Syrian National Orchestra and Damon Albarn to open Roskilde Festival’s iconic Orange Stage

9. February 2016

After five years apart, the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music has finally been reunited with the help of Damon Albarn. Together, they have the prestigious task of opening the Danish festival’s Orange stage along with some of Albarn’s friends and illustrious guest stars.

The opening of Roskilde Festival’s biggest stage is considered a prestigious task for most fans of the festival. A place for people to come together and celebrate the way music can inspire and unite people. In 2016, the opening will be both a classic, Arabic national orchestra and a highly energetic, British superstar – along with a group of his friends from the world of music.

The Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music is known for both their experimental work as well as traditional Arabic music. When it was formed in 1990, the orchestra consisted of 90 members. After the Syrian civil war outbreak in the spring of 2011, several members fled to Germany, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Turkey and Lebanon, whilst others stayed in Syria. Consequently, the orchestra hasn’t been assembled in five years.

Damon Albarn is no stranger to Arabic music, and he has been working on reuniting the orchestra for years. They have performed together at the Damascus opera house, and the orchestra appeared on the 2010 Gorillaz album ‘Plastic Beach’. Several of the orchestra’s members played Roskilde Festival that very same year with Gorillaz. Damon Albarn is no stranger to Roskilde Festival either: having played the festival for the first time in 1992 with Blur, he has since played a solo show, performed with Gorillaz and, not least, a 5-hour marathon set last year with Africa Express. His show with the Syrian National Orchestra will be his 8th time playing Roskilde Festival.

Roskilde Festival spokeswoman Christina Bilde says:

“This will be an extraordinary, fun, moving and unpredictable opening show. To open our Orange Stage with a Syrian national orchestra together with a large group of Western musicians is a way for us to show how music and culture can make people come together and overcome borders and conflicts.”

“Currently, several European countries have shut their borders, and many people view refugees as a burden. Through music we’re trying to show how people can be regarded as resources and offer something to the new communities they are now part of. Additionally, it’s very important for us to show and highlight the proud Syrian cultural history that is currently being demolished by the country’s civil war.”

The Orange Stage concert will be on Wednesday 29 June 2016. Damon Albarn will invite the guest stars personally. Considering last year’s epic Africa Express show at Roskilde Festival, fans have reason to expect both high profile names and well-respected contemporaries.Roskilde Festival will announce part of the ’guest list’ before the show. With today’s announcement of Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music with Damon Albarn and Guests, Roskilde Festival has now announced 54 of a total of 175 acts for the 2016 edition of the Danish festival. These acts include LCD Soundsystem, New Order, PJ Harvey, MØ, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tenacious and Wiz Khalifa. Many more will be announced soon.