Dana Al Fardan (born 29 July 1985), is a self-taught Qatari composer and songwriter. Born and raised in
Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
, al Fardan is known for being the first female Qatari contemporary composer, singer and songwriter,
for being Qatar’s first female to sing in English,
and for being the Cultural Ambassador for the
Qatari Philharmonic Orchestra. Al Fardan's style is a mixture of classical and contemporary music with strong Arabic influences. Her debut album ''Paint'' was released in 2013, with which Dana achieved nationwide recognition.
Early life
Al Fardan was born on July 29, 1985 in Doha, Qatar. She is the daughter of Ali Al Fardan and Shafiqa Habib. She is the eldest of 6 sisters: Noor Al Fardan, Jawaher Al Fardan, Hind Al Fardan, Najla Al Fardan and Zuhoor Al Fardan.
Al Fardan began to demonstrate her musical talent at a very early age. She used to spend hours playing around the keyboard and performing musicals at home with her sisters. However, Al Fardan's journey did not begin as an artist from the very beginning. She studied International Relations at the American University of Sharjah (UAE). After graduating, Al Fardan moved to London, England, where she obtained a second degree, this time in Gemology from the Gemological Institute of America in London (GIA).
After finishing her Gemology degree, she came back to Qatar to work in the family business - the
Alfardan Group - created in 1954 by her grandfather Ibrahim Alfardan.
It was in 2012 that Al Fardan decided to change career. In the third trimester of her pregnancy, self-taught Dana decided to set off to London where she recorded her first album, which was completed after she gave birth to her daughter. According to Al Fardan, Layla’s birth in London was the turning point in her life, as she was inspired by her daughter to radically transform her life and pursue her true calling to be a musician.
''“I don’t think that was a coincidence. I genuinely think that there was a level of communication that I tapped into. It was actually my becoming pregnant with my daughter that spurred me on to transform my love of music into a career path. It was the first time I understood that I was a musician, as opposed to somebody occasionally tinkering about on the piano. I realized I wanted to leave her with a legacy and the example of a mother who followed the road she was destined to pursue”''.
Career
Al Fardan’s first album ''Paint'' was released in November, 2013. This album was produced by Tim Baxter in collaboration with twelve string players from the
London Metropolitan Orchestra
The culture of London concerns the music, museums, festivals and lifestyle within London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. London has frequently been described as a global cultural capital and is one of the world's leading business cent ...
and mastered at
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...
.
In 2017, Al Fardan released her orchestral album ''Sandstorm'' where magnificent strings, soloists and choral vocals are blended with traditional Middle Eastern rhythms. Sandstorm was recorded at Katara Studios in Doha. On November 20, 2016, ''Sandstorm'' was performed in Concert by the
Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, was founded in 2007 by Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, the then Emir of Qatar's consort. The orchestra performs both Wester ...
at Katara Opera House, and also for the UN Day Concert on the 24th of October, 2019. Moreover, after a visit to Moscow in 2017, Al Fardan's music was chosen to be performed in the city to celebrate the launch of the Qatar-Russia Year of Culture 2018 by both visiting members of the Qatar Philharmonic and Russian musicians.
One year later, in 2018, Al Fardan presented her sold out West End musical ''Broken Wings'' in the
Theatre Royal Haymarket
The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foot ...
in London. ''Broken Wings'' was a musical adaptation of
Khalil Gibran
Gibran Khalil Gibran ( ar, جُبْرَان خَلِيل جُبْرَان, , , or , ; January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran (pronounced ), was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist ...
’s poetic novel, originally published in 1912. With this play, co-written and co-composed with Nadim Naaman, they wanted to showcase the rich Arab philosophy and literature of
Khalil Gibran
Gibran Khalil Gibran ( ar, جُبْرَان خَلِيل جُبْرَان, , , or , ; January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran (pronounced ), was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist ...
. It was directed by Bronagh Lagan, produced by Ali Matar with orchestrations by Joe Davison. ''Broken Wings'' was also showcased in 2019 in
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
at the renowned and leading art festivals of the Middle East, the
Beiteddine Festival
The Beiteddine Festival ( ar, مهرجان بيت الدين) is an annual summer festival that takes place in Beiteddine Palace in Beiteddine, Lebanon.
It was launched amidst war and destruction in the middle of the 80's. It came as an act of ...
