A lot has been written about the cultural links between Andalusia and the Arab world. However, you don’t have to visit a museum or conduct hefty research books to discover them.
As Spanish soprano Isabel Canada Luna puts it, sometimes all you need is to turn on the radio.
"As someone who is not from the region but who sees similarities in cultures and understands music, a lot of Arabic popular music has influence from Andalusia," she says, citing a 1996 Amr Diab hit as an example.
"The song Nour El Ain really shows that link, particularly in the rhythm. The way the rhythm and percussion is structured is very much influenced by Spanish and Andalusian music."
Luna aims to showcase more of these connections in a Dubai concert on Thursday, April 8.
Held at the theatre in Alliance Francaise Dubai, An Arab-Andalusian Night will feature poetry written during the 700-year period (711-1492), when Spain was under Muslim rule.
Backed by Dubai musicians, Polish pianist Magdalena Wajdzik, US violinist Crosby Barrett and Syria's Inas Halal on percussion, Luna will present Spanish translated works by 9th and 10th century poets Muqaddam Ibn Muafa Al Qabri and Wallada Bint Al Mustakfi, complete with new musical arrangements.
These pieces will be also paired with poems from 19th century Spanish writers Federico Lorca and Isidoro Hernandez.
Starting from scratch
With the concept premiering in Dubai's Alserkal Avenue in December 2020, Luna recalls how the musicians spent a majority of the year working on the programme.
When it comes to selecting the material, Luna says she worked with academics and translators from both Spain and the UAE to make the final choices.
As for the music, the group initially approached the work with a certain trepidation.
“These writers are great and have a lot of history,” she says. “And their poetry was not written with music in mind, so we had to create everything from scratch.”
The group decided the best way to tackle the pieces was in chronological order, which is also the way the programme will be presented on Thursday.
“This definitely gave us a certain structure,” she says. “What we are trying to do really is to present a complete fusion of both worlds. When it comes to the poetry, we had it translated in such a way that it even rhymes in Spanish.
“As for the music, we use different instruments to complement the period in which the poetry was created.”
Luna says her vocal performance will be suitably varied in style. “I am trying to create as many colours as I can,” she says.
“At the beginning, I start from a position that is similar to flamenco and then it develops, and I change and mix it up and sing in a more classical music direction.”
The things in common
With Ramadan likely to begin on Monday, April 12, Luna says the timing of the show is incidental.
However, she is glad the concert’s message of tolerance and co-existence compliments the onset of the holy month.
It will also serve as a vindication to friends and colleagues in Spain who expressed reservations about Luna’s move to the UAE five years ago.
At the time, she was an already accomplished performer with appearances in Madrid's Teatro Real and Germany's Konzerthaus Berlin and the Berliner Philharmonie.
"When I finally came here to Dubai, I didn't know what to expect. But I found this country is more tolerant than many other places that I have been to," she says.
It is a message Luna intends to preserve on record and take to the masses. She confirms that an album version of the project is on the way, with UAE recording sessions set to take place later in the year.
An Arab-Andalusian Night will also go on the road with a European tour in the works and a special September performance in the heart of Andalusia itself: the Casa Arabe cultural centre in Cordoba, Spain.
“That is going to be a really special evening and it will be great to show people in Spain and other places the commonalities between our cultures,” Luna says.
“Sometimes, we spend so much time trying to find the differences in each other instead of things that connect us.”
An Arab-Andalusian Night is on April 8 at Alliance Francaise Dubai, Oud Metha; 7.30pm. Tickets for Dh120 are available at www.adfubai.org
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
THREE
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UAE%20PREMIERSHIP
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Terminator: Dark Fate
Director: Tim Miller
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis
Rating: 3/5
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
