The onset of the coronavirus pandemic forced some of the region’s biggest pop stars to approach music videos from a different angle.
With social distancing and travel restrictions in place, the normal industry practice of lavish shoots in exotic locales have been ditched for fresh and innovative ideas.
Some of these new perspectives include embracing video conferencing formats, creating story concepts involving physical distancing and harnessing technology for epic choral performances.
Here are 10 music videos produced and released amid the pandemic. Not only do they point to the resilience of the regional music industry, but they form a growing body of work soundtracking these uncertain times.
1. ‘Hanaghani Kaman Wa Kaman’ by Elissa
In April, Lebanese star Elissa delivered the first taste of her hit new album, Sahbit Raey. The single Hanaghani Kaman Wa Kaman, bursting with Egyptian pop flavours, came with a fun video encouraging people to stay home as a safety measure against Covid-19.
Presented in the style of a video conference by Lebanese filmmaker and visual artist Eli Rezkallah, the accompanying video had Elissa joined by fellow compatriot and singer Haifa Wehbe, family members and fans as they danced along from their respective homes.
2. ‘Mashallah’ by Sons of Yusuf
The Kuwaiti hip-hop duo Sons of Yusuf made use of their idyllic quarantine surroundings by using it as the setting for Mashallah. Shot in the brothers' beachside chalet, the video was all recorded on mobile phone, mostly in one take, and in the span of a day.
3. 'Yally Ahebak Mout' by Majid Al Mohandis
The pandemic forced Majid Al Mohandis to downscale his normally lavish videos. Instead of the grand European backdrops he often favours, he instead settled for a simple studio where he crooned in front of large screen depicting his love interest.
4. ‘Al Faraj’ by Omar Abdallat
Omar Abdallat kept it close and personal for his new single Al Faraj. The Jordanian singer had the camera basically shoot him singing the song in the studio and it surprisingly works. The black-and-white visuals give the video a timeless feel and without all the production bells and whistles, one can appreciate Al Abdallat's towering voice.
5. ‘Entou Amalna’ by Ragheb Alama
In April, Lebanese crooner Ragheb Alama released this stirring video dedicated to compatriots working on the frontline of the pandemic. Translated to mean "You Are Our Hope", the video juxtaposes footage of Alama singing from a makeshift studio at home with masked doctors and nurses working in the field.
6. ‘Bel Hajr El Sohi’ (Quarantine) by Chantal Bitar and Rayan Habre
What began as a series of resonating tweets became a soulful new song released in April. Composer Rayan Habre, son of famed Lebanese composer Khaled El Habre, started an isolation Twitter diary documenting conversations with friends, his thoughts and insights while staying home in Beirut.
Such was the reception that he adapted the words into a folk song and asked friend, Chantal Bitar, to provide vocals. A simple video was shot with Bitar, Habre and band members performing the song in a video teleconference visual style.
7. Dalaa Dalouna by Mohammed Assaf
Released on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr in May, the Palestinian singer Mohammaed Assaf goes back to his roots with this thumping ode to his homeland. The video features evocative images of Palestine, where his band members perform the track, while Assaf is shown providing his vocals in a studio.
8. ‘Khalik bil Bait’ by The Mosaica Singers
You will be hard pressed to find a more charming public service announcement than this. In a bid to encourage the country's residents to stay home, Jordanian choir The Mosaica Singers released the enchanting song Khalik bil Bait, accompanied with a video made up of edited footage of members recording their respective vocal parts from home.
The song's lullaby nature is down to its fusing of late 19th-century Italian folk song Bella Ciao (recently made famous by the Netflix hit Money Heist) with Hashishet Albi by Lebanese songwriter Khaled Mouzanar.
9. ‘Bon Voyage’ by Carole Samaha
Lebanese singer Carole Samaha shot this music video amid the pandemic. And, as the behind-the-scenes footage (added to the end of this video) shows, the production took no chances with every member on set submitting to temperature checks and wearing face masks. As for the concept of the video, Bon Voyage finds Samaha jealously pining for her partner, played by Egyptian actor Bassel Al Zaro, who is abroad. Her only contact with him is through video conference calls and she suspects he may not be alone.
10. ‘Waqe’ Majnoun’ by Samira Said
For the Moroccan singer and actress, the pandemic added an extra layer of resonance to this video. Released in late March, the song raises awareness of issues surrounding mental health. With the pandemic beginning to shut down the entertainment sector around that time, the video's cast of characters shot their footage separately with Said only appearing for brief moment at the end.
And here is one more to make you smile …
‘Angelina’ by DJ Stan performed by Afro by Sarah
OK, Lebanon's Sarra Karrit may not be a professional performer, but family music videos shot while isolating at home in Beirut garnered her a cult following.
In this fun video, shot as part of a TikTok dance challenge, the Lebanese Afrobeat dance instructor and her funky clan show us how to disinfect your place, Afrobeat-style. Try watching this without grinning.
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Read more:
The 11 best Arab independent musicians you should be listening to right now
9 songs that capture Lebanon's passion and heartache: 'even in your madness I love you
20 songs that turn 20 in 2020: from Coldplay to Creed and Britney to Baha Men
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Asian Cup 2019
Quarter-final
UAE v Australia, Friday, 8pm, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
About%20My%20Father
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELaura%20Terruso%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERobert%20De%20Niro%2C%20Sebastian%20Maniscalco%2C%20Kim%20Cattrall%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Calls
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillian, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
4/5
Super heroes
Iron Man
Reduced risk of dementia
Alcohol consumption could be an issue
Hulk
Cardiac disease, stroke and dementia from high heart rate
Spider-Man
Agility reduces risk of falls
Increased risk of obesity and mental health issues
Black Panther
Vegetarian diet reduces obesity
Unknown risks of potion drinking
Black Widow
Childhood traumas increase risk of mental illnesses
Thor
He's a god
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
