AR Rahman to mentor all-female music studio in Dubai

Music maestro A.R. Rahman will mentor musicians and compose for a state-of-the-art, all-female music studio in Dubai, which will perform at Expo 2020.

The Firdaus (Paradise) Women’s Orchestra will become a permanent facility at District 2020, according to an announcement on Sunday.

Other than mentoring and composing, Rahman will be attached to the studio’s name. The composer, who is credited with revolutionising Indian cinema music in his over 25-year illustrious career, said: “This world-leading studio will attract the cream of the industry to Dubai. Working with the most exciting female musical talents of the region, the Firdaus Women’s Orchestra will enable Dubai to become a focal point for making ground-breaking new music, and I look forward to being part of that.”

The studio and orchestra are part of the state’s plan to promote Dubai as an international hub for music recording and production, the announcement added.

The orchestra, which will bring together 50 women musicians from the UAE, wider Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan, will draw inspiration from the country’s centuries-old rich musical traditions that use instruments such as the oud, rebaba and darbuka.

The orchestra will perform two concerts led by Rahman at Expo 2020 Dubai, a special show for International Women’s Day on 8 March 2021, among a number of other events.

Dubai will host Expo 2020 after the Bureau International des Expositions, an intergovernmental organization created to supervise international exhibitions falling under the jurisdiction of the Convention Relating to International Exhibitions, awarded the rights in 2013.