Sharjah World Music Festival 2017 begins tomorrow Friday!

WAM -- Sharjah World Music Festival 2017, SWMF 2017, is gearing up for a grand opening at Al Majaz Amphitheatre on Friday evening.

The fourth edition of the SWMF will feature a collection of concerts, musical shows and artistic activities featuring local, regional and international music, in line with Sharjah’s goal to be a regional incubator of culture and art.

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The fourth edition of Sharjah World Music Festival will run from the 6–14 January 2017 in celebration of the best Arabic and Western musicians and bands from 13 countries.

Organised by Furat Qaddouri Music Centre and sponsored by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), the festival’s concerts will take place at Al Majaz Amphitheatre, Masrah Al Qasba- Theatre, and The Flag Island theatre, and Outdoor events will take place at Al Majaz Waterfront and Al Qasba.

Performances during the nine-day festival will feature 24 award-winning international artists from France, Spain, Holland, Ukraine, the United States, the UAE, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Cuba, Columbia, Egypt and Jordan.

New features will include a night to commemorate famous Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum and a piano competition to spot new talents. Last but not least, Legend of Oud, an oud dialog between the most important oud players.

The festival’s audience will enjoy a variety of musical genres including Arabic contemporary pop, Arabic traditional, Indian sitar, soul jazz, a classical European dialog (between accordion and strings) and Gypsy Latin and Flamenco to cater to every taste.

Artist Furat Qaddouri, Manager of Sharjah World Music Festival, said: "We have introduced some new items to the festival rundown this year to entertain the crowds even more, and the quality of the artists and the variety of music is as rich as ever. We have an extraordinary line up of talent and some of the most passionate musicians from across the world. The audience will be treated to a truly global festival and audiences of all tastes will be able to enjoy sublime expressions of their favourite art."

Fatima Mohamed Al Nuaimi, General Coordinator of Sharjah World Music Festival, said: "This festival is a wonderful tribute to a universal love of music and brings together a unique blend of instruments, sounds, songs and lyrics. Music acts as a cultural bond between us all and we are delighted to sponsor the event once again and play a part in driving art tourism in the emirate, attracting more visitors to the tourist destinations managed and developed by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority."

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