26 October 2019
Curtain Falls on “The 28th edition of Bahrain International Music Festival, With Fejjri art concert at Dar al Muharraq
Dar al Muharraq hosted a special music evening performed by the Bahraini Hidd Youth Band and Folklore Heritage, as part of the 28th edition of Bahrain International Music Festival, on 26 October 2019, leaving the audience in a mesmerizing amazement with the beauty of different colours of authentic traditional Bahraini music.
During the music concert event, the band offered a bouquet of exceptional traditional famous Muharraq’s city folk music performances, namely the Fijri art, the unique, mystical genre traces its roots back to the days of the island’s glorious pearling legacy. Fjiri music art echoed throughout the alleyways of time and place in Muharraq and elsewhere, nourish the soul with the fruits of Bahrain’s intangible heritage, and enjoy the live Bahraini musical performances of the Fijri tradition.
This live performance series held every Saturday at Dar Al-Muharraq, showcased the many sub-genres of Fjiri, a musical genre built around the Kingdom of Bahrain’s proud history and traditions of the pearling trade that is widely viewed as the pearling ship’s crew most important and most popular musical contribution. According to folklore, it originated when three friends heard unfamiliar singing emanating from a mosque in Ras Abu Subh late one evening. When they entered, they found demon jinns who agreed to teach them their songs upon the friend’s insistence on the condition they never share it, or else face swift death. The group guarded the secret for years, but when the lone surviving member of the group felt that he too shall pass away, he decided to share the secret. Death soon claimed his soul, but the magical music heard that one evening in Ras Abu Subh still lives on.
Worth to mention that the acclaimed festival of Bahrain International Music Festival, which kicked off on 19 October 2019, comes part of the Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities’ year-long celebrations, under the theme “Our Year of Celebrations”. The festival highlighted various musical genres ranging from orchestra, rock and pop, to the Kingdom’s very own traditional tunes, coming from all over the world, as well as music-related workshops.
Bahrain Culture Authority would like to express its thanks to several embassies in the Kingdom that have a great contribution towards the festival success this year, such as the Embassy of France and the Embassy of Germany.
Indeed, Bahrain National Theatre’s stage witnessed the launch the 28th edition of Bahrain International Music Festival, on 19 October 2019, with one of the oldest French orchestras “L’Orchestre Lamoureux”, that is writing a new page of its history with the creation of the Lamoureux Chamber Orchestra, launching a concert entitled “100% Mozart”.
Since 20 October 2019 until the last day of the festival, the Cultural Hall hosted almost all events, starting with an “indie-folk” musical evening combining vocal hooks, guitar-driven melodies and soulful upbeat sounds, whereby Bahraini musician Mo Zowayed took the audience on a wanderlust journey through his transient experiences. On 22 October the French Ensemble Contraste, Known for their diversity and spontaneity, the ensemble are known for incorporating classical, tango, musical comedy, jazz, contemporary compositions and more into their performances, presented a variety of musical genres including classical, tango, musical comedy, jazz, and more in a thrilling musical evening. The event was organized in cooperation with the French Embassy to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
On 23 October, "Treptow, which is a German band based in Berlin, who specialize in pop, rock and alternative/independent music, in cooperation with the German Embassy to the Kingdom of Bahrain, and in their very first concert outside of Europe, the German rock band "Treptow" presented their energetic songs in their native language and bring the sound of Berlin to the Kingdom of Bahrain to meet the whole world.
On 24 October the Cultural Hall audience were mesmerized with a distinguished inspiring concert by Lebanese versatile artist Daline Jabbour specializes in oud, vocal coaching, classical Arabic and Soufi music. On 25 October 2019, the Bahrain Music Band, led by Maestro Khalifa Ziman, brought back some of the most joyous memories filled with “TV Nostalgia” from the songs and music of TV drama. This event was organized in cooperation with the Egyptian embassy to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
In addition to these exceptional unique music concerts presented by the festival planning, the 28th edition of Bahrain International Music Festival also presented a series of educational cultural workshops related to music, such as “Drum Making Workshop” for children on 19 October 2019, at Dara al Muharraq, whereby participants were introduced to pearling music and “Marawas”, where discovered more about the instrument and get the opportunity to make their very own drums. The Art Center, hosted also “Choir “ the participant who leantt many aspects associated with voice, sound and breathing, and got acquainted with choir warm-ups, perform multi-voiced pieces enjoyed it.
Participants in Art Center’s “Groovy Music Workshop” engaged their body and mind through a mixture of singing, dancing, acting, while using percussion instruments such as xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels. while learning at their own pace and level of understanding, children will also emphasize arts integrations with stories, poetry, movement and drama. As to “Expression in Music” workshop, it gave the participants the opportunity to learn the various ways of expression and innovation through music during Expression in Music workshop, while “Reclaiming Our Ethnomusicologies” workshop , held on 25 & 26 October, presented by Hassan al Hujairi two-day workshop explored the field of ethnomusicology in relation to music history and practice in the Kingdom of Bahrain. By understanding the logic behind this field of study, participants were introduced to ways of reconsidering music forms found in Bahrain.
Celebrating Bahrain International Music Festival, Cafe Lilou joined in the festivities this year with a special famous international menu, which was created for the occasion and was available in both Bahrain branches for the duration of the festival between 17 -26 October 2019 through its delicious attracting tasty global festival’s participating countries menus.