, held in this town in the
Chouf
Chouf (also spelled Shouf, Shuf or Chuf, in ''Jabal ash-Shouf''; french: La Montagne du Chouf) is a historic region of Lebanon, as well as an administrative district in the governorate (muhafazat) of Mount Lebanon.
Geography
Located south-east ...
Mountains region, as Lebanon is home of both Khalil Gibran as well as Nadim Naaman. Broken Wings was also presented in the
Dubai Opera House
Dubai Opera is a 2,000-seat, multi-format, performing arts centre, which is located within The Opera District in Downtown Dubai. It was developed by Emaar Properties to host a variety of performances and events including theatre, opera, ballet, c ...
in January, 2020, as well as in Doha at Katara Opera House in November 2019. Both presentations were sold-out shows.
In March 2019, Al Fardan held the ‘Sounds for Qatar’ concert hosted by
Qatar National Library
Qatar National Library (QNL) is a non-profit organization under the umbrella of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.Qatar National Library.About the library." Retrieved 2014-12-14. The plans for the new national ...
in Doha. The concert included previous work such as ‘The Sounds of the Library’ and ‘Dialogues’, respectively commissioned by the
Qatar National Library
Qatar National Library (QNL) is a non-profit organization under the umbrella of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.Qatar National Library.About the library." Retrieved 2014-12-14. The plans for the new national ...
,
Qatar Museums
Qatar Museums (formerly the Qatar Museums Authority) is a Qatari government entity that oversees the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, MIA Park, QM Gallery at Katara (cultural village), ...
and Qassim Al Thani Museum. During this concert, she also performed live for the first time the song ‘Raise our Flag’, composed by Al Fardan and dedicated to the Qatari National Team for their performance during the
Asian Cup 2019.
Al Fardan began 2021 with a series of collaborative projects. One of these projects is the major stage musical ''Rumi'', which is based on a story about the 13th century philosopher and poet
Rumi
Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī ( fa, جلالالدین محمد رومی), also known as Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (), Mevlânâ/Mawlānā ( fa, مولانا, lit= our master) and Mevlevî/Mawlawī ( fa, مولوی, lit= my ma ...
by Evren Sharma. ''Rumi'' is a project created in collaboration with West End star Nadim Naaman and featured by West End and Broadway star Ramin Karimloo. This project was recorded in London and Doha through the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, Al Fardan presented her composition ‘Rising’ in collaboration with the AFCENT Band (U.S. Air Forces Central Band) to celebrate the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture that was officially inaugurated at the Katara Cultural Village Opera House on January 15, 2021.
Activism
Besides her impact on the cultural and musical scene of her country, Al Fardan is also widely known for her philanthropic endeavours. In 2019, she volunteered for humanitarian work in
Gaza along with the
Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), United Nations Secretary General’s Humanitarian Envoy and United Nations Relief and Works Agency (
UNRWA
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 P ...
) for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Altogether, they launched the “Bring Hope for Gaza” campaign to ensure families have food in 2019 Ramadan, for which she visited in 2019 some UNRWA schools, hospitals, and community centres in the Palestinians Refugee camps in Amman to shed light on the situation in Gaza, with an aim to encourage others to support the Palestine community of Gaza.
For the campaign of this project, Al Fardan composed a song that went live during Ramadan accompanied by a video of her visit to the UNRWA schools in Jordan where she lived for 2 years with his jordan family. The song was aired on the UNRWA website and many other TV channels during Ramadan.
Awards
The impact of her work is of essential importance in the
MENA
MENA, an acronym in the English language, refers to a grouping of countries situated in and around the Middle East and North Africa. It is also known as WANA, SWANA, or NAWA, which alternatively refers to the Middle East as Western Asia (or a ...
region, as she is the first female English artist to emerge from Qatar. Her work was recognised in 2017, when she was awarded as the “Woman Of The Year” at the Grazia Style Awards 2017.
Concerts & Tours
* ''Sandstorm'', London (2017)
*''Qatar Russia Year of Culture'', Russia (2017)
*''Qatar National Day'', New York (2018)
*''UNESCO Majlis Exhibition'', Paris (2018)
*''United Nations 74th Anniversary'', New York (2019)
References
External links
Qatar Airways New Boarding Music by Dana Al Fardan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fardan, Dana Al
Qatari women
Women composers
Living people
1985 births