From six-year-olds to teens, Dubai students embrace Arabic to pay tribute to UAE Armed Forces.
Dubai: Imagine a choir where the youngest performer is just six years old and the oldest is seventeen. Now imagine every member singing in a language that is not their first language.
This is “Junūd al-Imārāt” (Soldiers of the Emirates) — a tribute song dedicated to the UAE Armed Forces, performed entirely in Arabic by Indian students in Dubai.
The initiative is the creation of Asha G. Menon, a music teacher at Indian High School, along with a group of her students who came together to deliver the heartfelt tribute.
Dikshita, 15, one of the senior members of the group, said the project and music video were created as a tribute to the UAE Armed Forces and to honour those who dedicate themselves to protecting the nation.
“Since none of us are originally from the UAE, we wanted to show our appreciation as residents of this country who are also protected and cared for. We felt that this tribute was one of the most meaningful ways we could express our gratitude,” she said.
How it began: An idea born from an ordinary conversation
There was no elaborate plan behind the project — it started with a simple conversation between two friends.
“We were just talking, and then we thought, why not create a musical tribute to the soldiers through the medium we know best — music?” Asha said. “What can we do through our art to express our gratitude towards this country?”
It was an emotion she had carried for some time but had struggled to turn into action. “That feeling was always there with me, but I didn’t know how to execute it properly,” she explained.
By early May, the idea had taken shape. A WhatsApp group was created, with students joining one by one, eventually growing into a project far bigger than either of them had initially imagined.
The challenge of recording in Arabic
For the students, learning the song came with a major challenge: Arabic was not the language they grew up speaking. Asha acknowledged the difficulty of mastering the pronunciation and delivery of the lyrics.
“The biggest challenge was learning this language — Arabic. That was our main challenge,” she said. “For the younger students, especially those who are six or seven years old, it was difficult, but they managed to learn and master the pronunciation remarkably well.”
Once the song was completed, the project gained momentum faster than anyone had anticipated.
“When the lyrics were ready, the melody was finalised, and the composition was complete, people began appreciating the tune. That’s when we thought, why not take it to a studio and record it professionally?” Asha recalled.
Soon, videographers began approaching the team on their own initiative. “I realised this had the potential to become something bigger, and we needed proper videography to do justice to it,” she said.
Asha had envisioned something beyond a traditional choir performance. “I had an outdoor setting in mind. I didn’t want the children to be singing inside a studio. I imagined deserts, lakes, and open landscapes,” she said.
Bringing that vision to life meant filming under challenging conditions. One student recalled the difficulties of shooting in the desert heat, saying that the younger children especially found it challenging.
“Going to the deserts was quite difficult because of the heat, and some of the younger kids had a really hard time. But when the video was released, we were all very happy to be part of such a big song and its launch,” the student said.
For Cerene, one of the youngest members of the group at 11 years old, the project was her first experience of this kind — despite the challenges of filming in the heat.
“I think the most memorable part for me was the friends I made, the bonds we built, and getting to know all the other kids,” she said. “Everything was so much fun. Travelling to different locations and spending time together made the whole experience special. I’m really grateful.”
Sharvajith, 12, said the group’s shared efforts brought them closer together. “We put a lot of hard work into making this video. Through this journey, we became closer to Asha ma’am, and we all became best friends. It made us really happy,” he said.
Asha’s own journey began the same way, decades earlier
Asha understands the experience and pressure of performing at a young age because she went through it herself.
“I started my career when I was 14,” she said. “I sang my first film song, and when I was 15, I received a state award for that same song.”
She later lent her voice to more than 20 Malayalam films before moving to Dubai and joining Indian High School as a music teacher in 2017.
That personal experience shaped the way Asha approached the project. She wanted her students to learn beyond the traditional methods of music education.
“I didn’t want them to learn music in the usual way,” she said. “I wanted them to gain real-life experiences — from vocal recording and mixing to mastering and understanding the visual aspects. I wanted them to see and understand every stage of how a project comes together.”
The response after the song’s release has shown her that the effort was worthwhile.
“Everyone who listens to the song says that we don’t sound like non-Arabic speakers,” she said. “That is the greatest recognition we are receiving, including from Emiratis. Some locals have contacted us and said the same thing. It is the biggest gift we could have received.”
For Asha, this is only the beginning. She hopes the project inspires more initiatives in the future.
“We are dreaming of creating projects like this in the coming years as well. This should not end with one project. Students should continue developing social values and a sense of gratitude for everything they have in their lives. We are planning more projects, and I hope we can bring them to life soon,” she said.
