Business & Money | Thursday 7 May, 2015 2:19 am |

As part of its continued efforts to create engaging, regionally relevant content, premium SUV manufacturer Land Rover has revealed an exciting new collaboration with Sony Music Entertainment Middle East. These two major industry players are merging the automotive and entertainment worlds together to create a powerful celebration of music and cultural diversity across the Arab region.

Following Land Rover MENA’s foray into the arts with ‘The Calligraphy Project’ film and installations, as well as the ‘My Journey, My Inspiration’ film series, this partnership is the latest example of Land Rover’s continuously evolving MYLAND creative communications platform, designed to celebrate the impact Arab culture has had on today’s modern society.

One of a number of music collaborations to take place between Land Rover and Sony Music Entertainment over the coming months, ‘My Land, My Music’ will bring together renowned music producers, Jean-Marie Riachi from Lebanon and Omar Basaad from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as they undertake a musical journey, meeting, discovering and documenting the musicians and sounds of the region’s varied communities. Inspired by Land Rover’s ties to the MENA region’s culture and people, the different sounds captured will be arranged by Jean-Marie and his world-class studio team to produce the final soundtrack that honours the land, heritage and people of the Middle East. In a youthful twist on the concept, a number of club remixes will be produced by Omar to ensure the project captures the imagination of all music fans.

Produced by Emirati film director and long-term friend of the Land Rover brand, Ali Mostafa, and directed by Emirati filmmaker Ahmed Abdulqader, the ‘My Land, My Music’ documentary will tell the story behind the sounds recorded along the way. Charged with visually bringing to life this project, Ali Mostafa and his award-winning team will follow Riachi and Basaad from city to city to document the fascinating musical creation process behind ‘My Land, My Music’. This short film will accompany the song along with a dedicated music video and other behind-the-scenes content.

Hannah Naji, Marketing Director at Jaguar Land Rover MENA, said: “MYLAND is all about recognizing and celebrating the people, places, sounds, heritage and culture which have shaped this beautiful region. With ‘My Land, My Music’, we are evolving our MYLAND platform by creating unique content through yet another art form – music, which itself is deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of the region. We are thrilled to be able to partner with Sony Music Entertainment Middle East for this project, which we hope will be the first in a number of exciting musical collaborations. I am excited to see how this journey inspires Jean-Marie and Omar to create something unique that captures the region’s soul and resonates with audiences across MENA.”

Mike Fairburn, General Manager at Sony Music Entertainment Middle East, added: “For many, music represents the cultural heartbeat of the region. Whether it is the fisherman of Muscat, the music halls of Beirut, the souks of Cairo and Jeddah or the Dubai Creek, rhythm greets you at every corner. Together with Land Rover, we saw this as a fantastic opportunity to celebrate this; to take a talented music and film team on a journey to try to understand and celebrate the rich musical tapestry of the region. I would like to thank Land Rover for their vision, and to wish the team of Jean-Marie, Omar, Ali and Ahmed the very best as they embark on this wonderful journey”.