Dadu Voices is the first original children’s song created by Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar. Commissioned under the guidance of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the song marks the beginning of Dadu’s Intangible Heritage Collection of Songs, a growing body of musical works created for children and rooted in education, culture, and transmission.
Sheikha Al Mayassa invited Aurélien Parent-Koenig to compose the first song of this collection, drawing on more than fifteen years of experience writing music for children. The project began with a clear artistic vision and took shape through a focused period of composition, first emerging as a piano-and-voice draft that defined the song’s melodic identity and structure.
From this initial version, the song expanded progressively. Instrumental arrangements were developed, and the lyrics were refined in collaboration with Saed Al-Ojaimi. At each stage, the music remained faithful to its original intent while opening itself to dialogue and contribution, allowing the song to grow naturally through collaboration.
This process continued through work with musicians from the Qatar Music Academy and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. Writing for instruments such as oud, qanun, darbuka, nay, flute, and Arabic violin allowed the song to engage with a rich regional sound world while remaining accessible and resonant for children.
Recording, mixing, and mastering took place at Katara Studios, in close collaboration with Dana Al Meer, the Music Lab team, and the Hype Choir. The environment fostered a generous and collective approach, with each phase building organically on the previous one.
The final stage brought the song to life with the Dadu Choir and the Shafallah Children’s Choir. Rehearsals with children and musicians culminated in a live premiere at Dadu Gardens during World Children’s Day 2025, where the song was performed before a public audience.
Dadu Voices traces the journey of a musical idea becoming a shared experience. Nourished by a broad creative ecosystem , from vision and composition to collaboration and performance, it stands as the first step in a collection designed to grow over time. For APK Music, it reflects a continued commitment to using music as a vehicle for education, learning, and collective imagination.
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