Expo 2020 Dubai: AR Rahman to hunt for all-women orchestra in the UAE

Gulf News

Gulf News tabloid. Oscar-winning Indian composer AR Rahman will spearhead a nation-wide talent hunt for an all-women orchestra during Expo 2020 Dubai and create a state-of-the-art studio called Firdaus Studio that will be functional even after the momentous world show ends.  Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/2TamZeH See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km #Expo2020Dubai #Bollywood #ARRahman

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00:00It's a great opportunity to have something like this. It's like a statement from this country.

00:06This country stands for unity and progress and co-existence and all the things which

00:12humanity is wishing for.

00:16Firstly, can you tell me more about the initiative with Expo 2020? What should we know about it?

00:21We're creating an orchestra and it's an all-women orchestra and we're going to audition now.

00:27And this orchestra will be a part of the Expo 2020. We're also building a studio called the

00:32Firdos Studio and Labs where we'll be recording music. We might be transmitting live on Facebook

00:38Live. We'll be recording albums and it's also open for guests abroad like VIP guests to come

00:45and use the orchestra, the studio. And there'll be workshops for these musicians to do for

00:51children to display them and to teach them how music is made in the studio from conception to

01:00writing music, arranging music, recording music and posting music.

01:04You have been promoting this cause for the longest time ever since you started. You even

01:07have a conservatory in Chennai. So do you think this is just an extension and it is one way to

01:14get into the outside world as well, have more people of different nationalities?

01:18True. I think the Expo 2020 is the most fascinating thing I've ever worked in the past

01:2310 years I would say because here you have 200 pavilions, you have almost the whole world here

01:30and so it's a great opportunity to have something like this. It's like a statement from

01:35this country. This country stands for unity and progress and coexistence and all

01:41the things which humanity is wishing for. So the aspiration is to also exchange ideas,

01:48give ideas and probably show the world how to be together. And especially in this very divisive

01:54world and also showing, being a Muslim country, showing that this is a place of hope, opportunity

02:01and dreams where people can come in and we embrace you. And so that aspect has fascinated me so much

02:07and I felt like being a part of this, I'm really proud of it. It's also a women's orchestra. I was

02:12just fascinated by why is it that the focus is on gender here. Because there's a narrative about

02:19Middle Eastern women and I felt like this coming from them saying that this is a whole new

02:26shouting out loud that look at our women playing. And this is not just our women,

02:30we're embracing everybody and this is a multicultural orchestra coming in a 2D,

02:35musical term, saying that this is the future. And how involved will you be in the mentoring

02:40process of it? People often enter, I'm sure, seeing your name in it. Yeah, so the thing is I've been

02:46for the past six months been ideating where to construct the studio, how the studio should be,

02:51what the functions of the studio should be, what equipments we need and what are the specifications.

02:56So trying to tie in all these things and expertise so that we have a studio which is fascinating,

03:02inspiring and functional even after the expo. It stays over so people in this area or in Africa,

03:09India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, America, Europe, they all come in here as a melting point.

03:15And is that the legacy that you want to leave for the UAE as well?

03:22Yeah. Because you come to play here often, I've seen you.

03:25I know you as a performer. Yeah, so you know, I see a whole new India here. Indians who come

03:30from there, their dreams are fulfilled. And I see so much of joy when I do shows. So

03:37I feel like this whole energy of people understanding and satisfied people. I mean,

03:42so this is a place of beauty. This is a place of hope. So I'm really proud being here.

03:48Here's hoping that you bring joy to the rest of the world. Thank you for your time.

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