A special national anthem to celebrate the UAE national day

They play the violin, the kanoun, or the lute, and interpret to perfection, each on their own, the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates. Put together, the ensemble just works and the sound is ravishing. They were chosen because they are among the best musicians from the various cultural venues in Abu Dhabi. In this video, published by the Louvre Abu Dhabi twitter account, they can be seen playing against the backdrop of some of the most emblematic landscapes in the United Arab Emirates, between the skyscrapers of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the earthen houses and monuments typical of the region, and the emblematic Louvre Abu Dhabi building.

#ثقافة_أبوظبي | بمناسبة #اليوم_الوطني_الإماراتي، تتحد أصوات المواقع الثقافية في أبوظبي وهي تعزف النشيد الوطني الإماراتي، امتداداً للقيم الراسخة في الدولة. pic.twitter.com/EpbrfruuJC

— Louvre Abu Dhabi (@LouvreAbuDhabi) December 2, 2020

The song is called Ishy Bilady, which can be translated literally as “Long live my homeland”. It honors the founding of the country in 1971 by Sheikh Zayed, and the values that still animate this small Gulf country with such an important cultural influence. It was written by Arif Al Sheikh Abdullah Al Hassan in 1971. As for the music, it was composed by Mohammed Abdel Wahab, also in 1971. However, the lyrics were not officially adopted until much later, in 1996.