Overview
Sharjah Art Foundation announces the release of PRAED Orchestra!’s debut album ‘Live in Sharjah’ on vinyl, which is now available at Sharjah Art Shops located across Al Mureijah Square, Arts Square and The Flying Saucer as well as online via Morphine Records. Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation, the album preserves their major 2018 performance of the same title that took place in Calligraphy Square in Heart of Sharjah’s heritage area. The live performance, which drew large crowds to the outdoor venue, was the culmination of PRAED Orchestra!’s residency at the Foundation during which the band members rehearsed intensely over multiple days.
An exploration of the cultural significance of shaabi musical genre, PRAED Orchestra’s ‘Live in Sharjah’ project engaged with contemporary discourse on the Middle East through critical, innovative and genre-defying sonic and compositional experimentation. The work expands on their research into the traditional music form by introducing elements of psychedelic rock, avant-jazz and free jazz, electronica and opera, and collaborations with regional talents. Helmed by PRAED duo Paed Conca and Raed Yassin, PRAED Orchestra! is their most ambitious endeavour to date and features a musically diverse 13-piece jazz outfit whose full roster includes Alan Bishop, Nadah El Shazly, Christine Kazarian, Hans Kock, Martin Küchen, Maurice Louca, Radwan Ghazi Moumneh, Sam Shalabi, Ute Wassermann, Khaled Yassine and Michael Zerang. ‘Live in Sharjah’ was released via Morphine Records, Berlin.
Through the commissioning and production of this record, Sharjah Art Foundation continues its support of PRAED Orchestra! and offers audiences in the region and beyond an opportunity to experience the project through the album’s triple LP and its rich accompanying materials. ‘Live in Sharjah’ is the second musical album commissioned by the Foundation. Neo Muyanga’s Sharjah Biennial 14 live performance ‘house of MAKEdba’ was released as a vinyl album with the same title in early 2020.
Sharjah Art Foundation’s Music and Performance Programme is the continuation of over a decade of the Foundation’s work with a wide range of composers, musicians, choreographers and sound artists. The programme provides an accessible platform for both emerging and established talent to perform and connect, and offers production support, learning opportunities and grants through its residencies, Sharjah Biennial commissions and other projects.
For more information, visit sharjahart.org.
About Sharjah Art Foundation
Sharjah Art Foundation is an advocate, catalyst and producer of contemporary art within the Emirate of Sharjah and the surrounding region, in dialogue with the international arts community. Under the leadership of founder Hoor Al Qasimi, a curator and artist, the Foundation advances an experimental and wide-ranging programmatic model that supports the production and presentation of contemporary art, preserves and celebrates the distinct culture of the region and encourages a shared understanding of the transformational role of art. The Foundation’s core initiatives include the long-running Sharjah Biennial, featuring contemporary artists from around the world; the annual March Meeting, a convening of international arts professionals and artists; grants and residencies for artists, curators and cultural producers; ambitious and experimental commissions and a range of travelling exhibitions and scholarly publications.
Established in 2009 to expand programmes beyond the Sharjah Biennial, which launched in 1993, the Foundation is a critical resource for artists and cultural organisations in the Gulf and a conduit for local, regional and international developments in contemporary art. The Foundation’s deep commitment to developing and sustaining the cultural life and heritage of Sharjah is reflected through year-round exhibitions, performances, screenings and learning programmes in the city of Sharjah and across the Emirate, often hosted in historic buildings that have been repurposed as cultural and community centres. A growing collection reflects the Foundation’s support of contemporary artists in the realisation of new work and its recognition of the contributions made by pioneering modern artists from the region and around the world.
Sharjah Art Foundation is a legally independent public body established by Emiri Decree and supported by government funding, grants from national and international nonprofits and cultural organisations, corporate sponsors and individual patrons. All exhibitions are free and open to the public.
About Sharjah
Sharjah is the third largest of the seven United Arab Emirates and the only one bridging the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Reflecting the deep commitment to the arts, architectural preservation and cultural education embraced by its ruler, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Sharjah is home to more than 20 museums and has long been known as the cultural hub of the United Arab Emirates. It was named UNESCO's Arab Capital of Culture in 1998 and the UNESCO World Book Capital in 2019.
Media Contact
Alyazeyah Al Reyaysa
+971(0)65444113
alyazeyah@sharjahart.org