The Sharjah World Music Festival (SWMF) 2016 will kick off on Thursday, January 7 at 9:00 pm, with renowned Tunisian singer, Saber Al Rebai as the opening night headliner for this third edition. He will perform at Al Majaz Amphitheatre and others shows will take place in the following days at Al Qasba, The Flag Island, the Heart of Sharjah and Al Majaz Waterfront.The six-day festival, running until January 12, is being organised by Furat Qaddouri Music Centre and sponsored by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), and will see participation from a select group of well-known artists and musicians from 13 Arab and foreign countries.Other performers include Hungarian artist Jozef Lendvay, Italian Stefano Di Battista, and French act Guillaume, as well as Taksim Trio, and Le Trio Joubran, Deema Al Bawwab, Zein Awadh and Maestro Mohammed Othman Siddique from Jordan, Emirati artists Hassan Ali, Arwa Ahmed and Ali Obeid.
There will also be a performance by the Jordanian National Orchestra, Dubai’s Brazilian Beatz band, Bulgarian pianist Kalina Yordanova Simeonova, Russian saxophone player, Vera Barnett Schuste, Argentinian cellist Clara Asuaje, Syrian Band (Nour Al Amir & Zein Taifour) and the African Drum Band, in addition to Furat Qadouri Music Centre’s Studio Talent Group.Furat Qaddouri, Artist and Manager of the Sharjah World Music Festival, said, “We are getting ready to host a big and special edition of the festival, which contributes significantly to the musical and cultural movement in the emirate of Sharjah. We cater to Sharjah's residents and visitors by introducing the world's best known artists and music bands to suit all tastes. The festival hosts top international musicians and singers, with a focus on bringing countries and cultures together.”
According Khalid Ibrahim Al Qaseer, General Coordinator of Sharjah World Music Festival, the event will help increase the turnout of tourists, especially in destination that will host the concerts and performances. He added that (Shurooq) has sponsored the festival since its first edition and therefore seeks to add to the cultural landscape of Sharjah.Other events to be held alongside the festival include a series of free live shows and performance art from "Mirror Kingdom" and "Spark" who will entertain audiences with four daily shows from January 7 to 9 between 6pm and 10pm at Al Qasba.The festival includes paid concerts that take place at Al Majaz Amphitheatre, Masrah Al Qasba - Theatre and The Flag Island. Other free shows will take place at Al Majaz Waterfront, the Heart of Sharjah, and Al Qasba. Concert tickets are available at Al Qasba’s Customer Service desk, Al Majaz Amphitheatre, Al Majaz Waterfront and at www.ticketmaster.ae. The full details of the SWMF 2016 are also available at www.sharjahworldmusicfestival.com.
Organised by Furat Qaddouri Music Centre and sponsored by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), the first edition of the Sharjah World Music Festival took place in Al Qasba in 2014. As a result of the resounding success and increasing public attention, it was decided to expand the festival in the 2nd edition to include five venues, namely Masrah Al Qasba - Theatre, Al Majaz Waterfront, Al Qasba, the Heart of Sharjah and The Flag Island.
Furat Qaddouri Music Centre aims to boost the cultural and art presence of Sharjah and the UAE in the world through this festival, which is the first-of-its kind in the region, simultaneously introducing the world's different musical cultures to the UAE community. It also aims to add another gem to the emirate’s rich record of cultural, art and tourist achievements by hosting major art, cultural and heritage festivals throughout the year.