Dana Al Fardan embarks on cross-cultural collaboration in Sardinia

Doha: From the Gulf region to the breathtaking Fondazione Pinuccio Sciola Giardino Sonoro, Dana Al Fardan s music lit up the gardens as the closing pe...

Doha:  From the Gulf region to the breathtaking Fondazione Pinuccio Sciola Giardino Sonoro, Dana Al Fardan’s music lit up the gardens as the closing performance of the Sant’Arte Festival in Sardinia, Italy—where cross-cultural artistic dialogue and creative exchange took center stage.

At the eighth edition of the festival, held in collaboration with the MèC – Musica Cultura Association, Dana introduced her composition INDIGO, featuring the integration of “Sounding Stones”—sonic sculptures that harness the vibrational frequencies of the Sardinian landscape. 

The festival continues to honor Pinuccio Sciola’s legacy by bringing art into the heart of community life, positioning Sardinia as a beacon of artistic innovation and intercultural exchange.

This year’s programme gathered internationally acclaimed artists and practitioners to reflect on the role of creativity in building more resilient and interconnected societies. The event culminated in a headline performance by Qatari composer and symphonic artist Dana Al Fardan, who presented her album INDIGO. Fusing contemporary classical traditions from the Arab world and the West, her performance marked a major artistic moment, integrating Sciola’s iconic Sounding Stones into her compositions for the first time. 

Dana shared: “This collaboration marks a major breakthrough in both my music and my journey as an artist. Learning how to incorporate the sounds of nature into my album INDIGO—with exceptional musicians from both Qatar and Sardinia—centered around harnessing the unique soundscape of the Sardinian landscape.”