Meet Ihab Darwish, the UAE’s man at the Grammy Awards.
The composer is the first Emirati to become a voting member of the Recording Academy, the administering body of the annual music awards show. The distinction means the Abu Dhabi musician will be able to cast his vote for a number of categories as part of the US ceremony next year, which will take place in Las Vegas.
The news was announced on Thursday by the Recording Academy, with Darwish part of 2,000 music professionals invited to become a voting member.
The move also comes as the organisation strives to diversify its membership in the wake of growing criticism regarding its racial and professional composition and voting practices.
In an accompanying video released on its social media channels, the Recording Academy's director of member and outreach systems, Ashley Thomas, said 56 per cent of the 2,700 invitees (700 of whom are non-voting members) come from "underrepresented communities".
“I think this is a very important move and I applaud the academy for what they are doing,” Darwish tells The National.
“We do need more representation from the Arab world and to be the first Emirati to be part of it is an honour but also a responsibility at the same time.
“I do hope I can use my position to shed more light on some of the great artists and works coming from the region.”
How did it happen?
Darwish joins a number of existing members from Mena, including Moroccan and Egyptian producers Nadir “RedOne” Khayat and Fathy Salama.
While those two were automatically eligible for a membership having been nominated (and in both cases winning a Grammy), Darwish received his initial invite in February through the recommendation from an anonymous member.
“It was really surprising because the invite just arrived in my email,” Darwish recalled.
That being said, the official offer was the beginning of an intensive application process.
Darwish had to send a dossier documenting his career achievements and output, including the release of 2018 debut album Waves of My Life and a gala performance at the Abu Dhabi Festival that same year, in addition to recording with international groups such as Poland's Beethoven Academy Orchestra.
He will also collaborate with US composers David Shire and John Debney for the Abrahamic Symphony: Unity of Three, an Abu Dhabi Festival commissioned performance that will feature four movements, three choirs, 10 soloists and three vocalists from Muslim, Christian and Jewish backgrounds.
The concert will be part of the planned opening of Abu Dhabi's interfaith complex, the Abrahamic Family House, on Saadiyat Island. Darwish confirms the piece will be released later in the year or early next year.
He will also be the first one to make a case for its Grammy consideration in the appropriate categories.
A voice in the room
In the meantime, he plans to take part in many of the music and industry workshops afforded to Recording Academy members.
“By being involved in these things and sharing your view point, it will help open people’s mind to music from the region,” he says.
"And it is very important to do that now because Arabic music is becoming increasingly well recognised within classical music and curriculums so I feel more Arab artists have to be part of this and share our perspectives.”
Darwish says his career achievements of blending Arabic instruments and melodies with western classical music arrangements will bolster his case when arguing for the importance of Arabic music within the Recording Academy.
"We need to have a bigger voice to direct attention to our music world," he says.
"For some people, we will have to introduce them and for others we can show the deep impact it has within many genres. It is a challenge that I really plan to embrace."
Darwish says he plans to listen closely, and widely, to the rich creative work coming from the region’s musicians.
As with the great composers and industry figures now accessible because of his membership, it may not be too long until fellow members one day cast Darwish's name on the Grammy winner’s ballet.
If that moment ever comes, he already has parts of his speech ready.
“It will have to include Abu Dhabi Festival artistic director Huda AlKhamis-Kanoo for her support, my manager Zosia Jeziorna and brother Gehad Darwish,” he says.
“No matter what happens, they are all my solid pillars behind any success and achievements I attained.”
Scroll the gallery below for images of winners of the 2022 Grammy Awards.
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
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FA Cup quarter-final draw
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Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel
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Emiliano Grillo*, Anirban Lahiri*
* denotes captain's picks
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The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
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Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
From Zero
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Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
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The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
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