Bazaar Arabia Columnist Aida Al Busaidy On The Power Of Music
Communications strategist and storyteller Aida Al Busaidy reflects on how music can strike the most sentimental chord within us all
You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only 17,” sang ABBA. And those lyrics have remained embedded in my brain since I was five years-old. Yes, that early! My parents took me to see the famed quartet in concert when they visited Dubai on tour, performing at the Hyatt Regency hotel, right next to the creek and the fish market. From Stevie Wonder to Tina Turner, Peter Andre and the Spice Girls, Dubai in the eighties and nineties was as lit as it is today, with a succession of superstars stopping regularly to belt out their greatest hits. These groups shaped my taste in music, and naturally my love for certain locations as core memories were being created.
Long-term potentiation (LTP) – or a strengthening of memories, is induced by sound and music stimulation, which fortifies neural networks, according to the National Institutes of Health. With music’s deep connection to the limbic system, our connection to sound ultimately creates a set of emotions that transcend time and place. Over time, my taste in music started to expand in range. Orchestral symphonies came into my life in my twenties, and my appreciation for the violin grew to the point where I took classes for a year. It’s a tough instrument to master but I kept on it and performed alongside six-year-olds in a concert.
Music has the power to bridge gaps between cultures and languages, creating connections among individuals who might not otherwise meet – listening to certain songs made me feel a connection with the singers and DJs who I had no way of meeting. Think about it; before the internet took flight, radio and televsion were our primary means of stimulation and entertainment. This meant if a song expressed an emotion, and I felt the same, I automatically loved the one singing it or I bonded with the others who enjoyed it.
Children today will never be able to fathom the number of cassette tapes that were bought, recorded on and over, and the number of times we had to press ‘start, record, stop’ – and write down the lyrics so we wouldn’t forget them. Listening to Rick Dees and the weekly Top 40 on my boom box defined an era.
Fast forward to today, I have the privilege of working with legends in the industry and this has given me a renewed love for new genres as I now appreciate the work behind each piece. Social and gaming apps have also found a way to integrate music into them. Today my kids are enjoying Eminem’s genius whilst playing Fortnite. If I told them that I grew up listening to gangster rap in the nineties, they wouldn’t believe me, but we’ve found ‘new’ common interests though my old ones.
From orchestras that blend diverse notes into harmonious sounds to crowds at concerts singing, roaring along to much-loved lyrics, or just elevator background music, make sure you work in that core memory through sound. You’ll thank yourself later.
Photography: Efraim Evidor. Styling: Imogene Legrand. Make-Up & Hair: Arina Zubakhina. Stylist’s Assistant: Janhvi Kohli. Special thanks to the St. Regis Downtown Dubai.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s November 2024 issue.
Read more here…
An Emirati Eye: Aida Al Busaidy On Why We Should Welcome Artificial Intelligence with Open Arms
An Emirati Eye: Aida Al Busaidy On How To Avoid Burn-Out
An Emirati Eye: Aida Al Busaidy Shares Sage Advice On Building Financial Freedom
