‘Bokra' Charity Anthem performance announced as part of Dubai Music Week finale

Almost two years ago, legendary music producer Quincy Jones and Emirati social entrepreneur Badr Jafar were putting the finishing touches to what would become the chart-topping Arabic charity single, ‘TOMORROW/BOKRA'. The song involved 24 leading Arab Artists from 16 nations across the Middle East and North Africa singing with one voice for a better tomorrow and spent 5 weeks at the top of the region's charts after a spectacular launch in Dubai on 11.11.11. Since its release the official video has been viewed close to 10 million times on YouTube.

Since then the initiatives' partners - the United Nations World Food Program, Save the Children, and the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation among others - have been working tirelessly to ensure the funds raised so far have been distributed well and to those children across the Arab world who need the most support at such a crucial time in the region's history. To date, the number of children being engaged in Bokra arts programmes totals over 5,000.

HE Hoda Al Khamis-Kanoo, Founder of Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), said, “By the end of this year, ADMAF's partnership with the Bokra initiative will have engaged over 250 children through five dynamic initiatives that stimulate both hearts and minds. By investing in orphans and those with special needs, Bokra and ADMAF are proving that the arts can improve the quality of life of underprivileged children and enable these young people to engage with society and realise their full potential.”

Soha Ellaithy, Executive Director for Save the Children, commented ‘We are very pleased to have the support of the Bokra initiative which is allowing us to bring the transformative power of artistic expression to Palestinian children. In 25 schools in Ramallah, we are implementing our program Healing and Education Through the Arts (HEART), by using art to help children unburden themselves and work through their emotions so they can focus more on learning and achieve their highest potential.'.

To celebrate the song's achievements so far, and to honour having Quincy Jones back in the region for the initiative's two year anniversary, the Global Gumbo Group and Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation are pleased to announce a one-off, very special performance of ‘TOMORROW/BOKRA', to take place on Sunday 29th September at the Arabia Stars concert with Pepsi on the last evening of Dubai Music Week. The performance will feature Quincy Jones live on stage, along with various artists from the original recording, the stars who are performing in the Arabic Stars concert, musicians, TV stars and other invitees who are supporters of the project.

Children from different educational institutions in the UAE are also due to take part, including from projects that are being directly supported by the funds raised from ‘TOMORROW/BOKRA' sales. The performance will be a chance to celebrate the good work ‘TOMORROW/BOKRA' is enabling across the region and to thank the magnificent efforts of its partners, in particular Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, who is coordinating the children's participation in the performance. ‘Both Quincy Jones and myself feel that the message of ‘TOMORROW/BOKRA' is more important than ever to inspire hope for a better tomorrow in the region and we are looking forward to being reunited with some of the individuals who helped us make it happen in 2011, as well as honouring some of the children the initiative is helping to support' stated Badr Jafar.

About ADMAF The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation seeks to nurture the arts, education, culture and creativity for the benefit of society and the advancement of Abu Dhabi's cultural vision. Founded in 1996 by Her Excellency Hoda I. Al Khamis Kanoo, the Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation under the patronage and presidency of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development.
In addition to the Abu Dhabi Festival – the GCC's largest celebration of arts and culture – ADMAF runs arts education and community arts programmes throughout the year, reaching a total of 40,000 children, young people and adults annually. Its broad range of initiatives brings audiences of all ages, abilities and nationalities together. It nurtures the creative talent of the UAE and beyond, often in partnership with leading national and international institutions.
For more information please visit our website at:
http://www.admaf.org/en