COMPOSER, SINGER-SONGWRITER
Fiercely embedded in the classics, and drawing on the contemporary, Dana Al Fardan embraces her cultural roots and strong Arabic influences as the first self-taught female Qatari singer-songwriter and composer to have achieved international success. Her passion for the arts has earned her the esteemed position of Cultural Ambassador for the Qatari Philharmonic Orchestra.
Lighting the path to changing perceptions of her home country and paving the way for global artistic and creative exchange, Dana’s rapid rise to prominence came on the heels of her debut album release, Paint, in 2013. Produced by Tim Baxter in collaboration with twelve string players from the London Metropolitan Orchestra and mastered at the renowned Abbey Road Studios, Dana quickly made her mark as a force of raw talent in the music world.
Born in Doha, in July 1985, Dana is the eldest of six sisters. Her childhood was filled with hours upon hours playing the piano, and whilst other kids may have been addicted to The Pink Panther, Dana was inherently captivated with watching orchestra performances on TV. A fascination that has only grown stronger and remains even more so today.
“A symphony orchestra is just like pure and utter magic for me,” Dana shares. “I was obsessed with it. I used to love breaking down the instrumentation and memorizing what was going to happen.”
She recalls a holiday in London, when her mother took Dana to see a musical in the West End, and how this experience left a profound effect on Dana. “This method of storytelling, it’s so transcendental, it incorporates everything… it’s such a guttural experience,” she says.