Latest news with #OdeToJoy
Malay Mail
19 hours ago
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
Beethoven at 100km/h? Fujairah's ‘Musical Road' plays ‘Ode to Joy' as you drive
FUJAIRAH (United Arab Emirates), July 19 — No radio? No problem. The emirate of Fujairah has installed rumble strips along a 750m stretch of highway that play the Ode to Joy melody from Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as cars roll over — part of a project to integrate music into daily life. Similar so-called Musical Roads have already been installed in places like the United States, Japan and Hungary. However, this is the first permanent road in the Arab world according to Ali Obaid Al Hefaiti, director of the Fine Arts Academy in Fujairah, a lesser-known emirate roughly 120km from the global tourism hub of Dubai. The technology works by carving strategically-spaced grooves into the asphalt on Fujairah's Sheikh Khalifa Street. Then, as tyres hit the ridges at roughly 100 km/hr, the resulting vibrations produce a melody audible inside the vehicle. Beethoven's Ode to Joy, a tune known to almost every ear on earth, was a natural choice, Al Hefaiti said. Mohammad Al Matrooshi, an Omani resident traveling from Sharjah, said the music relaxed him after a long journey. 'The music gives you a different mood, especially because the music is by Beethoven.' — Reuters
Al Jazeera
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Jazeera
Germany breaks world record for largest string orchestra
Germany breaks world record for largest string orchestra NewsFeed Germany shattered the world record for largest string orchestra as 1,353 musicians performed Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy.' The intergenerational event brought together players of all ages, beating the previous record set in Hong Kong in 2018. Video Duration 01 minutes 07 seconds 01:07 Video Duration 01 minutes 30 seconds 01:30 Video Duration 02 minutes 11 seconds 02:11 Video Duration 01 minutes 28 seconds 01:28 Video Duration 02 minutes 27 seconds 02:27 Video Duration 02 minutes 19 seconds 02:19 Video Duration 01 minutes 36 seconds 01:36
Reuters
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Generations unite to set new record for largest string orchestra
A record-breaking 1,353 musicians braved the rain as they gathered in the town hall square in Recklinghausen, Germany, on Sunday (July 6) to form the world's largest string orchestra, performing Ludwig van Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," organizers said. General Music Director of the Westfalen Symphonic Orchestra, Rasmus Baumann, who conducted the event, said the choice of music was "ideal for such an occasion."
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A classical drive: Road rumble strips play Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in UAE emirate of Fujairah
FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The humble road rumble strip, used around the world to alert drifting drivers to potential hazards or lane departures, can play Beethoven on a mountain highway in the far reaches of the United Arab Emirates. For nearly a kilometer (a half mile) along the E84 highway — also known as the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road — motorists in the right-hand lane coming into the city of Fujairah can play Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony where the rubber meets the road. 'The 'Street of Music,' of course, is an art project that exists in some countries ... but we wanted this project to be in our country,' said Ali Obaid Al Hefaiti, the director of Fujairah Fine Arts Academy, which recently wrapped up the project in collaboration with local authorities. 'I think that the project is focused on spreading the art culture. The combination of music in our lives and our normal lives," he added. For drivers coming into Fujairah, the rumble strip initially looks like a larger, rectangular version of the dash lines separating the three-lane highway. That's until you hit the first block, and the grooves of the road combine with the speed of the vehicle to make music. Driving over each block sounds out the best-known parts of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony — the final movements known commonly as the tune 'Ode to Joy," or in its more modern form, the official anthem of the European Union. Al Hefaiti recommended motorists hit the blocks at around 100 kph (60 mph) to get the tune just right. The road has become a social media sensation, bringing visitors to one of the lesser-known emirates in the UAE along its eastern coast with the Gulf of Oman. Drivers have been spotted slowing down to experience the musical road as they come into the city. Passers-by can get the same effect from standing on the side of the road, though motorists often come in quickly. The concept isn't new — there have been so-called 'singing shoulders' deployed in other countries including across the Persian Gulf in Iran. But Al Hefaiti believes this is the first one in the Arab world. Beyond it going viral, Al Hefaiti thinks it will bring classical music into everyday life and 'raise awareness about the importance of art culture.' As for why an Emirati fine arts school picked a European composer born in the 18th century to represent Fujairah, Al Hefaiti said that he always encourages his students to explore different cultures.
Washington Post
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
A classical drive: Road rumble strips play Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in UAE emirate of Fujairah
FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates — The humble road rumble strip, used around the world to alert drifting drivers to potential hazards or lane departures, can play Beethoven on a mountain highway in the far reaches of the United Arab Emirates. For nearly a kilometer (a half mile) along the E84 highway — also known as the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road — motorists in the right-hand lane coming into the city of Fujairah can play Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony where the rubber meets the road. 'The 'Street of Music,' of course, is an art project that exists in some countries ... but we wanted this project to be in our country,' said Ali Obaid Al Hefaiti, the director of Fujairah Fine Arts Academy, which recently wrapped up the project in collaboration with local authorities. 'I think that the project is focused on spreading the art culture. The combination of music in our lives and our normal lives,' he added. For drivers coming into Fujairah, the rumble strip initially looks like a larger, rectangular version of the dash lines separating the three-lane highway. That's until you hit the first block, and the grooves of the road combine with the speed of the vehicle to make music. Driving over each block sounds out the best-known parts of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony — the final movements known commonly as the tune 'Ode to Joy,' or in its more modern form, the official anthem of the European Union. Al Hefaiti recommended motorists hit the blocks at around 100 kph (60 mph) to get the tune just right. The road has become a social media sensation, bringing visitors to one of the lesser-known emirates in the UAE along its eastern coast with the Gulf of Oman. Drivers have been spotted slowing down to experience the musical road as they come into the city. Passers-by can get the same effect from standing on the side of the road, though motorists often come in quickly. The concept isn't new — there have been so-called 'singing shoulders' deployed in other countries including across the Persian Gulf in Iran. But Al Hefaiti believes this is the first one in the Arab world. Beyond it going viral, Al Hefaiti thinks it will bring classical music into everyday life and 'raise awareness about the importance of art culture.' As for why an Emirati fine arts school picked a European composer born in the 18th century to represent Fujairah, Al Hefaiti said that he always encourages his students to explore different cultures.
