Dubai: Musical magic continues to mesmerise commuters on the second day of the week-long Dubai Metro Music Festival on Thursday.
Dubai: Musical magic continues to mesmerise commuters on the second day of the week-long Dubai Metro Music Festival on Thursday.
People on their way home from work or going out for a night out could not help but stop by for some time to hear the music — and even sway their hips — as 20 home-grown and international artistes showcased their talents at five metro stations across Dubai.
The musical event, which is now in its second edition, is organised by Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), in collaboration with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). This year, the platforms at five Metro stations (Expo 2020, Jabal Ali, Mall of the Emirates, Burjuman and Union) were turned into music halls daily between 4pm to 10pm until March 22.
Shaima Al Suwaidi, city branding manager at Brand Dubai, said: “The huge response from the audience is testament to the Festival’s appeal as an event that goes beyond cultural barriers to touch people’s hearts and minds and the power of music to communicate to people in a universal language.”
Rowdah Al Mehrizi, director of Marketing & Corporate Communication at RTA’s Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector, added: “Bringing this unique celebration of global music back to life at the Dubai Metro, which every day brings together commuters representing a cross-section of the city’s multicultural community, is part of our efforts to enrich Dubai’s cultural landscape and enhance the happiness of the community.”
Connecting with people
Dubai-based South African expat Monique Hebrard, who plays the saxophone, told Gulf News: “Since day 1, we’ve always had a captivating audience. We’ve been pulling crowds who just got off the train or on their way to hop on the train.”
Hebrard started with a soulful rendition of Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ before bringing the mood up with her cover of Antônio Carlos Jobim’s ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ that sent people dancing then she upped another notch higher with Doris Day’s Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps.
“What makes this music festival great is its simplicity,” noted Hebrard, adding: “We get to connect with the crowd. People are dancing and we love to get the crowd going. People need music in their lives. When we make them happy, it also helps us perform even better.”
An eclectic line-up of musicians representing a wide range of musical genres from pop to hip-hop, contemporary to classical, reggae to beatbox, electric to country music; jazz, ska, funk; sound and beats from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and taking turns entertaining the crowd.
Fusion of folk and modern music
Manshur Praditya, 28, brought his angklung all the way from his hometown in Indonesia. Praditya played up to the crowd as he showed how the musical instrument made of varying sizes of bamboo tubes, attached to a bamboo frame, could be used to enhance modern pop music.
But more than showcasing his musical talent, Praditya said the reason why he’s taking part at the Dubai Metro Music Festival is because he wants to bring good vibes in a post-pandemic world.
“It’s good that we (musicians) can play again and here in Dubai we get close with our audience, We are truly recovering now from the pandemic. The world is healing,” said Praditya, who afterwards played a fusion of Michael Jackson’s hit ‘Heal the World’ with his angklung.
Where to watch
The public will be able to watch the live performances from 4pm to 10pm daily until March 22. All the performances by the 20 musicians will be rotated across the duration of the festival to cover all five metro stations (Expo 2020, Jebel Ali, Mall of the Emirates, Burjuman and Union).
