Acclaimed British-Indian musician Susheela Raman and the people behind the Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali musical group will bring the world premiere of their collaboration, Queen Between, to The Arts Center at the NYU Abu Dhabi on October 19.
Queen Between is a cross-cultural mix of rock, Tamil folk, Sufi qawwali, and a Western classical string quartet. Singer Raman and producer/guitarist Sam Mills expand their current collaboration with Rizwan and Muazzam Mujahid Ali Khan, leaders of the Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, along with the Phaedra Ensemble string quartet and a western rhythm section.
Concert goers will experience songs expressed through poetry, music and language, say organisers.
Taking place on The East Plaza — an open-air space that seats 1,000 guests — Queen Between is a result of the UK/UAE 2017 Year of Creative Collaboration between the UAE and the United Kingdom led by the British Council.
Raman was born to Tamil parents and her work has been known for connecting different cultures and their traditions. Pakistani brothers Rizwan and Muazzam Mujahid Ali Khan, are two of the most prominent Sufi-style singers, known as qawwali. The performers are not only pupils of, but nephews of the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, one of the most iconic signers of the 20th Century.
Sam Mills has an elective experience of performing and producing in diverse musical genres, including post-punk, South Asian and West African music.
The Phaedra Ensemble will help fuse the evening’s music together, as the ensemble has a strong intuition for genre-crossing and interdisciplinary work, often collaborating with artists from other disciplines.
Tickets are Dh100 for general admission and Dh50 for students with a valid ID.
