Ed Sheeran has paid tribute to India in his new song, singing a line in Punjabi.
In Sapphire, the English singer breaks into Punjabi for one line in the chorus, which translates to “they sparkle just like stars”.
Sheeran has collaborated with Indian playback singer Arijit Singh on the new single, a collaboration he described as the “final jigsaw piece” in recording the track. Singh also plays the sitar on the track.
The video for the song is filmed in locations around India, and was shot this year while Sheeran was on tour in the country.
“Sapphire was the first song I finished for Play that made me know where the album was heading,” Sheeran wrote about his new single in an Instagram caption. “It’s why I finished the recording process in Goa surrounded by some of the best musicians in India.”
Speaking of filming the video in India, he wrote: “We wanted to showcase the beauty and breadth of the country and its culture.”
He added that the song is his favourite on the album and he has recorded a version entirely in Punjabi with Singh, which he promises “will come out in the next few weeks”.
Sheeran took his +−=÷× Tour (said The Mathematics Tour) to India in January and February this year, performing seven dates in six locations, last year he also performed a standalone night in Mumbai.
Sheeran's upcoming album, Play, is set to be released in September. He has already released singles Old Phone and Azizam, as well as Sapphire.
Azizam is heavily influenced by the region. The song was co-written by Swedish–Iranian songwriter Ilya Salmanzadeh. Discussing the single on Instagram, Sheeran said the track draws on Iranian musical influences, which he found echoes aspects of traditional Irish folk.
“I wrote Azizam after Ilya suggested trying out music inspired by his Persian heritage and culture,” he said. “I love learning about music and different cultures the more I travel and connect with people. It was like opening a door to a completely new and exciting world.
“I loved how a lot of the rhythms, scales, melodies and instruments were different but similar to the Irish trad music I grew up with. It showed me that music connects us all – it really is a universal language. This whole album is about being playful, explorative and celebratory.”
In March, a large heart-shaped balloon was put on display in at Bla Bla beach club and dining venue in Dubai’s JBR district to promote the single.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
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Opening Rugby Championship fixtures:Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)
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