The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi continues to host world-class and innovative performing arts at the Cultural Foundation throughout the month of February, with a dynamic and immersive programme of music and theatre.
While the first week of the month witnesses performances from the ninth season of Abu Dhabi Classics, the remainder of February offers must-see appearances from alternative and rock-fusion bands, a Bait Al Oud concert by Nihad El Sayed with participation of other Bait Al Oud musicians, and blockbuster Arabic pop star Assala. Also taking place is an Emirati play, which thoughtfully addresses important life lessons and demonstrates the value of bravely facing one’s destiny.
MUSIC
Abu Dhabi Classics presents: Sanaa Nabil
Thursday 6 February 2020
7 pm
Cultural Foundation Theatre
Egypt’s Sanaa Nabil, who shot to fame on ‘Arabs Got Talent’ by winning the Golden Buzzer, has carved a reputation for her contemporary interpretations of complex songs. Nabil will perform ‘Laylat Saltana’ with members of Cordes Croisées, a group of elite Egyptian musicians, on 6 February at the Cultural Foundation.
Note: Tickets for the above Abu Dhabi Classics events are on sale exclusively from www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE.
EMIRATI THEATRE
Lost Wish (Omniya Mafqooda)
By Dibba Al Hisn Society for Culture, Heritage and Theatre
Tuesday 11 February 2020
6 pm
Cultural Foundation Theatre
Tickets: AED 30; free entry for students
Lost Wish is a play about 20-year-old Omniya and 10-year-old Ahlam, each living a difficult life and wishing they could swap circumstances. A mystical curse befalls them that switches their consciousness to the body of the other. Through this journey, they will each live each other’s hardships and learn important life lessons: the value of patience and perseverance, and the necessity of facing one’s destiny bravely and positively.
Directed by: Mohammad Juma’a
Written by: Othman Al Shatti
MUSIC
Assala Nasri
Friday 14 February 2020
8 pm
Cultural Foundation Theatre
Tickets: AED 500, AED 350, AED 250
Assala is one of the most successful pop stars in the Arab world. With an incredible 26 albums to her name, she has numerous hits and an extensive musical repertoire to draw on for her Cultural Foundation show. In 2019, Asala performed Right Where I’m Supposed to Be as the Official Song of the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi in collaboration with Ryan Tedder, Avril Lavigne, Luis Fonsi, Hussain Al Jassmi and Tamer Hosny.
ART AND HISTORY
The Red Palace Exhibition and Al Ain Modern History Tour
Saturday 15 February 2020
10 am – 8 pm
Cultural Foundation and Al Ain
Tickets: AED 50
A day of art history and inspiration! Join us at the Cultural Foundation for a guided tour of the exhibition The Red Palace, featuring works by Saudi artist Sultan Bin Fahad, followed by a road trip to Al Ain to explore the significance of the modern history of the United Arab Emirates through visits to the historic sites of Al Ain Palace Museum, Al Jahili Fort and Al Muwaiji.
The Red Palace takes inspiration from the historical 20th century ‘Red Palace’ and its role within the key Saudi Arabian historical and political events of that era. Collecting memorabilia, relics, and discarded objects from various sites, artist Sultan Bin Fahad creates sculptures and installations that explore the transformative potential of the ruin to stand in for what was lost and its reformulation within the country’s social metamorphosis. The exhibition is on show at the Cultural Foundation through 28 March 2020.
For more information, and to book the tour, please visit https://culturalfoundation.ae/en/event/al-ain-modern-history-tour.
MUSIC
HAYSA @ the Cultural Foundation
El Far3i, El Morabba3, and Harget Kart
Thursday 20 February 2020
7 pm
Cultural Foundation Theatre
Tickets: AED 150 (free seating), AED 200 (Balcony, seated)
Prepare yourself for an exceptional night of music, as three of the most exciting Arab alternative bands of all time come to the Cultural Foundation! El Far3i, El Morabba3, and Harget Kart will bring their biggest hits and electric stage presence to Abu Dhabi for a truly unmissable show.
Tareq Abu Kwaik, known by his stage name El Far3i, is a Palestinian songwriter, percussionist and vocalist from Amman, Jordan. He is the founder of Arabic folk and acoustic rap solo act El Far3i and Hip-Hop MC Far3 El Madakhil. Inspired by his surroundings and the high-speed changes in the world, El Far3i shares his thoughts and visions in verses, grooves and melodies from the eastern side of the River Jordan to the outer world and back.
El Morabba3 is a Jordanian-Palestinian music collective based in Jordan, and known for their unique electro-rock, indie-tronic sound. Winners of Best Indie Track at the ANMA 2016, El Morabba3 is one of the musical projects leading the revival of the Arab independent music scene.
Harget Kart is a Jordanian band consisting of four members who, while having very different backgrounds and experiences, became fast friends prior to collaborating musically. They formed the band in 2011 and started working in media, audio and video production, and have pioneered East/West music fusion through a unique and special flavour of their own.
MUSIC
HAYSA @ the Cultural Foundation
Adonis plus special guest Aziz Maraka and Ens O Jam
Friday 21 February 2020
7 pm
Cultural Foundation Theatre
Tickets: AED 150 (free seating), AED 200 (Balcony, seated)
Adonis and Ens O Jam, two bands known for their successful fusion-style music, combine to bring a unique regional line-up to the Cultural Foundation.
Established in 2011, Lebanese band Adonis has since performed at major venues and independent festivals across the Arab world (such as the Jounieh International Festival, Beirut Holidays Festival, Amman’s BAB Festival, and Dubai’s Step Music Festival), cemented their status as one of the leading Arabic independent music acts. They have released four studio albums and written music for Netflix, Pepsi, Lipton, Brazil’s Globo TV, and the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism.
Ens O Jam is a Palestinian band founded in 2016, choosing to name itself based on the way its melodic and musical phrase is created. Ens is the human source of music and the people who create it, while Jam is the state of mind/the feeling one feels after experiencing music, a state that differs from one person to another, left for each person to experience separately. Their unique identity comes from the musical harmony of the band members, who manage to create music that is free from the boundaries of any one genre, and infused with the artistic personality of each musician.
MUSIC
Bait Al Oud concert with Nihad El Sayed, with the participation of Bait Al Oud musicians
Thursday 27 February 2020
8 pm
Cultural Foundation Amphitheatre
Tickets: AED 50
Following a week of Masterclasses at Bait Al Oud, Swiss-Egyptian Oud Master Nehad Al Sayed will perform with his students at the Cultural Foundation Amphitheatre. Bait Al Oud Abu Dhabi is one of the leading music academies in the region.
Operated by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the school is dedicated to the preservation of the songs and techniques associated with the oud, and other important instruments in the UAE such as the qanun, cello, violin and rebabah. As part of its teaching curriculum, Bait Al Oud regularly invites leading musical masters to Abu Dhabi to offer unique music lessons in the instruments taught in the school.
This concert will underline Bait Al Oud’s goal to bolster Abu Dhabi’s stature as a regional centre for Arab musicians, and to develop the talent of Emirati youth in playing traditional Arabic instruments.
To view the full schedule of upcoming events at the Cultural Foundation theatre, and to purchase tickets, click here.
The Cultural Foundation Theatre is housed within Al Hosn’s Cultural Foundation, alongside the Abu Dhabi Children’s Library and visual art spaces. A place of learning and creativity, the Cultural Foundation celebrates Emirati culture, supporting the next generation of creators and enriching the lives of the Abu Dhabi community through a year-round schedule of workshops, events, performances, and tours.
For more information about the Cultural Foundation, please visit https://culturalfoundation.ae/.
