Intriguing galleries, local music and a high-level TV industry - The UAE has a rich cultural world worth getting to know

• Celebrating culture in the Emirates

  Photo: 

  AFP, Instagram

In November 2017, Abu Dhabi inaugurated the Middle East branch of the famous Louvre Museum. The honorary class was also attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, who defined the place as a "bridge between civilizations" and welcomed its establishment about a decade after Abu Dhabi and his country agreed. The new Louvre, built at a cost of more than a billion dollars, borrows works from the original Paris Museum and receives artistic and managerial advice from it (in return, of course, for handsome sums it transfers to it). It is a worthy and popular attraction in the place of the Temple of Culture and engraved on its flag to become a center of pilgrimage for tourist no less than the classical capitals of Europe.

As you have probably heard recently, the United Arab Emirates is a vibrant country - economically, socially and culturally, and the founding and open relations that have now been restored between it and Israel open a window into a new world of art in all its shades, which we will soon be able to enjoy. Without becoming a tourist recommendation reporter, we chose to focus on the rich cultural world that Israel will soon face, in a country that is definitely not just luxury hotels, camels and skyscrapers. 

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live shows

Until about two years ago, Israel was also a popular destination for international musicians, and we will only mention the summer of 2017, when our districts were visited by names such as Justin Bieber, Aerosmith, Ganz N 'Roses, Radiohead, Tires for Pierce, Jose Gonzalez, the Pixies and whoever, not really . We have since gone through several more cultural boycotts (one Lena del Rey, which has created a frustrating domino effect of cancellations) but this is not the case in the Emirates. The place, which has often been a sister station to Israel (Bon Jovi, for example, arrived in Israel in 2015 two days after a performance in Abu Dhabi), does not suffer from too many political and ideological conflicts of interest, and therefore the aerial artist train continues to reach it routinely. That is, in one that is corona-free. 

Doa Lipa in Dubai

For the sake of illustration, among the names that have appeared in the area in the last three years are singers like Doa Lipa, Travis Scott, Passenger, Lena Del Rey, DJ Marshmallow, Kylie Minogue, The Killers, Eminem and Bruno Mars. This year, too, big names were planned to visit it, including the bands Madness and the Gypsy Kings, the Swedish singer Zara Larsson, one of the members of the One Direction band, Louis Tomlinson, and the K-Pop Super Jr.. If that's comforting, the veteran metal giant Iron Maiden has also canceled its upcoming show in the region this year, in light of the global crisis.

Lena Del Rey in Abu Dhabi

In short, you understood the principle. If until now music lovers and fans of specific artists who refuse to come to Israel were looking for their performances in the coming Europe, it is clear that the act "If the mountain does not come to Muhammad" now gets a new channel, with the signing of the agreement between Israel and the Emirates. The truth is that it is actually intriguing to visit the island of Yas in Abu Dhabi, which also includes the open concert site "Do Arena" (formerly it was called "Yas Arena") which can accommodate about 35,000 people under the box office. This is a pretty spectacular venue, which has hosted countless musical giants, including those already mentioned here, and alongside them (take a breath): Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Beyonce, Shakira, Kenya West, Metallica, Eric Clapton, Linkin Park, Janet Jackson, Sting , Rihanna, Black Sabath, Nickelback and even Andrea Bocelli. The venue also hosted an offshoot of the long-established British electronic music festival "Crimfield", and featured stars such as David Guetta, Tiesto and Armin Van Bjorn.

Eminem in Abu Dhabi The 

kay-pop lovers among you would surely enjoy "Kaikon", which hosted a variety of successful k-pop bands, while others would be drawn to the world music festival with the original name "Du's World Music Festival" which takes place there. For sports fans the island hosts events of the UFC's largest combined warfare organization, as well as car racing. We would also talk about the Middle East spur of the “Sea World” water park that is in place, but we try to focus on the culture here.  

art

An artistic visit to the Emirates is not just a visit to the relatively new Louvre. As a promoter of culture (and tourism), the range of museums in the Emirates is wide and varied, and is suitable for culture lovers as well as families with children. The latter will surely enjoy the "Museum of Illusions", a space that, as its name implies, creates a variety of optical illusions that, along with the production of astonishment and light mindbacks, will surely be photographed great on your Instagram. The same Instagram is unlikely to suffer from pictures of classic cars at the Saharaja Classic Car Museum, which is dedicated to the field that its name implies. Just as Beit El Banat, the first women's museum in the Western world, celebrates the story of women in the UAE, through the story of their achievements and progress in their status in the country.

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A post shared by Etihad Modern Art Gallery (@etihadmodernart) on Aug 19, 2020 at 5:29 am PDT

The Etihad Gallery The Etihad

 Gallery of Modern Art offers, well, what can be deduced from it (and from the pictures it is clear that this is a pretty spectacular space. Take a look at the impressive T-Rex skeleton), while Elsarkel Avenue is a combination of contemporary art galleries and local businesses. Huge in the industrial district of Dubai. And there is also the Coffee Museum (which deals with the development of the culture of making and consuming the drink in Dubai, as well as the rest of the world), the Pearl Museum, the Coin Museum reviewing the history of currency traded in the area over the years, Warhouse 421 featuring works by local artists, the small N2N Gallery with works by European artists , As well as and the center of Zaid's tradition - which presents the glorious history of the EU countries.

