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Invitation to a musical journey in the Arabic world

wesound-cityview
27. May 2021

Over the last months, we have been working on a couple of client projects in the UAE and have gained a whole new understanding of the Arabic cultures and region. Fascinated by the rich musical heritage and out of emotional connection to our clients in the UAE (whose brand music projects we are not officially allowed to publish yet), we’d still like to share impressions from this musical journey.

The Ramadan month seems to be the perfect occasion as it is a uniting time across Arabic countries. Also it is the perfect occasion to demonstrate musical variety, since it is a celebration bringing generations together in unity.

“Merging worlds” is the concept behind our small music campaign. We build bridges and create connections. Opposites like traditional/modern, old/young converge and unite. It’s all about connection between human beings.

Our wonderful production team has translated this concept into three different musical tracks. A traditional, very well-known Arabic music theme was reinterpreted threefold – cinematic, electronic and rock elements flow into it.

Enjoy this little musical journey!

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“To cover the idea of Ramadan in the intro, I got inspired by the rhythm of a person (known as Al-Moussaharati) walking between houses in the early morning, waking people up with a drum so they could eat and drink together before the fasting starts. I used the classical Arabic theme “lamma bada yatathna” and applied a lovely modulation so the track is becoming dynamic and lively. You can say, classical culture meets technology.”
Federico, artist in residence at WESOUND

“We chose a contemporary approach to this classical and sophisticated Arabic theme and developed a cinematic version out of it. The violin leads the melody, seeking to imitate the Arabic Style of singing, free and improvised. For example the freedom to move between the notes with overdone glees. Or imitating sounds of crying. With its warm timbre, the violin is closest to the human voice. This way, we want to convey the idea of “human connectivity” in this music track, an idea so fundamental to Ramadan.”
Maher, artist in residence at WESOUND

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“For the electronic interpretation, I used the classical Arabic theme “lamma bada yatathna” and merged it with a dry and dirty melodic techno inspired rhythm. The violin and mandoline are leading the melody. The original rhythm of the Arabic theme is 10/8. I re-recorded it in 4/4 to remain in the style of techno. The result is a flavor of poly-rhythmic music. Think of club culture meets a classical theme.”
Maher, artist in residence at WESOUND

“Memories of exuberant party nights merge with the curiosity of a world traveler. Music like this puts me in a mental state where I can be in two or more places at once, forget space and time.”
Federico, artist in residence at WESOUND

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“In this track you can hear lots of distorted sounds of guitar and violin. Rock music elements are blended with the classical Arabic theme. The oud and the qanon, traditional Arabic instruments, start playing the musical theme. They are followed by an electric violin and an electric guitar which answer with small musical phrases. All instruments are interacting, like in a dialogue. This eventually leads into a bigger conversation where all instruments play the Arabic theme together.”
Maher, artist in residence at WESOUND

“This track is like a dialogue between a rebellious young person and a parent. It’s full of energy and emotion. However, it leaves space for both parties to articulate their opinion. The respect for the other person and his/her point of view ensures that the conversation doesn’t get out of hand.”
Federico, artist in residence at WESOUND

You can find the whole campaign on Instagram.

Link INSTAGRAM
WESOUND