Qatari composer and singer-songwriter Dana Al Fardan announces the release of Onyx, the last single of her long-expected album, Indigo.
Ethereal as it is subtle, Onyx transcends physical barriers to speak directly to the soul with a powerful beat that holds in its folds sweet-sounding melodies and lyrics that inspire the unleashing of one’s intuitive willpower.
Perfect closure
Drawing inspiration from the black onyx stone for its strength and resolution, the song is the perfect closure to the musical saga that is Indigo. Onyx is an ode to the pursuit of happiness from within, encouraging listeners to accept that contentment is a personal responsibility regardless of outside factors.
As melodies play, the spellbinding tunes seize control of the brain and hand it to the heart, embarking on a spiritual journey where at its end, listeners will let go of what holds them back and grow.
Dana employed musical instruments and vocal techniques that would ignite the third eye chakra, or the Ajna, which is linked to perception, awareness and spiritual communication. The heavenly vibrations of her voice build the spiritual bridge one needs to reach fulfilment.
Inspired by the Theory of Colours by German poet, artist and politician Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Indigo is an album that explores sound, colour and the multi-sensory experiences that lie beyond.
According to Dana, each piece in the Indigo album was composed to capture a mood and a state of being. All tracks will have corresponding conceptual, abstract videos, allowing each listener to create their own, personal meaning.
Following the release of Onyx, Dana performed an exclusive show at The Ned in London, the very first Qatari musician to perform there. Dana performed six songs off the album Indigo alongside a chamber orchestra, the album’s producer Nico Dalla Vecchia and music director Youki Yamamoto.
Staying true to her roots
Priding herself on being Qatar’s first female composer, the world-renowned symphonic artist is a proud Qatari who stays true to her roots. The music she creates brings together contemporary, western and neo-classical influences that blend with the musical heritage of the Middle East.
I tend to stay away from the word ‘fusion’ as it sometimes implies a ‘watering-down’ of one style or another. So, the idea is to preserve the authenticity of one style of sound and build it into another in a way that fits without one having to accommodate the other by deconstructing itself.
When it comes to accomplishments, Dana Al Fardan is not one to hold back; she is a Cultural Ambassador to the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, and, since 2018, Qatar Airways has adopted her songs as its signature onboarding music.
Outside of her home country, her impact is far-reaching. The celebrated artist created the score for the prize-winning film Orca, wrote music for the UN Day Concert, performed with the London Metropolitan Orchestra at Theater Royal Haymarket, and composed the music for the humanitarian campaign, Bring Hope for Gaza.
Collaborating with Lebanese-British West End actor, singer and writer Nadim Naama, Dana is now exploring what theatre has to offer. The duo writes and produces musicals that aim to bring universal, liberal and transcendental figures and thoughts from the Middle East to a global Western audience and West End stage.
In 2018, Broken Wings, a musical that follows the life of Lebanese-American writer Khalil Gibran, premiered with sell-out shows at the Haymarket Theater in London, the Beiteddine Festival in Lebanon, Katara Opera House in Qatar, and The Dubai Opera. It was followed by a six-week run at London’s Charing Cross Theater in 2022.
Her second show, the highly-praised Rumi The Musical debuted in 2021 depicting the life of the historical poet Jalal Al-Din Rumi. The London Theater Reviews described Dana’s score as intense, dramatic and beautiful… Elegant, powerful, and evocative music: it is not hard to see it becoming a hit in the West End.
Despite the differences between the two musicals, their end goal is one: to introduce Arab figures to new audiences, building on Dana’s vision to showcase her culture to the world through her art.
Dana continues to explore an uncharted soundscape that only can compass, bringing her audience a step closer to healing and ultimately self-discovery.
Onyx is now available on Dana’s YouTube channel, on her website and on all major streaming platforms.
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