Breathing life into a dream, and embodying this dream through melody and poetry, renowned Emirati musician Faisal Al Sari used his Oud and music group taking visitors of the Paris Book Fair (Livre Paris) on a memorable journey, through the dreams and inspiring life of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirate’s late founding father.

Titled “Zayed’s Dream”, Al Sari played poetic melodies and tunes that told the inspiring stories and virtues of the UAE people and their heritage, instilled, nurtured and inspired by the ambitions and vision of the late Sheikh Zayed. The performance was among a series of scheduled events and activities, that told remarkable and inspiring stories on Emirati and Arab cultures, heritage and literature, at the Sharjah pavilion, celebrating its participation as the fair’s Special Guest City.

A set of melodies that enthused hundreds of visitors at the fair, the performance has also inspired a diverse set of high-level dignitaries and representatives from Sharjah and the UAE, who attended Al Sari’s musical story-telling event, who were reminded on the pride of their rich Emirati and Arab roots.

These included Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group; Her Excellency Noura Bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development; His Excellency Ali Abdullah Al-Ahmad, UAE Ambassador to Germany; His Excellency Mohammed Al Murr, Chairman of the Board of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Establishment; His Excellency Abdullah Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Department of Culture; His Excellency Ahmad Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA); His Excellency Dr. Abdul Aziz Al Musallam, Chairman of Sharjah Institute for Heritage; Dr. Habib Al Sayegh, Secretary-General of the Arab Writers Union and Chairman of the Emirates Writers Union; Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Director General of Abu Dhabi Media, and a host of scholars and press representatives from the UAE and the Arab region, invited as part of celebrating Sharjah as the Special Guest City during this year’s edition of the book fair.

A mix of harmonies which started with the tunes of the UAE National Anthem, Al Sari performed a unique Emirati Concerto which was composed of three segments. The first included a set of cultural Emirati rhythms, whereas the second included a mix of UAE’s most popular traditional (Ayala) tunes (also known as “Yowalah”), which originated from the deep heritage and roots from Al Ain and UAE’s coastlines, symbolizing grief for the loss of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The third and final segment buildup the melody with positive static rhythms which told traditional stories on UAE’s concepts of giving and achievement.

The Emirati Concerto, composed and written by Al Sari, incorporated an array of music equipment, which inspired attendees on the level of detail and complexity behind the performance of such a traditional art. These included the cello, piano and rhythm and drum equipment, all in sync and harmony with the solo Oud performance, its verses and concerto.

Audiences were breath taken by the performance, which resulted with large audiences surrounding the Sharjah pavilion, empowering Al Sari to go above his Emirati Concerto and perform numerous additional tunes, bringing Zayed’s dream of rich culture, proud heritage and humble respect alive in the hearts and spirits of participants and visitors of the Paris Book Fair 2018.