Tag Archives: music
Lights festival debuts in Downtown Dubai
Lights festival debuts in Downtown Dubai Kelly Clarke / 21 March 2014 Walls of iconic buildings in Downtown area become the canvas A typical walk through Downtown Dubai usually exposes you to a visual array of awe-inspiring skyscrapers, with revving engines and car horns providing the perfect sound backdrop. But Dubai’s busy district has now become home to an array of all singing and dancing art. From the shores of the Milky Way, to an urban Serengeti, the city’s skies will explode with colour over the next few days and become ‘the brightest square-kilometre on earth’ thanks to the 32 installations on display at this year’s debut Dubai Festival of Lights. Passers-by will get an insight into the minds of each exhibiting artist — and whether it makes sense or not, it’s certainly going to be a feast for the eyes and ears. Lights in different shapes and colours on iconic buildings in the Downtown area as the Dubai Festival of Lights started on Wednesday evening. — KT photos by Shihab During a sneak preview of some of the finished installations on Wednesday evening, Star Fishermen by Tokyo-born artist Akira-Lisa Ichii kick-started proceedings — but hamour and salmon were not on the menu. “This is a story about fishermen trying to catch the stardust in the Milky Way, so they’re not your typical fishermen.” Composed of three fishing cabins draped in aluminous lighting, the seven-minute composition using a dynamic 360-degree lighting and sound system, sees light take on the role of dancer, and the music its composer, while hypnotically bringing spectators to the seas shore. And when asked where the inspiration for such a unique idea came from, Ichii said the UAE’s history played a big part in show piece. “When I was invited to Dubai, I knew I wanted to adapt this particular piece of mine. Not many people know this about the city, but before all the skyscrapers and highways, Dubai was a fishing village, so I thought this fit perfectly for this festival,” she told Khaleej Times. A light injection Turning Downtown Dubai’s urban surroundings into a façade of light, sound and art, the consensus among the exhibiting artists is that Dubai is a city which deserves artistic light. And French sculptor Edouard Levine, who is showcasing his illuminated geometric sculpture, Mikado, at this year’s festival, told Khaleej Times the city is a welcome platform for his pieces. “Dubai’s art scene is up and coming, so for me it’s a new discovery. It’s a new stage for my work and I am never afraid of trying new things.” With the 10-day light festival making Dubai’s famous square kilometre the ‘brightest on earth’, it could well bag the prize for ‘most entertaining car park on earth’ too, thanks to a humourous video mapping composition from French duo Mouety Batlle and David Passegand. Spread across a giant coloured wall canvas along Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, The Anookis throws you back to the days of the Atari computer. With simple imagery and a humourous story, the duo cleverly use lighting and sound effects to create a sense of nostalgia, and spectators are bound to fall in love with the loveable ‘Inuit’ characters too. Visually based on the two artists themselves, the Inuits take you on a wacky journey where cute cries, adorable laughter and wiggling bums are bound to raise laughs among Dubai’s old and young alike. “We originally created these two characters to animate our website, but they became so famous on the Internet, and it just spiralled from there. Now they’re on Facebook stickers and we’ve adapted them into smartphone apps too. This creation should be fun for all people,” Passegand said. Given just five weeks to produce the seven-minute show, The Anookis story is exclusive to Dubai audiences, and with the artists currently working a TV show based on the loveable Inuit characters, we could be seeing a lot more of them around the UAE soon. Time to explore A collaboration between Emaar and the Ville de Lyon’s Festival of Lights in France, Emaar’s managing director Ahmad Thani Al Matrooshi promised to continue long-term partnerships with the art organisation at Wednesday’s event, in a bid to build a cultural bridge between both Dubai and Lyon. So, as office buildings, homes and shop fronts become the canvas for these extraordinary international artists, why not get yourself down there and expose yourself to a different kind of art this month… one which tells a tale. kelly@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Food carnival set to become vibrant gourmet affair
Food carnival set to become vibrant gourmet affair 20 February 2014 Dubai Food Carnival tickets priced at Dh30 for adults, while children under 12 enter free. The two-day Dubai Food Carnival at Dubai Festival City from Friday set the ball rolling for the 23-day Dubai Food Festival organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE). The star-studded food and beverage event at the Outdoor Events Arena of Dubai Festival City is made up of many mouth-watering portions giving foodies the opportunity to tuck into a diverse selection of cuisines, interact with celebrity chefs and indulge in a number of family-themed activities including cooking demos, culinary master classes, workshops, food samplings, competitions and comedy shows. Meanwhile, to encourage as many families as possible to enjoy the vibrant gourmet affair, Dubai Food Carnival has launched a special offer on admission prices. Tickets are now priced at Dh30 for adults, while children under 12 enter free. Just for starts, the opening day will be ushered in by a colourful carnival parade at the 360° stage, which will host the bulk of the entertainment acts, followed by live appearances by famous Sumo wrestlers, fun activities and a series of demonstrations and appearances by renowned chefs and food personalities. Commenting on the carnival’s exciting weekend calendar of events, Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions and Events Department, DWTC, said: “The Dubai Food Carnival will shine the spotlight on Dubai as a city where diverse cuisines and culinary arts are inspired by the multitude of cultures living in and visiting the Emirate, as well as our world-class portfolio of home-grown and international food brands. With more than 100 participating food retailers and exhibitors highlighting Dubai’s unique food culture, the carnival will be a fantastic culinary experience for food services companies