Movement - A Collaboration with the UAE Philharmonic Orchestra

Under the bustle of the corporate world, a palpable creative energy is burgeoning owing to the contemporary music and art scene in the UAE. This region has been a gracious host to some of the finest musical voices from around the world, with thousands flocking to cheer and cherish their favourite artists in the flesh. But all the “big-time” mayhem muffles the unique voice of the local artists and their expression. 'Movement,' a concept and show I put together piece by piece, intends to give the stage, front and centre, to those creators - musical and artistic - who form the backbone of the creative movements in the UAE. 

In a place like Dubai, the opportunities and venues for a singer/songwriter to showcase original work on a large scale aren't easy to come by, but that being said, there is no place like our little city to venture out, be innovative and create one's own opportunities. 'Movement' is one such self-concocted opportunity which, at the heart of it, is a musical menagerie but in the bigger picture, it is a grand showcase for my music accompanied by the the prestigious UAE Philharmonic Orchestra led by world-renowned conductor Philipp Maier. But what started out as an idea that marries contemporary and classical music, has now grown into being one of those rare collaborations between over 100 musicians and artists of the region, whose collective talent and efforts will not only represent the arts scene here but will also truly mark the emergence of the region's creative force from the wings to give the UAE audience, for the first time, a performance that is authentic and true to its culture and mirrors its diversity.  

Music and Sound 

The show is 90 minutes long split in two halves (with one of those old-school bell-induced intermissions so people can step outside, exchange notes about the concert over a cigarette.) Featuring all original music that I've written and composed, but all songs have been rearranged to fit this magnified format and to do the same, I've been working with renowned regional Producer / Songwriter Reiner Erlings in co-composing all the arrangements for the UAE Philharmonic Orchestra along with defining the overall phonic experience of the show. 

With an immense and lush texture of an orchestra along with a menagerie of musicians who form the core band, the instrumentation ranges from guitarists, harpists, live electronic percussion to an unconventional choir founded in the UAE, specially for this concert, comprising 8 unique voices who will also play the part of DIY percussionists, creating live rhythmic tones using everything from spoons, hard-bound books, wires, brooms, cans to wind-up toys and music boxes. 

Sennheiser is the official audio sponsor and have been amazingly supportive from the very first meeting, when I took my concept to them hoping to have them on board. They will be bringing down and showcasing, for the first time in the region, the brilliant, top-of-the-line 

digital microphones by Neumann. Delta Sound will be handling all the live sound on the night and team up with Sennheiser to record the concert live. 

Art Direction and Visuals

Scheduled to be held at the Palladium in Dubai, and Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, the experience will be further augmented by the grand set design by Emirates Woman of the Year Award Nominee, Art Director and a general force to be reckoned with - Diya Ajit, who will lead a team of UAE-based mixed-media artists and film makers to create the visual landscape of the show using techniques of projections and shadow theatre, the combination of the two, along with grand set design and construction to add conceptual and theatrical value to the show. 

'Movement' is a creative journey that traverses a myriad of influences 

 and performance arts, creating an experience that is absorbing and full of life. 

Still in the process of finalizing funding (talk about alliteration), the final dates and time of the shows are yet to be set in place. For any questions about the concert, especially if 

you are someone or knows someone who would like to contribute to funding, event management, please contact me on gayathri.movement@gmail.com. 

Coming soon: Videos on the making of 'Movement' / Creation of the orchestral score / Rehearsals/ Set and Visual design. 

Culture Vultures

Dubai, my hometown has often been referred to as the "city without soul;" and being from India, a place so full of soul there isn't room for any more, Dubai could seem less culturally effervescent, and often times like a big transit airport, populated with people waiting for the call of departure, with lots of baggage, uncomfortable shoes and tired perspectives. Ex'patriot' haven, the city sure sees its fair share of the ever-complaining, ever-dissatisfied dubai-bashers. But for someone who grew up here, from the age of 7, this whole bitch fest "I live in a high-rise on Sheikh Zayed Road, wear designer clothes, drive a fast car and travel all the time, but Dubai doesn't do much for me and who I am" routine is just getting a bit old. In no way, shape or form, am I romanticizing the city, but over the last few years, upon my return from Pune (India - where I went to college,) something has shifted in this affair with Dubai. It went from being the vessel that holds my adolescent memories to a terminus a quo, which then became, and is still, the start of conscious living, where in, I was no longer just as an extension of a family or a friend circle, but had managed to grow into a self-sufficient structure attuned to ambition, a certain character, inner monologues and some anecdotes where I, and not a sibling, parent or friend, was the hero of the story. 

