ousands Rock to Yanni s Tunes at First Ever Concert...

GREEK ARTIST SINGS FOR PEACE AND HARMONY, CASTS SPELL ON MASSIVE AUDIENCE AT AL MAJAZ AMPHITHEATRE IN KHALID LAGOON

Greek musical genius Yanni cast a spell on his fans last night (Friday, November 6th) at the first ever concert held in Sharjah's Al Majaz Amphitheatre. Thousands turned up to see the maestro perform live in Sharjah against the picturesque backdrop of Khalid Lagoon and he did not disappoint them. He dipped in to his rich repertoire to perform some of his most celebrated albums and pieces of music. Hosted by Al Majaz Amphitheatre as part of Sharjah's efforts to promote appreciation of art, culture and music and a spirit of understanding and dialogue between cultures, the much awaited performance by Yanni was sold out weeks before the concert.

Addressing the audience, the artist said: Hello Sharjah! Assalamu Alaikom. How are you tonight? You sound great! I can hear you all. What a beautiful setting to be performing at! Its so beautiful behind us here. All of you out there and (I see) the lake, the buildings and the lights. What a wonderful place! Its our very first time in Sharjah and we will remember it forever. It will not be the last. This is just the beginning!

Yanni came up with several songs and musical score especially composed for the grand Sharjah concert driving home the message of love, tolerance and cultural harmony espoused by Sharjah and the UAE. Responding to the popular demand, he also performed some of the most celebrated songs from his 40 albums, driving his fans into raptures and asking for more, late into the night. Some of the popular songs played on the occasion include Felitsa, which was written in memory of his mother, Human Conditiin, The End of August and The Storm etc.

Reaffirming his message of peace and humanity, the artist said: You know as well go through our lives and we struggle with the uncertainties of everyday life, we must never forget the profound impact we have on each other around the world. We are all one interconnected, living, breathing world community. We all belong to one race and that is of course the human race. We're all human beings first.

Later addressing the audience again, the maestro said: This has been an amazing experience for us truly to perform in Sharjah. This is a magical place and I love that we are surrounded by the lake, by water. It's great energy. I can feel all of you and I am very happy to be here in Sharjah. It's great to see your city is growing. You have some of the best universities in the whole Middle East. You like to educate your children. That's not a small feat. You learn English, French and Arabic and everything else, which is wonderful.

He promised to come back again and again to Sharjah and the UAE.

Earlier chatting with the media about his current work, he said: I have just finished my latest album which is going to be released to the public very shortly. A lot of the music that I have composed for this album has been greatly influenced and inspired by experiences within the Arab world. I am sure listeners to the album will easily identify the music that has this influence.

The legendary artist who has performed in such iconic locales as the Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal in India and around the world, has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide.

Earlier responding to questions by some journalists, the maestro said he was particularly excited about performing at the spectacular Al Majaz Amphitheatre with its Roman coliseum-style setting and panoramic view of the Khalid Lagoon. It is an honour to be able to perform in a spectacular venue such as the Al Majaz Amphitheatre.

He lauded Sharjah and the UAE for their celebration of both tradition and modernity. It is a great example of how a nation can move forward and progress while still maintaining the respect and impact of its own particular culture. I greatly appreciate that because the UAE respects and promotes the arts that there are venues available and open to artists from around the world to perform in the UAE, and that has made my concerts here possible.

Appreciation of Art and Culture

The Yanni concert is part of the efforts to encourage an international music culture in Sharjah and offer connoisseurs of music in the emirate an opportunity to enjoy artists such as Yanni, who is known for his universal message of peace, tolerance and rejection of all forms of discrimination in conformity with the true Arab and Islamic values and teachings.

Sharjah has always celebrated and promoted an appreciation of art, culture and literature, and it once again looks forward to encouraging a new renaissance of music and culture by attracting the most accomplished artists and popular musicians from around the world.

Al Majaz Amphitheatre

Al Majaz Amphitheatre is one of the most prestigious projects unveiled by the Government of Sharjah last year to celebrate the Emirate's crowning as the Islamic Culture Capital 2014. It was built as an open, Roman colosseum-style theatre on the specifically created Al Majaz Island in the heart of Khalid Lagoon in Sharjah and is managed by Sharjah Media Centre.

Spread over an area of 7,238 sqm, Al Majaz Amphitheatre can accommodate up to 4,500 people. With its use of the latest technology to blend sound, lighting, and music in a spectacular fashion, and with more than 400 animated lights, 120 speakers and 21 projectors, Al Majaz Amphitheatre is ideal for hosting world-class concerts and art and cultural performances.

LINK:	http://www.sharjahmedia.ae/en/media-centre/news/7/11/2015/????-????-??...
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