A music enthusiast can debate on which world-renowned orchestra breaks all the barriers and what is unique about them. But an orchestra from the Middle East has emerged with its own uniqueness. It is not only an amalgamation of fusion music as well as classical pieces, but it also is the world's only only-women orchestra.?
This orchestra is named Firdaus (meaning ¡®paradise¡¯ in Arabic). Now, while there are various orchestras across the globe, the wonderfully unusual thing about this orchestra is that it is the first all-women's orchestra based out of the United Arab Emirates. First seen at the opening ceremony of the Dubai World Expo 2020, the orchestra which includes 50 spectacular women playing different instruments were picked from all across the Middle East through a rigorous audition process.?
As per?Mansi Dasani (Programme Manager) and Preeti Laungani (Performance Manager), "A.R.Rahman was also a big part of the audition process and was instrumental in making the final selection. There were musicians from over 23 countries many of whom relocated to Dubai to be a part of this." Musicians play non-traditional Classical instruments like Oud, Buzuk, Sitar etc and despite that, all of them sound beautiful together.
This orchestra is not just a spectacular all-women ensemble, Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter AR Rahman was too roped in to organise the entire setup of this orchestra.?In fact, he was one of the people involved in forming this orchestra and mentors it as well. "Firdaus Orchestra was the idea and brainchild of HE Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation & CEO Expo City Dubai and Oscar-Winning Composer, AR Rahman. So in essence the orchestra was something that he initiated and has been involved in every step of the way, from selecting the musicians to hand-picking the set list that the orchestra performs, he has been an exceptional mentor and guiding force for the orchestra. He has been part of the Orchestra¡¯s inception, and to date remains the mentor, being involved actively in the performances, music and overall plans."??
While forming an orchestra and organising the entire ensemble is all about music, this one had a purpose much greater than just that. "Firdaus orchestra symbolises various things- an all-female orchestra born out UAE, is in itself a powerful and empowering statement. Moreover, we want to celebrate women, and give young female musicians a strong platform to get inspired," said Dasani and Laungani.?
While all the brilliant instrumentalists are the life of an orchestra, it can't be as brilliant as it is without the main (wo)man AKA the conductor. Monica Woodman, who holds a Master¡¯s Degree in Music Education/Choral Music Specialist/ Choir and Symphony Orchestra Conduction also conducts this orchestra. She talked about the journey and how different women came in together to form this beautiful ensemble.?
Monica started off by saying how privileged she is to "guide and share music with such wonderful" from all walks of life. She talked about how it is for her every day to be the conductor of this orchestra. "It¡¯s a unique and fabulous experience. Imagine arriving at the studio and spending hours with this wonderful group of ladies where the main motivation is their love for music. They come in and rehearse toward performances, videos, in sections and together as Tutti. Every day the women strive to get better as individuals and together as a team."
But being a conductor can be a little tough considering all 50 women in the orchestra are from different parts of the UAE and English might not be their strong suit. So, about the language barrier, she said, "Well, most of our members are fluent English speakers but in these particular cases where sometimes terminologies could be challenging to express due to the language barrier we can always rely on music. We use several methods to accomplish the musical result required in a specific piece, like singing, mimicking, using very expressive gestures to transmit the essence, dynamics and or articulation."?
But the beautiful music does not just come on its own. There is a lot of constant hard work and dedication that is put in by every single member of this orchestra. Monica talked about the everyday training process for the big day. She said, "Our members dedicate 8 hours a day to practising and perfecting their technical instrument and musical skills. Four of those 8 hours are dedicated to working together in what in the symphonic world is called ¡° Tutti Rehearsal¡±, where the whole orchestra gets together to blend, adjust final details, improve listening skills etc, and the other four are typically individual where they work with their instrument to practice different notes, pitches, paces etc."
While we do see women in the west becoming famous and accomplished artists, the case is not the same in the Middle East. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), there are still traditional barriers and stereotypes that women have to break through.?
Back in 2020, Spotify conducted regional research specifying the scarcity of female artists in MENA. "The research found that around 60% of aspiring female artists feel stigmatised for pursuing a career in music, where one in two aspiring female artists say they were advised against it. Half of the labels surveyed believe the ratio of female to male Arab artists had declined in the last 10 years due to socio-cultural restrictions and female stereotyping."
The women of Firdaus however, are not just musicians but also all of them have different backgrounds and they have broken every barrier there is to empower each other to form this all-women orchestra. A cello player, Elham not only participates with the orchestra but is also an entertainment lawyer supporting her family. Another viola player named Armine juggles between having to raise her two girls and also giving her all to the orchestra. Despite hurdles and struggles, most of the artists have received formal training, while some have learned through practice and performance.
Firdaus is the first of its kind to have taken on Digital media with independent releases on its social channels. Their release Moonlight Sonata on DSPs including Apple Music and Spotify got them a lot of applause and appreciation.?
This beautiful orchestra is now ready to kick off the festive season and the ensemble will perform the "Firdaus Holiday Experience which will be live on its YouTube channel on December 22, at 18:00.
This orchestra can not only play all the Classical Symphonic repertoire by composers like Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms but it also represents the sound of the Middle East, which is quite a unique factor.?
Here's hoping this unique orchestra to make a bigger and better mark in the world.?