It’s well known that music plays a vital role in event introductions. Nonetheless, three Arab musicians came together during the opening of Expo Dubai 2020 to offer us the show we had all been waiting for. What could be better than a collaboration between three of the Middle East’s best artists? Hussain Al Jasmi, the pop king, Almas, the Emirati rising star, and Mayssa Karaa, a Lebanese artist. Notably, Karaa is well renowned for her stunning performance on the soundtrack from the Oscar-nominated film American Hustle.
The music video captures the soul of Dubai, highlighting its diversity and significance of coming together as one. In addition, the music video emphasizes a sense of pride in one’s own culture and ethnicity.
As a result, they came together to perform a single song, This Is Our Time. The trio came together to send a message of unity throughout the Arab world, as well as to emphasize the significance of how one song, and music in general, can bring us closer. This is the power of music and the effects it has on our communities.
In an interview with the Khaleej Times, Karaa stated,
Bridging cultures is really what I’m all about along with highlighting the local culture of the region. I feel the song really does that. There was a strategic thinking behind the choosing of the artists to be in line with the message. They wanted a male artist as a representation of one aspect of the UAE and then a young female UAE artist to represent the youth. Then they wanted an Arab female UAE artist to bridge between cultures. I am from Lebanon but also I’ve been living in the US for 14 years and my life is about introducing Arabic music to Western countries.
Mayssa Karaa’s involvement does not stop here as she is the artistic director for the Firdaus Orchestra. The Firdaus Orchestra, a group of 50 women from 23 different countries, was also scheduled to perform throughout the event. Furthermore, the orchestra is led by AR Rahman, a well-known Grammy Award-winning Indian composer whose vision is to bring talent from all over the world to strive for musical creativity.
It is evident that Expo Dubai 2020 is an event that aims to highlight the growth and diligence that Dubai has achieved over the years. Expo Dubai 2020 has managed to steal our hearts with the passion that has been shown thus far. With the amount of dedication that has been put into those events, Dubai has always been successful in capturing the eyes of the world in different aspects.