{
  "id": 8283444,
  "title": "Sing to your own tune: Fafa on why UAE artists need to back their original music",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/sing-to-your-own-tune-fafa-on-why-uae-artists-need-to-back-their",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-18T18:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music-stage/2026/09/18/fafa-fatima-emirati-honduran-singer-hidden-bar-abu-dhabi/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Fafa, an Emirati-Honduran singer, emphasizes the importance of local artists performing their own original music in the UAE. She faced queries about venue capacity and audience turnout when she performed original neo-soul, jazz, and R&B material at Abu Dhabi’s Hidden Bar. The success of the show sparked a follow-up, leading to the release of a live album titled The Veiled Essence Experience: Live at The Hidden Bar.\n\nThe performance was part of the Music in the City initiative by Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, aimed at showcasing the city's music venues. Fafa highlights that the attendance demonstrated the public's appetite for original local music, a sentiment that could grow as royalty rules take effect on December 1. These rules will grant songwriters and rights holders more formal royalties for commercially used music, potentially providing two income sources: performance and copyright royalties.\n\nHowever, Fafa cautions against the primary motivation for creating original music being financial gain. She suggests that if an artist is solely driven by money, they should reconsider their approach. The new royalty system, she argues, serves more as recognition of the value of artists creating and performing their own work, rather than a direct means of financial gain.\n\nFafa, who has been performing in the UAE for nearly a decade, suggests that artists must assert themselves when it comes to playing original material. She criticizes venues for pushing Top 40 acts and argues that venues should respect an entertainer's creative choices. Fafa also stresses the importance of local artists building their own fan bases, especially when faced with competing opportunities from abroad.",
  "summary": "When Fafa performed the first of two planned shows at Abu Dhabi’s Hidden Bar in April, she faced the usual questions asked of a local musician: was there enough space, enough time and, most importantly, would people show up? The gig, featuring Fafa and her band playing original material spanning neo-soul, jazz and R&B, left her with more welcome problems. The buzz around the show led to a…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Sing to your own tune: Fafa on why UAE artists need to back their original music",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/sing-to-your-own-tune-fafa-on-why-uae-artists-need-to-back-their-8286339",
        "published": "2026-09-18T18:01:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}