Qatar’s airport has a new theme song, and the country’s national carrier has just released a beautifully-shot video of it.
The anthem, called The Beginning, is the result of a collaboration between local singer-songwriter Dana Alfardan and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO).
The four-minute video starts with a solo pianist playing in the middle of the desert.
Video still
HIA theme song
It then pans to the outside of Hamad International Airport (HIA), before moving inside to feature the QPO.
Musicians are set up in front of the iconic Lamp Bear, playing on escalators and moving walkways.
Some are even shown performing on the airport’s people mover, which is operational but has yet to open to travelers.
The video is set to be shown onboard Qatar Airways flights as part of its entertainment.
It was first screened in Doha at a private event in June.
London debut
The score took around a month to write and more than 70 musicians played in the theme.
The film features some of the art works at the airport which are an important aspect of Qatar’s cultural development, Alfardan told Doha News.
In a statement, Alfardan said she was “beyond privileged and honored” for the song to be used by HIA, which “is a symbolic location both within Qatar and the region.”
This is not the first collaboration between the 31-year-old and the QPO.
Two years ago, the orchestra performed a collection of her songs in a show titled Layla, named after her daughter.
Guy Manoukian/Twitter
Promotional poster for Guy Manoukian and Dana Alfardan concert in London
Earlier this summer, the composer held her first London concert.
There, songs from her latest album Sandstorm were performed by members of the UK-based Orion Orchestra at Cadogan Hall, alongside Lebanese-American composer and pianist Guy Manoukian.
Alfardan, who is also the CEO and founder of the indie music label DNA, has also been collaborating with Manoukian for a new album that is set to be released later this year.
