By Dana Alomar
SHARJAH – American University of Sharjah’s Arabic Music Ensemble will have a virtual collaboration to perform a piece from their repertoire, according to choir soloist Sama Al Taie.
The concert is scheduled to be held on April 23 at 7 p.m. at the Performing Arts Rotunda.
All Performing Arts Program shows were canceled to follow safety precautions due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Al Taie said the group is preparing an Arabic song titled, “Ahbak,” which translates to “I love you” in English.
The original artist of the piece is Hussain Al Jassmi, an Emirati singer.
“We were excited to finally showcase our talent,” she added.
Assistant Professor Albert Agha emailed the group suggesting that they should download an application called “Acapella” from the App Store.
The software allows multiple users to add their voice or an instrument they play from a certain link that Agha will share with his students, Al Taie said.
The virtual performance will be a form of promotion for the AME.
Al Taie said the video will present the hard work and hours of rehearsals the group dedicated to the show.
Al Taie said that former Assistant Professor Amer El Didi initiated the AME in 2016.
However, El Didi left in 2019 which resulted in a year-long absence for the group, Al Taie said.
After not performing for a long period of time, it was the comeback of the AME, Al Taie added.
The ensemble is now under Agha’s supervision.
The ensemble consists of a choir and instrumentalists that under normal conditions would meet every Tuesday at 5 p.m. to practice for an hour or two depending on the pieces they were assigned to do.
“I hope we get to share and perform our repertoire next semester,” Al Taie added.
Al Taie has been a member of the AME since 2016.
