GET ready for one of the most entertaining and culturally diverse weeks in Bahrain’s calendar, as the 28th Bahrain International Music Festival returns.
This year’s festival brings together talented musicians and performers from around the globe, showcasing different styles and genres, including orchestra, rock, pop, traditional and more.
Organised by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, the much-awaited festival will be held from October 19 to 26 in various locations around the kingdom.
L’Orchestre Lamoureux, one of the oldest French orchestras founded in Paris by Charles Lamoureux in 1881, will be the first performance on October 19 at the Bahrain National Theatre.
More than one and a half century after its birth, L’Orchestre Lamoureux writes a new page of its history with the creation of the Lamoureux Chamber Orchestra, under the title ‘100% Mozart’.
Bahraini musician Mo Zowayed will take audiences on a wanderlust journey through his transient experiences on October 20.
Combining vocal hooks, guitar-driven melodies and soulful upbeat sounds, the indie-folk singer and songwriter will create a soulful, upbeat sound with cracking, memorable choruses.
The free event will be held at the Cultural Hall, starting 8pm.
A choir workshop will be held the same day, starting from 4pm at the Art Centre in Manama.
Held in collaboration with Harmony Music Centre , the event is an occasion for participants to meet and make music together, for any level of experience.
Participants will learn many aspects associated with voice, sound and breathing and get familiar with choir warm-ups and perform multi-voiced pieces.
The next day, on October 21, participants can enjoy a groovy music workshop in the same location.
The centre will engage participants’ mind and body through a mixture of singing, dancing and acting, while using percussion instruments such as xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels. The workshop will begin at 4pm.
On October 22, a concert titled ‘Musicals from Paris to Broadway’ will be held at the Cultural Hall. French musical group Ensemble Contraste will present a variety of musical genres, including classical, tango, musical comedy, jazz and more. The free event begins at 8pm.
German rock band Treptow will also perform at the Cultural Hall on October 23. In their very first concert outside of Europe, Treptow will present their energetic songs in the German language and bring the sound of Berlin to Bahrain.
The free event begins at 8pm.
A musical workshop will be held on October 24 at Bab Al Bahrain in Manama.
Participants will learn the various ways of expression and innovation through music during the Expression in Music workshop, which will begin at 5pm.
On the same day, oud player, vocal coach and classical Arabic and Sufi singer Daline Jabbour will perform at the Cultural Hall.
She will be accompanied by a group of specialised musical experts in the domain of improvising in accordance with the Takht standard of Arabic music.
Artist and composer Hasan Hujairi will lead a workshop at the Art Centre on October 25 and 26, starting at 4.30pm.
Titled ‘Reclaiming Our Ethnomusicologies’, it will explore the field of ethnomusicology, relating it to music history and practice in the kingdom.
On October 25, the Bahrain Music Band will also perform at the Cultural Hall with nostalgic music.
A live performance highlighting the various styles of the uniquely Bahraini Fjiri tradition will be held on October 26 at Dar Al Muharraq, starting 7pm.
The annual music festival, held under the ‘Our Year of Celebrations’ programme, has become a focal point of social and cultural movement, where diverse programmes continue to gain both regional and worldwide acknowledgment.