WOMAD Abu Dhabi (23-25 April 2009)
WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance and gives its name to the internationally established WOMAD Festival, which brings together artists from all over the globe. The central aim of the WOMAD festival is to celebrate the world?s many forms of music, arts and dance.
Since the first festival in the UK in 1982, WOMAD has held more than 160 festivals, creating events in twenty-seven countries and islands all over the world. It has presented more than one thousand artists at its festivals, bringing the expression of more than 100 different countries to a live audience of over one million people.
WOMAD has been to many places in the world, but this will be the first event in the Middle East.
On Thursday 23rd, Friday 24th and Saturday 25th April 2009, from 7pm onwards the Corniche, a beautiful beach in Abu Dhabi, will be the stomping ground of the free festival. Artists will be performing to an international audience throughout the night.
Jivan Gasparyan will be performing in the South Stage of the Abu Dhabi Corniche on 23 April 2009, on the first day of the WOMAD festival.
Armenian musical legend Jivan Gasparyan began playing the duduk at the age of six, without knowing any notes, but through listening to the music of old maestros. He has performed globally, sharing the stage with the Symphonic Orchestras of Vienna, Yerevan and Los-Angeles.
In 2000 he came together with Hans Zimmer to compose the soundtrack for the film “Gladiator“, which brought him a coveted Golden Globe award and placed Armenian folk music on the world stage.
Jivan Gasparyan and his duduk became internationally recognisable owing to the “Siretsi, yaris taran” song, that formed the basis for this soundtrack.
Website: www.gasparyanjivan.com
Artist Jivan Gasparyan on the WOMAD Abu Dhabi website
Listen to 3 soundtracks by Jivan Gasparyan
WOMAD Abu Dhabi's schedule in the Abu Dhabi Corniche area:
Thursday 23rd April 2009
Khaled (North Stage)
Souad Massi (North Stage)
Dulsori (South Stage)
Djivan Gasparyan (South Stage)
Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali (South Stage)
Friday 24th April 2009
Youssou N?Dour (North Stage)
Abdullah Chhadeh & Syriana (North Stage)
The Dhol Foundation (South Stage)
Etran Finatawa (North Stage)
The Kamkars (South Stage)
Sa DingDing (South Stage)
Saturday 25th April 2009
Paprika Balkanicus (North Stage)
Trilok Gurtu (South Stage)
Sources:
1) WOMAD international: http://www.womadabudhabi.ae/
2) WOMAD Abu Dhabi: http://www.womad.org