And this is basically the bottom line of the city for me - somewhere within the act of seeking external luxuries and fulfillment, and sometimes finding them, and sometimes feeling the absence of a "culture," you get to access internal truths - you get thinking about things you're interested in, things you don't care for, the things you'll buy, the things you won't buy into and the people you'll invest in; for me, the lack of the simple pleasure of having "something new and interesting to do" has always led to one thing - creativity. Idle "nothing to do" time was a playmate that never disappointed in this city of mine. Don't see any of my favourite artists and bands playing - start songwriting and start performing myself; miss photographing the streets of India - start photographing the people of my life; missing going to watch plays on a weekly basis - start writing my own play by plays in magazines and newspapers. Being and being all I can has become very simple in this city. Such were and are the possibilities I have chanced upon in Dubai. And much like many of us, she grows or at least tries to, everyday - somewhere within a new bridge between the highway and the old way, a new art gallery, a maiden music festival, vertical records and simulated snow - a city full of seekers are free to be. 

Gallerina

Hop-Skip-Jump-ART. That's what the street signs in Al Quoz should say. One of my pet-peculiarisms about my town is that the hardcore industrial area and the art district of the city breed right next to each other in one beautifully dusty brown part of town called Al Quoz. Rows of humungous warehouses sharing walls and parking spaces in giant lots, showcasing everything from German timbre to Syrian art. One such treasure trove is Al Serkal Avenue, where I recently checked out the 'I am a teenager again' exhibit at Ayyam Gallery by Syrian artist Kais Salman and 'Rabbit in Wonderland' at Isabelle van den Eynde Gallery by Iraqi artist Farideh Lashai. 

I am a Teenager Again - Kais Salman 

On a very immediate level, the pieces in this show are vivid and arresting but upon closer inspection, it is the 'ugly' in the work that pulls you in and keeps you standing still while your eyes and mind do all the traveling. The intentional disproportion of the female form, reminiscent of ancient greek sculpture and drawings, contrasted by magnified, yet almost harmless looking faces, the kinds that are just a shadow of themselves alludes to a world of walking mannequins, wearing their consumerist pursuits, and are defined by the same. But the brilliant palette of these pieces colour in the abject with a true beauty, furthermore by the details in every piece - a designer watch, expensive modern clothing, bold bright lips, a bleeding leather glove, or the simple yet very clever act of sticking on a price tag label on some of the paintings - that unlock the themes that tie the whole show together. 

Rabbit in Wonderland - Farideh Lashai


This show is a lot of things, but in one word, it is pure artistry. A show with many layers, much like a dream, the worlds of history, politics, fantasy and tradition in themes and technique collide to create an alternate visceral realm that celebrates the "idea" as the hero. Explicitly referring to Lewis Carol's Alice in Wonderland, the rabbit takes on the role of Alice in this exhibit, symbolizing youth and his foray into wonderland and what unravels hence. But what makes this interesting is that the wonderland signifies Iran and the sequence of the show unravels the history of Iran. But the reason this show has me gushing, is because of the immense creativity with which this story is told. You see, the bunny, the cheshire cat, the raven and all other characters in the story, are all software-generated animations projected on to the canvas that move around within the canvas, augmented by other elements of animation like snow flakes in the forest, and a play on perspectives on roads. Mind-blown yet? This experience is further heightened by sound design and music to fit every piece, one after the other. The sheer experimentalism is held together by the comfort of a familiar fable, yet maintained by the notion of a painting coming to life. I had the fortune of meeting the artist and her daughter at the gallery and the 66-year old Farideh Lashai is an assuming, genteel-looking woman, with incredible artistic vision that blends old traditional painting techniques with new-age technology that amalgamates into one trip of a show.