THE 30th edition of the Bahrain International Music Festival (BIMF) is set to kick off next month, with a line-up of local, regional and international artists as well as performing concerts that will be restricted to green-shield holders.
The festival, organised by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca), is being held under the theme ‘Pearling Path’ and will run from October 2 to 16.
“Our slogan for 2021, ‘Pearling Path’, reflects the sustainability of this festival and the unifying significance of culture and music as we are separated due to global circumstances beyond our control,” a Baca spokesperson said in a statement.
“The festival showcases various musical and lyrical performances ranging from folk arts, oriental singing, Latin rhythms and jazz alongside a number of interactive music workshops. This harmonious combination, delivered by our line-up of artists throughout the festival days, will be held at Bahrain National Theatre, the Cultural Hall, Dar Al Muharraq, Dar Bin Harban and Dar Al Riffa.”
Lebanese singing sensation Jahida Wehbe’s ‘Divas’ will be the opening act of the festival on October 2 from 8pm to 9.30pm at Bahrain National Theatre, the performance paying tribute to some of the most iconic female voices in music around the world.
Accompanied by musicians from Lebanon and Europe and conducted by Lucas Sakr, the concert will feature songs from Umm Kulthum, Asmahan, Dalida, Fairuz, Sabah, Edith Piaf, and Mercedes Sousa, as well as originals by Ms Wehbe, including two poems dedicated to Manama and Muharraq.
On October 3 and 4, at 8pm, French pianist Maxime Zecchini will take the stage at the Cultural Hall, near Bahrain National Museum, taking audiophiles on a journey through musical eras and styles, from Mozart to contemporary tunes.
The concert is being held in collaboration with the French Embassy.
On October 5 and 6, at 8pm, Omani band Hawas Trio will be conducting a concert at the Cultural Hall featuring Eastern and international music, as well as original compositions retaining distinct Omani sounds.
On October 7 and 8, at 8pm, Latin music-lovers will be treated to a concert at the Cultural Hall by Spanish pianist, singer and flamenco composer Laura de los Ángeles.
On October 9 and 10, at 8pm, Mohammed Rabeea and Hind Dito, accompanied by the Bahrain Music Band and maestro Ziad Zaiman, will lead a tribute to the late Bahraini artistic icon Salman Zaiman.
The concert will be held at the Cultural Hall.
On October 14, at 8pm, the Galali Folk Band will treat Bahraini traditional music fans to a concert at Dar Al Muharraq eliciting memories of Bahrain’s seafaring heritage, with a particular focus on Fjiri tunes.
On October 15, at 8pm, the Dar Bin Harban Band will perform at the new Dar Bin Harban heritage house in Muharraq, taking the audience on a journey through a myriad of local traditional music forms, including Al Ardhah, Al La’abouni, Al Khammari, and Al Fjiri.
The festival will end on October 16, with a performance by the Dar Al Riffa Al Sagheera Band at the Dar Al Riffa house.
The 96-year-old band is famous for reviving a range of songs such as the Mjailsi and Al Wda’a during the last days of Ramadan.
As part of the music festival, a range of workshops will also be conducted at Bahrain National Theatre, including a song-writing class by Ala Ghawas on October 8 at 4pm; ‘Introduction to the Rhythm and Drum Circle’ by Abdulla Adnan on October 9 at 4pm; ‘Introduction to Arabic Music’ by Mohamed Aseeri on October 15 at 4pm; and the ‘Roles and Forms of the Rhythm Section Workshop’ class by Ahmed AlQasim on October 16 at 4pm.
This is the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic that the festival will welcome indoor audiences and participation while limiting attendance to Covid-vaccinated and Covid-recovered individuals who must show the green shield on their BeAware mobile application.
Last year, the 29th BIMF featured car concerts at the Qal’at Al Bahrain, during which a limited number of vehicles with up to four attendees each could tune in to the performance via radio at the venue.
All of last year’s performances were also livestreamed on Baca’s YouTube channel.
naman@gulfweekly.com
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