To celebrate the UAE’s Golden Jubilee, Richard Mille has unveiled a new musical composition from Thomas Roussel that pays homage to the past present and future of the country. It’s called ‘Above the Clouds’.
According to Richard Mille, the piece narrative embraces feelings of pride, determination and hope to tell the tale of the UAE’s remarkable journey. Reflecting on the country’s accomplishments over the last 50 years, and the vast potential it holds for next 50.
The composition is accompanied by a video directed by Guillaume Mille, which delivers a powerful visual experience that channels the vision of the UAE with an evocative, record-breaking performance shot atop the iconic Burj Al Arab.
Watch the video here.
“When Richard Mille Middle East asks how they could participate in the UAE’s Golden Jubilee, I saw the unlimited potential of what an incredible visual and auditory experience this could be. I asked Pierre-Edouard Edelmann, the director of photography and NorthStar, the creative agency, to accompany me on this project. When we screened the clip for the first time, beyond the breathtaking images, I was deeply touched to see the emotion and the impact this video aroused in viewers. I think this is the best tribute we could offer for the 50-year anniversary of a fantastic city,” said Guillaume Mille, Director of the Above the Clouds video.
Suspended 212 metres above sea level, Thomas Roussel brought together a circular orchestral arrangement comprising nine exemplary musicians cast from within the UAE to encapsulate the essence and sentiment of the UAE on its golden jubilee.
The video, shot from dawn to dusk on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab, captures the journey of the sun as it moves from one horizon to the next The dawn, a representation of the UAE’s past, is musically reimagined in a neo-classical style by Thomas Roussel at the keyboard. The deliberate additions of musicians and instruments, one at a time, reflects the storytelling approach of the composition with technical precision, according to Richard Mille.
The oriental sounds of the qanoon and drums, imaginatively woven through the musical narrative, subtly reference the warmth of the local heritage and culture; whilst the addition of the masterfully lengthened synthesizer beats, poetically elongate the moment of UAE’s 50th birthday before reaching a magnificent crescendo at dusk; an ode to UAE’s next 50 years.
“Music is one of the only things in life that allows you to experiment with the past, because it lets you move forward with the previous notes of the melody. At the same time, you live more intensely in the fleeting present, and you can glimpse the future because you are able to anticipate the end of the melody,” said Roussel.