ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi is bringing the curtain down on Season 11 with two new concerts.
The first, on Thursday, June 11, features award-winning percussionist and NYU Abu Dhabi artist-in-residence Yahael Camara Onono, who will lead a collective of virtuosos exploring the rhythmic connections between West Africa and Arabia in “Mandé Maqamāt”. Expect an evening of Mandé grooves, soaring Arabic maqamāt, and bold improvisation.
On Saturday, June 13, experience the next wave of UAE artistry as soulful storyteller Fatima bin Safwan (also known as FAFA) and viral indie star MINOVA deliver an evening of deeply personal, genre-blurring performances in the double bill, “Fatima | MINOVA”.
CinemaNA: ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ on June 2
A screening of the 2026 Academy Award-nominated film “The Voice of Hind Rajab” by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. In January 2024, Red Crescent volunteers receive an emergency call. A six-year-old girl is trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her.
An Evening with Conductor Xu Zhong - UAE National Orchestra on June 8
The UAE National Orchestra presents an evening celebrating the meeting of great musical traditions, welcoming Maestro Xu Zhong, one of China’s most distinguished conductors and pianists.
Performances include Liu Tieshan and Mao Yuan - “Dance of The Yao People”; Johannes Brahms - “Concerto for Violin and Cello in A Minor, Op. 102”; and Ludwig Van Beethoven “Symphony No.5”.
Arts Chat on June 10
This conversation brings together Fatima, MINOVA, and Balimaya Project bandleader, Yahael Camara Onono, as they reflect on the realities of building a life and career as a musician. The talk will be moderated by Bill Bragin, Executive Artistic Director of The Arts Center.
Kid Koala’s ‘Space Cadet’ on June 14
The family-friendly animated feature film is a music-filled tale based on Kid Koala’s award-winning graphic novel, “Space Cadet”. Robot, a first generation Guardianbot, has raised Celeste to become a brilliant astronaut. As she leaves for her first solo mission, he is left behind on Earth. As each day passes, loneliness begins to affect him, wearing down his ageing technological systems. Struggling to keep up with the modern world, Robot finds solace in revisiting memories of happy and humorous times he spent with Celeste.