Emirati singer to launch new song at Expo 2020

Inayat-ur-Rahman, Gulf Today

Emirati singer and songwriter Alira will be launching his new Expo-inspired song We Are One in a special performance at Expo 2020 on January 30.

The song debut will feature a stunning, multi-layered choreography, with Alira taking centre stage, backed up by scores of performers and giant wings at 6:45pm on the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre Stage of Expo 2020.

“We Are One is a song of unity and a celebration of our diversity. That is what built this nation, and this is exactly the message behind Expo 2020,” Alira said.

More than 50 UAE residents from various nationalities will wave their country’s flag in a show of unity, turning the amphitheater into a sea of flags as the song unfolds.

The performance will also feature the performance of community groups, including the FilSoc Chorale, St. Mary’s Filipino Community Choir, African gospel choir and various dance troupes.

We Are One is Alira’s original composition inspired by Expo 2020 Dubai, and comes after he released his first single, Take Flight, which went on to become a dance craze on TikTok and Instagram.

His Expo-inspired song showcases his unique, pop music mixed with his rare musical talent: singing in countertenor while hitting high ranges of up to six vocal octaves.

Born and raised in Dubai, Alira developed his love for global music at a young age, with the influences of different musical styles from around the world. His eclectic taste in music includes genres like pop, jazz, blues, ballads, rock, country music and classical music. 

Alira is an Emirati countertenor or male soprano who can sing in high notes. He is inspired by the music of Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, as well as Regine Velasquez Alcasid, Andrea Bocelli, Assala Nasri, Laura Pausini and Yolanda Adams. He was 14 when he started writing his own songs. Truly a global artist, Alira not only sings in his native Arabic language, but he also sings in Indian, Filipino, English and French languages.

Meanwhile, the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai organized a talk focusing on the three key pillars of innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development at the thematic Global Goals Week of Expo 2020, in partnership with EPFL Essential Tech Center and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).