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A post shared by Art Gallery | Abu Dhabi (@ n2ngallery_uae) on Jul 21, 2020 at 4:02 am PDT

N2N Gallery

Local music 

As you have probably already deduced, our new gulf friendship is as much a fan of international culture as we are, and as a result - influenced by it. The local music market of the UAE is vibrant and corresponds with global trends, from pop pop, through electronics, with a stop at mainstream rock and other popular styles.

The list of best-selling albums in the country in the last decade includes that of Holaponic, a pair of British electronic musicians who made Dubai their home around 2002, and after a number of years became the first dance duo to be signed to a major record company in the area. For many UAE citizens, Holaponic is synonymous with electronic dance and they are considered one of the most successful and beloved ensembles in their field. They warmed up singer Pink when she performed at the venue in 2017 as part of a Formula 1 race held there, and a year earlier they were the opening show to that of Major Laser. And if you want further proof of their great power in the music scene in Dubai, you can tell that the two are the official residents of Dubai Airport. Fans of the genre will also find interest in Sixsvance, another prominent dance-pop duo (who also experience solo projects) and excite audiences with energetic pop and house performances.

Holfonic

Another interesting name that has been successful in the union is MIYAH, formerly half of the rapper brothers duo Desert Hit. Since Mia left the pioneering band in which he became famous and embarked on a solo career, he has particularly stood out as a leading local artist. This is thanks to the right combination of contemporary hip-hop and intelligent lyrics, which deal with the difficulties and stigmas that young Arab men have to deal with. And speaking of hip-hop, it is worth mentioning the fire of the artist, a Nigerian-born rapper, who is having tremendous success in the Emirates - but also outside the country's borders is becoming more and more recognizable. His resume includes opening appearances for superstars like Kenya West and 50 Cent, and his music combines elements of hip-hop, R&B and African music. In addition, anyone who is impressed by financial data may be interested in the fact that he is considered the artist who released the most expensive clip in the history of video clips of the Emirates. 

Particularly intriguing is also the Gypsy Swing Project - a melodic acoustic quartet that takes French classics of legends like Serge Ginsburg and Edith Piaf, and gives them a disturbed gypsy-jazz treatment. From another angle, the keyboard lovers among us may find interest in Malika, a creator and performer, who deals with her songs in life in Dubai, and she appeals to an audience that loves delicate keyboards and different styles of pop that are pleasing to the ear and jazz.

Gypsy Swing Project

and of course, it is impossible without mentioning one of the most important and beloved styles in the union - after all it is metal. Yes, Dubai is a serious rock and metal prostitute and has a scene bustling with life, distortion and noise. It is worth keeping an eye on Absolace, who broke out in 2010 and are engaged in their creation in loss and yes, also in life in Dubai. Do you find a theme here? Svengali can be added to the list, as is customary in their field - they also deal with issues of death, sadness and melancholy - accompanied by rather melodic riffs. In the same breath it is worth mentioning also Juliana Down, a veteran guitar ensemble that produces exciting stadium rock and which warmed up the Muse band by performing there. 

Absolace

TV industry

Like quite a few other domestic TV industries, the UAE also produces decent and high-level television content. This is due to the global trend in the field, which combines original content and high production costs (in varying sizes). Those of you who would like to taste the UAE's small screen crop will find "Doubt" ("Doubt") which came out intriguing this year - especially given its relevance. This is a suspense / horror series produced this year, centered on the girl Samar who is staying at her old family home during the isolation. Yes, it's that relevant. She accidentally goes into a video chat that she really should not have been a part of, and finds herself witnessing a murder, when the killer decides to turn her life into hell (while forcing her to deal with demons from her past).

Justice Qalb Al Adala

from another genre (perhaps more suspenseful, actually), is "Blood Oath", an adaptation of the Serbian series "Basa". It focuses on the life of an ordinary person, who is forced to change and as a result becomes a cold-blooded killer, in order to protect the lives of his children from the hands of drug dealers who do not like him so much. 

Those who enjoy less stress and body fluids may find interest in "Arabs Got Talent" - yes, the same "Got Talent" formula that also stars here, as well as "Arab Idol" - both of which offer more than what the familiar format offers around the world. In the romantic angle, Emirates TV offers, among other things, the series "School of Love" - ​​a collection of dramas that connects 20 love stories that stand on their own, and brings together selected actors from across the Middle East. 

Guy in Dubai

For someone whose court dramas (plus an element of rising female power) are his cup of tea, there is the series "Justice: Qalb Al Adala", which tells the story of a young lawyer in the United States who decides not to join her father's law firm at home Which in the Emirates, and instead become an attorney in America - where she faces a host of legal and social issues. 

And finally there is "A Guy in Dubai", a TV show defined as "a guide to the fun, extreme and exciting side of Dubai". By and large, this is a domestic tourism program, designed for those who want to get to know the city and meet the attractions that only it can offer, with the goal being an exit from the tourist comfort areas. As if a flight to Dubai is not like that in the first place.