and consumers, and the perfect curtain raiser for the Dubai Food Festival that will feature city-wide celebrations of all things culinary until March 15.” Celebrity chefs Adding to the public’s enjoyment of an extensive selection of cuisine, will be a galaxy of celebrity chefs and food personalities including international stars chef John Torode and chef Silvena Rowe from the BBC’s highly-acclaimed food shows, as well as regional culinary heavyweights such as the award-winning Maroun Chedid, from Lebanon, Manal Al Alem, known as “Queen of the Arabic Kitchen”, chef Tarek Ibrahim, of Fatafeat TV fame and the Indian cookery expert, Sanjeev Kapoor. Other personalities include Uwe Micheel, Director of Kitchens at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, and President of the Emirates Culinary Guild, and chef Toh Chye Siong, Chef de Cuisine at the award-winning Hakkasan Dubai. The culinary champions will engage with and entertain visitors at The Chef’s Dome, a live cooking demonstration area created especially for the carnival. The master chefs will also be using locally produced or sourced ingredients including meats, vegetables and fruits in their live demonstrations to raise awareness of the assortment of produce that is home-grown in the UAE. Fans of the celebrity chefs can also meet them at book launches and get autographs. Fusion of flavours With over 100 food and drinks stalls featuring local and international brands, Dubai’s most delicious weekend will give foodies a chance to explore the many gastronomic delights and munch their way around the world of cuisines. Among the food retailers and exhibitors participating in the vibrant gourmet affair are Sumo Sushii & Bento; Chinese Connection; Cocoville; Chamas at Crowne Plaza; Hakkasan; Mandilicious; Gourmet Burger Kitchen; McGettigan’s; Maison Mathis; Meat and Livestock Australia; Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor; Shake Shack; Pink Berry; Pizza Express; Pullman Dubai Deira City Centre; Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek; Sharaf Hospitality and Wok It. Muscle power … laughter Stepping up the tempo at the carnival will be multicultural performances by a troupe of roaming Brazilian Capoeira dancers, live music bands, Japanese Basho Championship sumo wrestlers led by three-time world champion Nara plus the region’s versatile bilingual comedy artiste, Ali Al Sayed. Adding to the two-day pageantry will be Mina Licione, star of Broadway hit, STOMP, who will perform the “Matbakh – Kitchen Rhythm”, with the help of kitchen utensils. Competitions For sheer gastronomic fun and adventure there is the Great Yalla BBQ, a country vs country BBQ competition sponsored by Weber and the MLA; Beat The Heat, a marathon chili-flavoured chicken wing eating competition; and My Dad Can Cook, a competition to find Dubai’s number one ‘father of the ktchen’. The Dubai Food Carnival will be open from 10am to 11pm on February 21 and 22. For more information, visit www.dubaifoodcarnival.com. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Dubai Food Festival designed with all tastes in mind
Dubai Food Festival designed with all tastes in mind Staff Reporter / 16 February 2014 Taste of Peru and the Grand Kerala Festival added to the line up of events. With just a few days until the start of the inaugural Dubai Food Festival (DFF), Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), announced a full and appetising line-up for the city-wide celebration of food-related events, tastings and activaties. Two of the new events added to the line-up — Taste of Peru and the Grand Kerala Festival — further demonstrate the range of flavours inherent in Dubai’s culinary offer, which is inspired by both Arabic traditions and those of the 200+ nationalities who live in the Emirate, and is one of the key themes of the festival. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General, DTCM, said: “The quality and range of our culinary offering is something that will increasingly be used as a tourism driver and through the Dubai Food Festival we will demonstrate the variety of offer that exists across the Emirate, including world-class international brands, homegrown restaurants, and high quality street-food.” Laila Mohammed Suhail, Chief Executive Officer, DFRE said: “We are pleased with the response that we had from various stakeholders of Dubai’s food industry and gastronomy sector.” “The programme has been designed with all tastes in mind. From family-friendly consumer events to more industry focused forums and conferences, both residents and visitors can look forward to a festival that is as exciting and inclusive as it is delicious,” she said. Joining the line-up of events already announced including the Dubai Food Carnival, Gulfood, The Big Grill, and Taste of Dubai, will be the Grand Kerala Festival, The Taste of Peru, and the Global Restaurant Investment Forum. The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2014, Gulf Photo Plus 2014 and the Dubai International Boat Show will join the celebrations through specific culinary related activities and initiatives. Adding star power to the festival’s programme will be over 26 celebrity chefs. Representing restaurants and cuisines from around the world, these culinary stars include well-known names such as French Chef, Jean Christophe Novelli; Australian power pair, Greg and Lucy Malouf; Queen of the Arabic Kitchen, Egyptian Chef, Manal Al Alem; Lebanon’s Chef of the Year 2013, Maroun Chedid; and Indian TV personality, Sanjeev Kapoor. Home to more than 200 nationalities, Dubai’s diversity is reflected in its restaurant offer, a fact represented by two of the new confirmations to the programme. The Grand Kerala Festival (February 20-22) will showcase the rich flavours and vibrant colours of India’s southern state, with Dubai’s Wonderland transformed into a bustling Kerala village, complete with a lively array of exciting events and entertainment and authentic Malayalee cuisine. From South India to South America, the Taste of Peru (February 26 to March 1) will see Madinat Jumeirah Souk Madinat transformed into a four-day celebration of Peruvian gastronomy. The event will include appearances from celebrity Peruvian chefs and live Peruvian music, and feature award-winning cuisine inspired by a nearly 500-year melting pot of cultures and cuisines. The festival is set to take place between February 21 and March 15 at locations across Dubai. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
