Re-thinking Jazz @ Al Noor Island - Sharjah

-


What is the one word that comes to your mind when I mention the city - Sharjah? For some of you grown up here, I am pretty sure the mere mention of the word draws you back to your early childhood or school days in a multi-cultured bustling neighbourhood. For the rest of the others, it could come across as just another city in one or more of the Gulf states - a common misperception given the less visibility in the news worldwide.





But what if I told you that this very city - now crowned since the last few years as the cultural capital of the Arab world is now the powerhouse of some exquisite jazz ensembles from across the world. Surprising isn't it?  Yes - that's right, the city just recently hosted it's first Jazz Festival at the Al Noor Island and today I'm here to throw a spotlight on the first ever jazz lineup at the cultural capital.


It was a quaint evening of 7th Dec 2024. As we crossed the bridge that led us to the entrance of the island - we saw a huge group of trees and a wide array of flora to compound it's breathtaking view in the middle of the lagoon. As part of the Jazz festival, we were then taken on a tour by Ajmal Hasan - Head of Tourism Development (Shurooq) who was our guide for the short 45 minutes session. During the course of the tour, we were taken around to view more than a thousand species of trees from different parts of the world from as far as the Americas to the Indian sub-continent. We also got to see a butterfly sanctuary - host to more than 50 butterflies from the South American region. The sanctuary was designed to maintain the accurate temperature conditions suitable for the species' sustenance and resembled a 'greenhouse' with a butterfly-like effect as seen from it's roof-tops outside. It had a splendid architectural design and I now recall having seen the same structure in some of the advertisements onboard Air Arabia. We were enthralled to hear a cacophany of crows and other bird species chirping in a chorus as the the sun was setting.


With the short tour finally coming to a close, we were then escorted to an area where high-definition speakers, audio systems and lights were set up for the big event ahead. As we waited, we saw tens and thousands of people from all across the Middle East and Europe as they gathered to witness the unveiling of the spectacle. In the bargain, I had also met Abdul Karim Hanif - host of Morning Majlis on Pulse 95 FM Sharjah who had come with his team to cover a few shots of the event.



The event kickstarted with a short workshop cum performance by Rami Attallah who gave us an overview of the origins of Jazz whilst getting us acquainted to some Arabian tunes played in the Jazz style.

The next act consisted a series of jazz songs performed by Aleksander and her musical troop. The musical group was a multi-diverse one with the lead singer being a Serbian, the drummer - an Egyptian and the lead guitarist a South American. The best highlight was part in the performance where it felt as though the instruments - lead guitar, drums and the piano were having a conversation which captivated our attention and left us spellbound in amazement.



As they say - the best is often reserved for the last. This did hold true as the last act - was a series of jazz music in both English and Arabic by Tania Kassis a renowned Lebanese jazz performer who enthralled the audiences with her beautiful music so much so that she was able to engage the crowd. I must not forget to mention that the performances were accompanied by a full fledged dinner organized by the Cafe at the Al Noor Island. The dinner experience itself was something to wax eloquent about.

It was 4 course set menu, seated dinner served in style and it was an overwhelming experience to eat in candle light by the shores of the lagoon.
    


Overall, it was one of the best festivals we have ever attended in Sharjah at the Al Noor Island - which all goes to show that the Emirate of Sharjah is indeed the powerhouse of some amazing local talent in the region.








Comments

CathyA said…
Good to know!👌
January 14, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

St. Michael’s Sharjah Goans Organize Goan Community Picnic

-
Image
  This February, the St. Michael’s Sharjah Goan Community organized an annual picnic at the Sharjah National Park. The event brought together more than 400 Goans from all across the Emirates, with the main purpose of – connecting the diaspora and celebrating a shared reality.   A series of games were put together for people of all age groups that helped create a community spirit as people gathered in their respective teams working their way out on reaching the finish line. The most innovative of them all was the – ‘Newspaper Dress Up Competition’. In this game, all the teams had to work out innovative ways of designing a dress out of old newspaper within a limited time. Imagination took a flight of fancy as team members went frenzy to complete the task within just ten minutes, generating lots of fun and laughter in the fresh environs of the park.  The event  finally culminated with the game of housie and a short song session by Mr. Anthony Dsouza who s...
Read more

Sharjah Goans Celebrate Cajuchem Fest!

-
Image
This week, the Goans in Sharjah decided that the world simply wasn’t appreciating the mighty cashew enough — so they organized a mini-potluck at Al Majaz Park. The mission? Spread the good word about the cashew fruit — the VIP of Goan summers — and, of course, find another excuse to eat. Everyone arrived dressed in the vibrant colors of the cashew: red, yellow, orange, and green. Honestly, if you'd passed by without context, you might have thought a fruit salad had exploded all over the park. The festivities began with a high-energy ice-breaker led by Ms. Cathy Almeida, who challenged everyone to guess famous Goan facts — while simultaneously keeping a balloon in the air . Imagine the chaos: balloons flying, answers flying, people flying... it was basically a Zumba class disguised as a quiz. Next up was the catwalk, where participants paraded their finest cashew-inspired fashion, complete with props crafted by the ever-talented Victoria Alphonso. Posing like supermodels, the co...
Read more

A Harvest of Memories: The Sharjah Iftar Experience

-
Image
On the afternoon of Saturday, 15th March 2025, the sun hung low in the sky over Sharjah, casting a warm golden hue across the sprawling Qasmiyyah School Organic Farm. The fragrant scent of earth, mingled with the sweet aroma of blooming flowers, drew a crowd of eager residents ready for a unique experience, one that promised to intertwine the age-old traditions of community and harvest with the joyous spirit of Ramadan. The Sharjah Architectural Triennial had organized an event that would turn ordinary moments into memories—a harvesting experience that invited families to dig their hands into the soil, to nurture and to learn. As the participants gathered, they were welcomed by the warm smiles of local farmers who guided them with enthusiasm, sharing their expertise on organic farming techniques. “Today, we become one with the earth,” one farmer proclaimed, holding a sprayer filled with organic neem leaf liquid. The children, their eyes wide with excitement, rushed forward, eager to he...
Read more