All the musical performances to expect at Sharjah Biennial 15

Sponsored: Expect a range of genres that are rooted in traditions and cultures…

As part of Sharjah Biennial 15 large program of events, Sharjah Art Foundation is presenting a series of concerts, performances and recitals which will run from Sunday, March 12 to May 27.

The performances resonate with the Sharjah Biennial 15’s theme: Thinking Historically in the Present and will see a line-up of six international artists and ensembles.

The concerts take place at three different venues in Sharjah – the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy, Africa Hall and the Cultural Palace.

All concerts are ticketed and general admission cost Dhs100. For concerts happening at the Cultural Palace, balcony seats are Dhs150. To book your seats, visit sharjahart.org

Here’s a list of performances taking place.  

Abdullah Ibrahim

When: 9pm on Sunday, March 12
Where: Sharjah Performing Arts Academy

Kicking off the series of concerts is South African pianist and composer Abdullah Ibrahim. Expect music ranging from traditional African songs to Ragas, modern jazz and other Western styles.

Boubacar Traoré

When: 9pm on Friday, March 17
Where: Africa Hall

Traoré is a self-taught musician who found his unique sound by tuning his guitar in line with the tonality of the kora – a West African stringed instrument which evoked the blues of the southern United States.

Noura Mint Seymali

When: 9pm on Saturday, March 18
Where: Africa Hall

Seymali is a West African historian, praise singer, poet and musician whose music is influenced from the Sahara, Maghreb and West Africa. What you’ll get to listen to is a contemporary form of Moorish music.

Tinariwen

When: 9pm on Friday, March 31
Where: Cultural Palace Sharjah

Tinariwen merges traditional Tuareg melodies and rhythms with guitar-driven rock and roll in a style known as ‘assouf’ among the Tuareg people, or simply put ‘the desert blues’.

Youssou N’Dour

When: 11pm on Thursday, April 6
Where: Cultural Palace Sharjah

Grammy Award-winning Youssou N’Dour will be performing popular Senegalese music know by the Senegambians as mbalax. It’s a genre that has sacred origins in Serer music.

Aziza Brahim

When: 9pm on Saturday, May 27
Where: Africa Hall

The contemporary sonic poet’s music showcases her Western Saharan roots and the city of Barcelona. One of her earliest cultural influences was her revolutionary grandmother, Al Khadra Mint Mabrook, known as ‘the poet of the rifle’.  

For more information, visit sharjahart.org