Dana Al Fardan, Qatari Contemporary Composer and Brand Ambassador For Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO),
Will Launch Her Fourth Album, INDIGO,
Through A One-of-a-Kind Multi-Sensory Experience.
Prominent Qatari composer Dana Al Fardan steps into her renowned role as Brand Ambassador, and joins forces with the internationally-reputed Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) once more, for a multi-sensory showcase of her new album INDIGO, set to reimagine and awaken all of your senses.
Dana has composed 10 new pieces of music for her much-anticipated fourth album, which is aptly-dubbed INDIGO. She introduces the masterpiece to audiences (release date to be confirmed) through a collaborative journey called Crystalline that plays on the power of the naked eye and one’s own consciousness, in a bid to elevate viewers towards their higher self.
Using the spectrum of light, colour, and sound, a chamber orchestra of six musicians will perform INDIGO whilst audiences are drawn into a serene space for a show that evokes and pushes human senses to their limits.
Breaking the rules of “selective absorption”, INDIGO works to connect the audience to their extra spectral senses and encourages them to captivate, expand, and amalgamate with their surroundings and within themselves, on a much deeper level.
QPO Brand Ambassador and contemporary composer, Dana Al Fardan, says: “Each piece was composed in a colour scheme to capture a mood and a state of being.”
Taking inspiration from the prismatic Theory of Colours by German poet, artist, and politician, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and the opponent process theory of German physiologist Ewald Hering, INDIGO’s showcase through Crystalline will be the first-of-its-kind live experience for audiences in Qatar.
Dana’s own refined flair for embracing concept and creativity sparked the invention of INDIGO, which is music that demands sensory attention. Searching deep within the ideas of colour theories and light, she has produced works that comprise of sophisticated, other-worldly compositions.
Take Chromium – a piece that heartens depth and principles. “Chromium is a chemical trace element responsible for creating ruby ́s colour upon mixing with the stone corundum,” Dana explains. “I chose Chromium to represent Red because of its role in shaping its surroundings. Red is the only light wave that is unbent; therefore, it is the impulse in you that is unrelenting.”
The objective of the INDIGO showcase is simple; to see and feel what humans otherwise cannot or do not. The manipulation of light and colour, with the meeting of sound, has the power to completely reconstruct how one experiences their proximity and everything within it.
Imagine a live experience where every one of your senses is woken at every turn; INDIGO does this with an intelligent combination of colours and sounds within melodic arrangements and progressions that symbolise this journey as a heightened expression of Dana’s innovative talent.
Talking of another piece titled Glacier, Dana shares: “This is a moment that is frozen in the present. In this space the only thing that matters is the here and now.”
“This is the eternal oneness with any experience that transcends time and space,” she says.
The thought-process and originality dedicated to INDIGO has been the work of a true virtuoso. Dana’s commitment to producing an album that goes above and beyond the realms of here and now, is a testament to her forward-thinking ingenuity and passion for composing music that stirs the listener’s soul. With INDIGO, Dana has been able to show that humans have the ability to create the story that they want to see unfold.
2021 remains to be a year filled with exciting projects for Dana who is currently working on her second musical with Nadim; titled Rumi, it is set to be recorded in Doha in February by the QPO musicians, and planned to be staged in the West End at a later date. She is also collaborating as part of the Qatar-USA Year of Culture 2021, through her song, Rising, with the United States Air Forces Central Command Band (AFCENT Band) to achieve their shared drive to promote inclusion and connectivity. Rising is now available to download on Spotify and audiences can get a closer insight into the making of this collaboration with a behind the scenes video on YouTube (follow this link to watch the video: https://youtu.be/LnRquflm4ls/).
Also, in the pipelines is a special coming together of talents as Dana is taking her gift for music to the big screen. She is working on a composition for a film called Orca, a drama based on a true story, which is being produced by Katara Studios, and directed by Sahar Mossayebi, with Taraneh Alidoosti as the lead actress.
In addition, Dana’s last album, Sandstorm which was performed in Doha by the QPO and available to view on Qatar Airways flights, will be coming out on DVD and streaming platforms very soon.
After her success with Qatari percussion and a classic orchestra who performed her outstanding fusion single Fjiri, Dana is currently preparing a full-scale symphonic show which will combine traditional Qatari instruments and singing with her unique brand of classic music. Parallel to Fjiri, which is a traditional form of music known for its significance to the sea, with a meaningful connection to the celebrated pearl diving trade, Dana continues to wow music aficionados with her appetite for exploration and desire to compose music that resonates with audiences everywhere.