Hans Zimmer in Talks to Re-create Saudi Arabia’s National Anthem
How about the Hans Zimmer “bwong” sound in a national anthem? It could happen, with reports coming out of Saudi Arabia that the Oscar-winning composer is in talks to create, or re-create, the country’s national anthem.
In a report published in the Saudi newspaper Al Arabiya, the country’s head of General Entertainment Authority, Turki Al al-Sheikh, met with Zimmer and discussed various projects that the composer could potentially work on, including re-creating the national anthem by “using different instruments.”
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The current Saudi anthem, called “The Chant of the Saudi Nation,” was written in 1947 by the Egyptian composer Abd al-Rahman al-Khatib at the request of the country’s founding monarch King Abdulaziz.
According to Al Arabiya, Al-Sheikh also discussed with Zimmer the possibility of a new, original composition called “Arabia,” as well as a possible concert. Zimmer is also reportedly in talks to work on the soundtrack for an upcoming Saudi film about the historical Battle of Yarmuk.
Zimmer, who has two Oscars, a BAFTA and four Grammys, is well-known for his soaring scores for classic films, including the likes of Christopher Nolan’s Inception, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Dunkirk and Interstellar, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, and Denis Villeneuve’s two Dune films.
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