Vans Middle East spotlights face behind Saudi’s emerging skate scene
Updated 19 February 2020
Arab News
DUBAI: Vans Middle East has just unveiled the second installment of its “Keys to the Kingdom” video series, which highlights the emerging skateboard culture in Saudi Arabia. The first video was shared via the cult streetwear brand’s YouTube page in December.
The sequel is a four-minute-long clip that stars young Jeddah-based skateboarder Ali Bin Mahfouz, who opens up about his involvement in the subculture and the ways he sees the scene evolving.
“For a long time, we’ve been searching for a place to express our love for skating,” he shared in the video.
“I saw some skateboarding videos on YouTube and I noticed it wasn’t something done regularly in my community, so I decided to build my own rails, funbox and mini ramps and learnt how to use it myself,” he explained, sharing that he searched all of Jeddah for a skateboard to no avail before ultimately purchasing one online.
“I am positive that having a skatepark will bring everyone together,” noted Bin Mahfouz, who revealed the obstacles he faced when it came to finding a place to skate freely. “Even the people who don’t know about skateboarding, they are welcome to watch and learn about what we’re doing.”
JEDDAH: Actress Hend Sabri is set to host a masterclass organized by the Saudi Ministry of Culture’s Film Commission on Jan. 17.
The Egyptian Tunisian actress was featured on the BBC’s 100 Women list for 2024, featuring the British broadcaster’s 100 most influential women.
The BBC described Sabri “as one of the most famous women in Arab cinema” in its listing. In 2019, the actress became the first Arab woman to serve as a judge at the Venice Film Festival.
With titles such as “Finding Ola” and the Oscar-nominated “Four Daughters” under her belt, Sabri is well placed to speak to industry insiders at the event in Jeddah on Friday.
According to the Film Commission, she will discuss the interplay between actors and directors and how the former can employ various acting techniques to serve the filmmaker’s vision.
The session is the latest in a stellar lineup of activities for those involved in Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning film scene — last week, Saudi actresses Sumaya Rida, Adwa Bader and Mila Al-Zahrani participated in a workshop hosted by the California-based drama school Ivana Chubbuck Studio in Riyadh.
The workshop is part of the Ministry of Culture and the Film Commission’s Filmmakers Program, which runs until the end of January.
Ivana Chubbuck, founder and director of the studio, is a US acting coach and creator of the widely adopted Chubbuck Technique, known for its role in Oscar-winning and nominated performances.
She heads the drama school in Los Angeles and conducts acting workshops worldwide.
Chubbuck has worked with renowned actors such as Charlize Theron, Brad Pitt, Sylvester Stallone, Terrence Howard, James Franco, Jake Gyllenhaal, Elisabeth Shue, Catherine Keener, Halle Berry, and Jared Leto, among others.
She is also the author of the best-selling book “The Power of the Actor,” published by Penguin Books’ Gotham division, which has been translated into 20 languages.
Chubbuck’s Riyadh workshop was also attended by Saudi actor and comedian Fahad Albutairi, who shared a carousel of images from the event on Instagram. Among the pictures was a signed note from Chubbuck that read: “Fahad, you are so talented and (I) look forward to continuing our journey together.”
Doha museum explores life and work of painter and sculptor Jean-Leon Gerome
Updated 14 January 2025
Rebecca Anne Proctor
DOHA: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art houses what could be described as an unlikely find for the Qatar-based institution.
“Le Barde Noir” — “The Black Bard” — is an oil-on-canvas painting by Jean-Leon Gerome, a French painter and sculptor who lived from 1824-1904. Created in 1888, it is as instantly captivating as it must have been when first created.
'Le Barde Noir' by Jean-Leon Gerome. (Supplied)
It features a character often said to be a Nubian musician, wrapped in pink fabric and sitting on a carpet as he stares out intensely. Behind him is an intricately tiled wall in blue hues, while his yellow shoes — similar to North African babouches — are placed neatly to one side.
The work, arguably one of Gerome’s most mesmerizing, bears many hallmarks of the Orientalist style pioneered by European artists in the 18th and 19th centuries that often featured imagined images of the eastern world.
