Syrian band Safar has shone a light on Syria's electricity crisis with their new music video.
Released last month Ya Weel Weely (Oh My!) received considerable attention online and racked up more than five million views on YouTube within a week of its release in July.
Not only is that down to the quality of the yearning folk song, but the video’s nifty concept which starkly highlights the everyday struggles faced by Syrians.
With no electricity available on the day of the planned shoot in Damascus, guitarist Wafi Abbas tells The National the sextet had to improvise on the spot.
“In a way, we really shouldn’t have been surprised by the situation as electricity in most parts of Syria has increasingly become a luxury,” he says ahead of Safar's matinee concert at Dubai Opera on Friday.
“In most cases, you would get a few hours a day and we hoped we could do something with that time. As it turned out, it wasn’t to be and we decided to still shoot the video using battery-operated lights.”
A modern take on traditional sounds
Such a simple measure elevated Ya Weel Weely to a new level of artistry. Had they gone with the original concept of the boys simply jamming in a room, it would have been a decent offering.
The new visual treatment, however, not only accentuates the lyrical laments of the protagonist’s lost hopes and dreams, but they subtly correlate with that of Syria, which has been ravaged by civil war since 2011.
Not that the band was initially thinking on such grand terms. “Our focus was really on writing the best song that we can,” Abbas says.
“But seeing the reaction I am beginning to understand why the video is touching a lot of people, not just in Syria but across the Arab world.
“This issue of electricity shortage is not just a Syrian situation, but we can also see that clearly in Lebanon.”
The regional attention set up the anticipation for the band’s new album Tajriba Raqam Thnain (Experience No 2), which was released in August.
It is another evocative slice of modern folk sung in the Syrian dialect. A new feature of the recording is the subtle hints of electronica that bubble underneath songs such as Ya Weel Weely and the jazzy chords of Ya Leil (The Night).
“This is not really a radical departure,” Abbas admits. “It’s more a reflection of where we are in that we do want to offer more of a variety.
"The first album, Tajriba Raqam Wahid (Experience No 1), was pretty close, compositionally, to classical Syrian songs, so it’s always good to stretch ourselves a little more.”
How YouTube changed the game for Safar
Safar's latest resurgence, with two albums released in six years, came after an 11-year hiatus.
They first formed under the name Muhajirin in 1999, building a solid reputation across the Levant with festival appearances in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. With all that momentum, the group, which was renamed Safar in 2001, suddenly broke up in 2004 and members went their separate ways.
“It wasn’t down to any tension at all,” Abbas says. “It’s just life and we grew up and we all had our responsibilities. We were an independent band with no major backing so we all had to also look after ourselves.”
While the group remain independent, the only difference when Safar reunited in 2015 was the arrival of streaming services and social media.
“That changed everything for us, particularly YouTube,” Abbas explains. “We would not be where we are right now without these sites because they are geared towards encouraging people to discover new artists.”
There are more sounds on the way, too, not only from Safar, who have begun working on fresh material, but also a new generation of independent Syrian bands.
“I am seeing a lot of activity particularly here in Damascus,” he says. “This is not done in spite of the difficulties that we Syrians have been facing for years, but also because of it.
“I see more purpose in the scene here and I look forward to hearing what comes out.”
Safar performs at Dubai Opera on Friday, September 10; concert begins at 4.30pm; tickets from Dh175 are available at dubaiopera.com
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Afro%20salons
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
New Zealand T20 squad
New Zealand T20 squad: Tim Southee (captain), Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wicketkeeper), Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Will Young
Bharatanatyam
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
Scores in brief:
- New Medical Centre 129-5 in 17 overs bt Zayed Cricket Academy 125-6 in 20 overs.
- William Hare Abu Dhabi Gymkhana 188-8 in 20 overs bt One Stop Tourism 184-8 in 20 overs
- Alubond Tigers 138-7 in 20 overs bt United Bank Limited 132-7 in 20 overs
- Multiplex 142-6 in 17 overs bt Xconcepts Automobili 140 all out in 20 overs
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The currency conundrum
Russ Mould, investment director at online trading platform AJ Bell, says almost every major currency has challenges right now. “The US has a huge budget deficit, the euro faces political friction and poor growth, sterling is bogged down by Brexit, China’s renminbi is hit by debt fears while slowing Chinese growth is hurting commodity exporters like Australia and Canada.”
Most countries now actively want a weak currency to make their exports more competitive. “China seems happy to let the renminbi drift lower, the Swiss are still running quantitative easing at full tilt and central bankers everywhere are actively talking down their currencies or offering only limited support," says Mr Mould.
This is a race to the bottom, and everybody wants to be a winner.
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SE%20(second%20generation)
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Kerala Knights 103-7 (10 ov)
Parnell 59 not out; Tambe 5-15
Sindhis 104-1 (7.4 ov)
Watson 50 not out, Devcich 49
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Salem Rashid, Mohammed Al Attas, Alhassan Saleh
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ahmed Barman, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri