Jordanian vocalist and songwriter Farah Siraj, German composer and guitarist Andreas Arnold and American-Lebanese handspan pioneer Adam Maalouf have joined forces to celebrate The United Nations International Day of Peace (September 21, 2020). The three artists have recorded “Calma”, a song that emphasizes the need for inner peace in our frenetic era of screens and information overload.
Written and performed in Spanish, “Calma” (Calmness) speaks about the pursuit of inner peace and calm, and accentuates the importance of finding peace within ourselves as an integral part of realizing peace on a global scale.
“The inspiration for the song came to me amidst the noisy craze of New York City and at a moment when I felt overwhelmed,” says Andreas. “Not only personally, but also by a sort of global distress. Out of nowhere, the spontaneous visualization of being alone at the beach in El Palmar in Andalusia, Spain quenched my thirst for calm, which then became the central theme of the song.”
With music written by Andreas Arnold, and lyrics co-written by Andreas and Farah Siraj, this collaboration is a special offering both musically and visually, with an intimate performance against the backdrop of one of the world’s most iconic theaters. The performance was captured by French videographer Adrien Tillman at the United Palace, one of New York City’s oldest and most architecturally stunning theaters.
The song features Farah Siraj, paying a vocal tribute to her ties to Spain (where she lived for several years), Andreas Arnold on acoustic nylon-string guitar and Adam Maalouf on handpan. The song has flamenco, Arabic music and contemporary handpan sounds.
The official premiere of the “Calma” video will be hosted by The United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia on their website on September 21st, to help bring attention to UNAGP’s crucial role in promoting and celebrating UN Peace Day in Philadelphia and beyond — a connection forged through Siraj’s own work with the UNAGP and the Philadelphia refugee communities.
The single for “Calma” will be available on all major platforms on September 21st, 2020.
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central