UAE set to launch first Emirati opera at Expo 2020 Dubai

Dubai - The show will feature more than 100 artists and musicians, as well as a production team of 70 professionals.

The UAE is set to launch the first Emirati opera at Expo 2020 Dubai and, on Tuesday (April 16), officials gave a glimpse into what it will be about. It's titled 'Al Wasl' and it will span thousands of years of history, bringing to life the country's rich heritage along with its journey towards becoming one of the world's leading nations.
Created in partnership with the Welsh National Opera, the masterpiece is being put together by Emirati talents, including award-winning composer Mohammed Fairouz and author-librettist Maha Gargash. The show will feature more than 100 artists and musicians, as well as a production team of 70 professionals.
"The opera is the brainchild of Reem Al Hashimy (Minister of State for International Cooperation). Its narrative will explore the nation's Bedouin roots and the UAE as a forward-thinking modern multi-cultural hub," said Dr Hayat Shamsuddin, vice-president for arts and culture at Expo 2020, during a Press conference at the Dubai Opera on Tuesday.
Al Wasl means 'the connection' in Arabic and it refers to the historic name for Dubai.
Speaking to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the Press conference, composer Fairouz revealed that the opera is being crafted for a diverse, global community that is expected to converge in the country for the Expo.
Al Wasl is Fairouz's fourth opera and he said it is unlike anything he has ever done before.
"I don't think this story has ever been told. It's an absolutely new story. There are a number of stories that's been told about the Arabian Peninsula, however, I think you will be very surprised by a lot in this piece," he said.
Though he refused to reveal the details of the story, he said the opera finds its inspiration from the settlements in the region during the Iron ages.
"You will see the figure of Sheikh Zayed, the father of the nation and a lover of the environment. You will also see the poetry and legacy of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai," Fairouz said.
Renowned for his operatic works Sumeida's Song, The New Prince and Bhutto, Fairouz has been hailed by The New York Times as "an important new artistic voice" and by BBC World News as "one of the most talented composers of his generation". Although he has garnered praise around the world for his large-scale compositions that engage geopolitical and philosophical themes, he said Al Wasl is "neither political nor socially motivated".
The two-hour production will premiere in October next year at the Dubai Opera, aligning with the official opening of Expo 2020. It will be performed in both Arabic and English. A worldwide tour of this opera is also being considered by the organisers.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE