Forget rock and pop- Filipino folk is in the air at The Fridge
With Metallica and Janet Jackson concerts still fresh in the memory and Paul McCartney and Britney Spears set to play in the next couple of weeks, it’s a good time to be a music fan living in the UAE. But forget the megastars. There’s a real treat in store at The Fridge tonight for those looking to discover something a little different. As part of the eighth Fridge Concert Series, the Dubai Vocal Ensemble will be belting out some great tunes at the hidden gem in Al Quoz.
A passionate all-Filipino choir, the 30-strong group have been going since 2004 and are dedicated to
educating audiences about the rich musical culture of their homeland. It will literally be music to the ears of the large Filipino expat community living in the UAE. And Dubai’s multicultural music club will learn something new as the ensemble sing traditional folk songs from their country.
The recital will also feature pop songs and contemporary ballads, but the folk section is hugely important to the singers. Sharon Elaurza, one of the pioneering members of the group, says: “These folk songs are from the north to the south of the Philippines, so they are very diverse, and also unique because they depict life of all these different people, living by the sea, or worshipping the sun so the rain will stop because it is harvest time.
“It is all about the lifestyle, the everyday life of fishing, farming and all the traditional livelihoods. These are well-loved songs taught to us by our grandparents, so we need to keep these alive.”
It’s not all old favourites from back home however. The 30-strong crew will also be performing their own dazzling take on Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’ and serving up gospel/choral version of ‘Let It Be’ by the Beatles, as well as many more pop classics.
Joyce Santos, the musical director of the group, is just one of the voices trying to be heard when it comes to putting together a set-list for the recital. Joyce, who works as a music teacher in Dubai, explains: “A committee decides the final set - I suggest some and so do others. We then decide which songs we can use, but we know we need some popular and contemporary, familiar songs as well as the folk ones. We practise three times a week, for two hours a day to get it right for a one-hour performance. It sounds like hard work but we’re used to it and we know how to take care of ourselves.”
The ensemble have come a long way since starting off as a seven-strong choir. Now numbering 30, they are made up from a diverse section of the expat population, with engineers, architects, admin support and artists putting in the hours to get their sound just right. It’s a real labour of love. Sharon explains: “The training is rigorous, we all have to get up at around 4am every Friday, and we meet for vocal warm-up at 5.30am. We also have rehearsals from 730-930pm, every week.
“We sing at functions as well so it can be a long day. But there is a great support network. We are like a family to each other. Living away from our homes, singing is a coping mechanism and we can express ourselves through the music - it inspires us to do well in our jobs and lives too.”
Check http://www.thefridgedubai.com/ for timings and details.
Souce: http://www.7days.ae/
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