(MENAFN Press) In Transit: Music from the Gulf States to Perform at BT River of Music in London
18 April, 2012 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): In Transit, the result of a musical collaboration between Gulf and UK musicians, will make its world debut at this week's Dubai Chillout Festival on Friday 20 April.
The group, brought together by the British Council - the UK's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, features UK dance outfit and cross-cultural globetrotters Transglobal Underground, with standout musicians from UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
"Music is a powerful, transformative tool that can bring people together and create a shared understanding of the world we live in. Our work aims to engage artists and audiences across the world, drawing them together in a closer relationship, beyond cultural and geographic boundaries. We have a truly fantastic line-up of musicians from the UK and the Gulf for In Transit and it is going to be a fascinating journey for the artists and for us too" said Richard Cotton, Director of the British Council UAE.
Confirmed Gulf musicians include a powerhouse of vocalists: Hamdan Al-Abri, Mansour Al Mohandi, and Nizar Al Issa. Joining them are trumpet player Yazz Ahmed, rapper and guitarist Heitham Al-Sayed, and keyboard player Tarik Saeed.
The musicians were chosen by Lee Hamilton and Tim Whelan of Transglobal Underground, together with creative producer of the In Transit project, Jason Walsh, after a visit to the Gulf in December of 2011. The process of meeting musicians representing different styles and genres from the region culminated in the three selecting the final In Transit line-up, with each artist bringing their own unique style and sensibility to the collaboration.
"The Middle East is entering a new era of self-expression, and there are a wealth of stories and experiences from across the Gulf that can be relayed through this unique musical collaboration. Music can cross language, cultural and physical boundaries, and this is a great example of that," said Cotton.
After debuting in Dubai, In Transit will perform at BT River of Music in London, a spectacular weekend of free music from across the 205 Olympic and Paralympic nations presented at iconic sites along the River Thames, on 21 and 22 July. This is one of five collaborative projects, one for each of the five stages at the festival representing all five continents, and is the result of ongoing British Council projects around the world, culminating in special performances in London and overseas.
In Transit will be in Dubai from 16 to 20 April, with their world-first performance scheduled for 20 April at the Dubai Chillout Festival.
On 19 April the student community across the UAE will be provided a unique opportunity to meet the artists from In Transit, and will also get a taste what's to come during the actual performances in the UAE and UK. The doors of The Fridge in Al Quoz will open from 3pm to 4:30pm for student groups to see the artists rehearse and interact with them. For group bookings, please contact Anita Khanchadani at anita.khachandani@ae.britishcouncil.org