The concept is explored, pondered and contested in “Seeing Is Believing: The Art and Influence of Gerome.” The exhibition, which runs at the museum until Feb. 22, sheds light on the artist’s legacy — how his art has both positively and adversely influenced depictions of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia region and continues to do so today.
Gerome was one of the most commercially successful European artists of the 19th century. At the time, he was celebrated as a visual storyteller and historian who brought the faraway lands of Greece, Rome and the East to life through his work.
Ultimately, it would be the artist’s representations of North Africa and the wider Arab world that would constitute his legacy. From 1855 to 1880 he travelled to Egypt, Turkey and other areas to create some of Orientalism’s most poignant and memorable representations.
The show includes almost 400 works of art, many drawn from the forthcoming Lusail Museum’s impressive collection of Orientalist art, including European depictions of the Arab world dating from the 16th to 19th centuries. It also includes major loans from Qatar Museums’ General Collections and institutions worldwide such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Islamic Arts Museum in Malaysia.
The exhibition has been organized as a legacy of the Qatar–France 2020 Year of Culture, a year-long program of collaborations between institutions across both countries. It is jointly produced by the Lusail Museum, which is set to open in 2029, and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, both in Doha.
The third section includes specially commissioned works by artistswho reinterpret Gerome for the 21st century. (Supplied)
It takes an in-depth look at Gerome’s practice and oeuvre through three sections. The first, “A Wider Lens, A New Gerome,” is curated by Emily Weeks and presents some of the artist’s most prominent paintings. “Between Gerome and Photography: Truth is Stranger than Fiction” is curated by Giles Hudson, curator of photographs at the Lusail Museum, and highlights his influence on photography of the Arab world. The final section, “I Swear I Saw That,” is curated by Sara Raza and explores Gerome’s impact on contemporary art.
The third section includes specially commissioned works by artists such as Babi Badalov from Azerbaijan and Nadia Kaabi-Linke from Tunisia, who reinterpret Gerome for the 21st century.
Guest curator Raza told Arab News that the opportunity was a chance “to reassess Gerome’s art within the context of the problems of the larger Orientalist genre and its continuation and manifestation in art and society.”
She said none of the artists in her section were interested in Gerome and added: “However, what they were interested in exploring was Orientalism’s continuation through their own visual languages and the ideas of free appropriation.”
Saudi star Abdul Majeed Abdullah featured in inaugural Billboard Global No. 1s series
Updated 14 January 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: Saudi icon Abdul Majeed Abdullah is the first Arab to feature in Billboard’s inaugural Global No. 1s series, alongside international superstars such as British pop singer Dua Lipa, Chinese singer-songwriter Yang Kun and Indian performer Diljit Dosanjh, among others.
The series aims to honour artists who have significantly shaped the global music scene. Its inaugural rollout featured 12 cover stories that highlighted last year’s chart-topping artists from around the world.
Saudi icon Abdul Majeed Abdullah is the first Arab to feature in Billboard’s inaugural Global No. 1s series. (Supplied)
This recognition comes shortly after the inaugural Billboard Arabia Music Awards ceremony that took place in Riyadh in December. During the event, the Saudi performer was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, along with the Artist of the Year in the Khaleeji Dialect trophy and the Best Artist in the Khaleeji Dialect award.
“Abdul Majeed Abdullah’s inclusion in our inaugural Billboard Global No. 1s series marks a significant recognition for an Arab artist and highlights the growing presence of Saudi and Arabic music on the global stage,” Hannah Karp, Billboard’s Editorial Director, said in a released statement “This series is a powerful demonstration of Billboard’s global reach and impact, celebrating the artists who shape music culture around the world.”
Rami Zeidan, Managing Director of Billboard Arabia, added: "The presence of Saudi and Arabic music, represented by Abdul Majeed Abdullah, is a source of pride, showcasing the remarkable journey of Arabic music to the world’s most prominent platforms." He highlighted the ambitious role played by Billboard Arabia and its newly launched awards in spotlighting the achievements of Arab artists and fostering connections with global platforms and partnerships.
Since the launch of the Billboard Arabia charts in December 2023, Abdullah has consistently appeared on both the Billboard Arabia Hot 100 and Billboard Arabia Artist 100 charts.
