Spring of Culture events

April 1 Title: Omara Portuondo

Venue: Arad Fort

Time: 8.30 pm

Omara Portuondo celebrates her 60-year career in music with the release of her new album Gracias, which includes a selection of songs that have most defined her career. Omara rose to fame with the Las D'Aida quartet, became one of Cuba's most highly esteemed solo singers and with the success of the Buena Vista Social Club, has achieved worldwide fame. For this remarkable anniversary Omara will be accompanied by a quintet of musicians that will enable her to show off her vocal talents to the full. www.omaraportuondo.com

April 2 - 4

Title: 'Sound of Music' by the Salzburg Marionette Theatre

Venue: Culture Hall

Time: 5pm

For 94 years, the Salzburg Marionette Theatre has been renowned for its compelling drama and music presentations utilising the lifelike movements of its elaborately costumed, two foot tall, string manipulated puppets and lavish sets. The play comes alive as Maria and the Von Trapp family bring the famous Sound of Music story to life. Watch the puppets march, dance and ride bikes as you sing along to songs such as My Favourite Things, Do-Re-Mi and Climb Ev'ry Mountain. The musical was debuted on Broadway in 2007 to great acclaim.

www.marionette.at

April 5

Title: 'Transformation of memories' - a group photography exhibition led by Camille Zakharia

Venue: Al Riwaq Art Gallery, Al Aali Mall

Time: 7pm

The exhibition "Deconstruction of the Soul" is the result of a workshop lead by Camille Zakaria with a group of six Bahraini photographers developing critical work on the subject of the effects of urbanism on the identity. Al Riwaq will be showing weekly films focusing on the same subject as a continuation of the exhibition.

www.alriwaqgallery.org

April 6 and 7

Title: El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe

Venue: Culture Hall

Time: 8pm

El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe, established in 1979, is an independent, non-profit organisation that is virtually entirely volunteer-based. Since its inception, El-Funoun has aimed at expressing the spirit of Arab-Palestinian folklore and contemporary culture through unique combinations of traditional and stylised dance and music and has been renowned as the lead Palestinian dance company. Over the years, El-Funoun has won several commendation certificates and awards and has an impressive record of well over one thousand performances in Palestine, Europe, the US and the Arab world.

www.el-funoun.org