukis that are not registered by the Arabian Saluki Centre will not be allowed to enter the competition.

Dubai: Emirati families and children across the UAE celebrated Hag Al Laila yesterday, by exchanging sweets and memories of the occasion, which has been celebrated in the same fashion for generations.

Hag Al Laila is an annual occasion in the middle of Sha’aban, the eighth month in the Islamic Hijri calendar. As per tradition, people in the UAE prepare for the arrival of Ramadan two weeks in advance in mid-Sha’aban. In the late afternoon, children go knocking on their neighbours’ doors, asking for small offerings by saying ‘Atoona Hag Al Laila’, which means “Give us sweets for tonight”.

Many families had thronged groceries and shops that sold traditional sweets and nuts in the past two days to prepare for Hag Al Laila.

Various shopping malls, hotels and government departments also celebrated the occasion.

Children, dressed in elaborate traditional costumes and carrying UAE flags, greeted visitors at the Mirdif City Centre’s Hag Al Laila celebrations on Sunday.

The event was hosted in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Affairs, to educate visitors on the importance of this religious occasion.

Gifts

A traditional show was organised in the mall’s Central Galleria to observe the annual Islamic celebration. Children gave complimentary gifts of chocolate and sweets to visitors and representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Yousuf Al Ali, vice-president of Mirdif City Centre said: “It is important to us to respect and celebrate our ancient traditions and Hag Al Laila is an especially important celebration as we look towards Ramadan.

“We are honoured to partner with the Ministry of Social Affairs to spread the message of this important Islamic occasion. We are certain our visitors enjoyed a taste of Islamic tradition when they visited the mall.”

Abu Dhabi: Sniffer dogs specially trained to detect insects deadly to trees — including the date palm — successfully demonstrated their skills at the sixth annual Liwa Date Festival.

It was two years ago that the sniffer dog team was set up, and the Al Ain branch of the Abu Dhabi Police Sniffer Dogs Section had the chance to show off their expertise at the popular event.

The festival has been held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.

Abu Dhabi Police representative Ahmad Ali Al Darmaki said: “This was initiated in 2008 as an experiment to see how successfully dogs can detect the red palm weevil and similar insects that burrow into date palm trees and destroy them.

“We have six trained German shepherds, each with their handler… It took us about three to six months to train them before trying them out at farms to see how successfully they can detect the insects,” Al Darmaki said.

The police representative said red palm weevils were considered to be the deadliest of the insects that house in palm trees because of their rapid mobility and the large number of eggs they laid in each tree.

“The red palm weevil lays approximately 400 eggs every time it nests in a palm tree and it can easily jump from one tree to another, which means it can damage a lot of trees in a period of time,” Al Darmaki said.

“The dogs successfully sniff out approximately 80 to 90 trees a day at distances up to 100 metres… The most we ever examined was when the team was sent to sniff out 600 trees in one of the farms of the Foaa Farms Development.” The emirate of Abu Dhabi has a total of about 600,000 date palm trees.

The red palm weevil is most active during winter.

“At first, we were told this wouldn’t work and that other countries have tried and failed to combat this menace,” Al Darmaki said.

“But over the past two years, we have successfully displayed the advantage of having such teams deployed to date palm farms.” Al Darmaki said they were willing to send their team to other emirates to showcase their technique and train other teams.

They also hoped to obtain an international certificate in recognition of their skills, he said.

Getting there: Schedule

- What: Liwa Date Festival

-  When: Saturday, July 17 - Monday, July 26

- Time: 10am - 10pm

- Travel: Buses leave from Abu Dhabi Mall and Marina Mall at 9am. There are no other scheduled buses.

-  Information: For schedules and further information, please contact 02-6576094 or visit www.liwadatesfestival.ae or http://www.adach.ae/en

Aseelah, Morocco: A variety of Emirati short films has been screened in Morocco as part of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage participation in the 32nd Aseelah Festival.

The films are part of the large Emirati artistic presence at the festival of which the UAE is Guest of Honour.

The screenings were held at the Adellah Guennon Square in Aseelah’s medina with the films being projected onto one of the old medina walls. Nine short films were shown, dealing with subjects such as loss, hope and modernity.

Talent

The film that drew one of the most enthusiastic responses was Waleed Al Shehi’s Bab, which is a 19-minute surreal drama about the human psyche. Also popular was Saeed Salman’s Bint Mariam, the story of a widowed young woman who goes on a journey of self-discovery.

The breadth of talent evident at the screenings is a testament to the unceasing work of those within the Emirati film industry to showcase their work to bigger audiences.

According to Al Shehi, there is much work to be done: “We still face a battle to get recognition, but we help each other and of course festivals like this and the help of Adach can make that struggle easier.”

The presence of Emirati filmmakers as well as artists, writers and intellectuals, officially delegated by the state, and their participation at the Festival gives Aseelah’s multi-ethnic and cultural public a glimpse of the latest developments on the Emirati art scene.

The public will be able to witness first-hand the impact that Adach has had in bolstering authentic Arabic music and sponsoring young talent.

Tradition: Musicians perform

Musicians from the Bait Al Oud Al Arabi performed authentic Arabian music on Thursday night at Prince Bandar Bin Sultan in the ongoing Aseelah Festival in Morocco.

The performance was presented by the Abu Dhbai Authority for Culture and Heritage (Adach) as part of its participation in the 32nd Aseelah Festival.

The musical group included oud players and qanoun players: Ahmad Hamed, Ayad Al Khalidy, Sherin Tohamy, Faisal Ahmad, Bassam Abdul Sattar and Mohammad Tabbara.

They performed masterpieces representing the greatness of Arab music such as musical pieces by legendary composers Mohammad Abdul Wahab, Munir Bashir and Nasser Shammas.

The programme also included other musical peices such as Life Mural, Tour of Arab Souks, Common Destiny and others.

Iranian music legend Googoosh to play in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 24 July, 2010: ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company) has today announced that it will host legendary Iranian singer Googoosh live in concert at Abu Dhabi Hall on Saturday 10th September to mark the beginning of Eid-al-Fitr celebrations.

The Abu Dhabi Hall concert will be Googoosh’s first ever visit to the UAE capital. During a sensational three-hour performance, she will sing songs from her latest album, Green X, as well as performing hits from her incredible 40 year career.

Commenting on the upcoming performance, Googoosh said, “It is such an honour for me to perform in the UAE capital for the first time, I am thrilled that after so long I will finally get to sing for my Abu Dhabi fans.”

Since her debut album in 1966, Googosh has become the most successful Iranian singer of all time, achieving superstar status around the world.  She has sold millions of records, played to countless numbers of people and performed with music legends such as Ray Charles and Tina Turner.  Additionally, she is an award-winning actor playing leading roles in more than 25 films.

Abu Dhabi Hall has staged a number of diverse events since it its first concert in April, and Christina Anthony, Sales Director of ADNEC explains that Googosh is exactly the type of artist ADNEC is keen to bring to Abu Dhabi.

“We are thrilled to have a singer of such magnitude appear at Abu Dhabi Hall and we are sure audiences will be delighted by the performance. Googoosh forms part of our strategy to host a cross cultural range of entertainment which appeals to all communities and we look forward to welcoming fans from across the Middle East to enjoy her show.”

Googoosh will be an all-seated performance. Tickets are available at www.boxofficeme.com, www.timeouttickets.com, www.ticketingboxoffice.com and Virgin Megastores starting at AED 365.