The Global No. 1s series features covers from Billboard Korea, Billboard Italia, Billboard Philippines, Billboard Español, Billboard Argentina, Billboard Canada, Billboard Georgia and Billboard Arabia. Spotlighted stars included IU, an icon of South Korean music and cinema; Geolier, Italy’s breakout hip-hop star; BINI, a Filipino girl group; Edgar Barrera, the award-winning Mexican songwriter and producer; Valentino Merlo & The La Planta, Argentina’s genre-defying artists; Diljit Dosanjh, Canada’s celebrated Punjabi artist; Giorgi Gigashvili, Georgia’s classical prodigy.
ISLAMABAD: British rock band Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin recently won admiration on social media for inviting a Pakistani fan onstage during their Abu Dhabi concert and dedicating their popular song ‘Everglow’ to people suffering war in Palestine and other countries.
Coldplay performed at Abu Dhabi on Jan. 9, returning to the UAE to perform for the first time since their powerhouse show at Expo 2020 Dubai. While entertaining thousands of fans in the crowd, Martin spotted a female fan holding a sign that read, “I traveled 10,000 km for this.”
Inviting her onstage, he asked where she’d come from, to which the woman named Kinza replied: “Pakistan.”
Martin responded that he had traveled from Los Angeles where “everything was on fire,” adding that it was very strange to witness.
“So maybe we can sing this song for your brothers and sisters in Pakistan,” he said to loud cheers from thousands of fans. “And our brothers and sisters in Iran. Our brothers and sisters in the West Bank and Gaza. You can sing.”
He then proceeded to perform the band’s popular song Everglow, much to the delight of the attendees.
Coldplay remains one of the most influential pop-rock acts since the late ‘90s. With guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion filling out the lineup, the British musicians have long been fixtures on the charts with Hot 100 hits 2001’s “Yellow,” 2008’s “Viva La Vida,” and 2017’s “Something Just Like This.”
The band’s concert in Abu Dhabi was a visual and auditory spectacle, with fans wearing glowing wristbands that pulsed in sync with the music. There were bursts of confetti, large, illuminated planets suspended throughout the stadium where the concert was held, and balloons floating across the crowd during the band’s performance.
Coldplay are scheduled to perform in the UAE capital today, Jan. 14 as well.
REVIEW: Coldplay blends emotional highs of 25-year catalog with visual artistry in Abu Dhabi
Updated 13 January 2025
Shyama Krishna Kumar
DUBAI: The biggest rock tour of all time (amassing $1 billion and counting) graced Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports Stadium this week in a dizzying flurry of fireworks displays, endless streams of confetti, and celestial bodies that floated over audiences’ heads ever so gracefully.
British rockers Coldplay brought their lauded “Music of the Spheres” tour to the UAE, delivering an unforgettable evening that showcased the band’s enduring appeal and innovative artistry.
The seamless production, relying heavily on visuals and everything from streamers to pyrotechnics, was led by the band’s lead vocalist Chris Martin, who deftly deployed his practiced charisma to work the crowd into a frenzy.
In addition to speaking in fluent Arabic multiple times, Martin went beyond the prescribed amount of obligatory shoutouts to include thoughtful audience interaction.
The band opened their two-hour set with the energetic “Higher Power,” immediately energizing the crowd as their wristbands (dubbed Xylobands by fans) ignited in an explosion of color. Over the course of the evening, they delivered a carefully curated setlist that blended old favorites like “Yellow,” “The Scientist,” and “Viva La Vida” with tracks from their latest album, “Music of the Spheres.”
Opening act Elyanna, a Palestinian-Chilean artist, delivered a striking performance with songs like “Ganeni” and “Mama Eh.” Her duet with Coldplay on “We Pray” was a standout moment of the night.
Coldplay’s dedication to sustainability remained a core feature of the tour. From the use of renewable energy to power their shows to their pledge to reduce carbon emissions, the band demonstrated their efforts to set new standards for environmentally conscious touring.
Ultimately, Coldplay’s Abu Dhabi show was a masterful display of artistry, theatrics and connection. From the immersive visuals to the emotional highs of their music, the concert felt both intimate and epic — a testament to the band’s ability to unite a global audience through their craft.
