Building bridges through music

Transcript

00:00Two gifted musicians working hard to build bridges with their music.

00:12Balabaskar, a prodigal violinist, is a spiritual and charismatic virtuoso.

00:18He's teamed up with Farhat Qadouri, a world-renowned Iraqi who plays the qanun, a traditional stringed

00:24instrument.

00:27They played a rare concert together in Dubai, showing how the two rich musical traditions

00:32can meld together.

00:52Balabaskar and his group are wrapping up a tour of the Gulf.

00:56His defining sound has been shaped from an early age.

01:18Many people probably don't know much about the qanun, and for Farhat, that spurred him

01:23on a personal mission.

01:50Both Balabaskar and Farhat are musical ambassadors for their rich and distinctive cultures.

01:56And both of them represent the best of what the UAE can be.

02:00Ashraf Helmi, Gulf News.