'East Circle' program is the marquee show for Asharq News. Hosted by a notable presenter Zeina Yaziji, we set out to compose an original music piece for this show, with the intention of creating an opener that exudes grandeur and is relatable for the Arab audience. Considering that the opener was very short in duration, we composed a fast pace powerful music to reflect the dynamic nature of the show. Therefore we went with big brass instruments and beats to translate the power needed in the music. To add some cultural references, we also used Oud, a traditional Arabic instrument well known to all in the Arab world.

Oud is an Arabic instrument that is as common as the guitar in the West. Together with the big orchestra to build a sense of importance and grandeur, we infused the Oud at the end as a sign off, giving an authentic and ethnic sound to connect with the Arab-speaking audience.

Working with an accomplished Arabic composer Layal Watfeh, we set out to identify the mood and feel of the piece. We selected the instruments that would go with the grandeur and importance we envision. It was also important that the piece had a signature tune that gave us the ability to create a loopable background, that would be used as the background music leading into the segment. With the short duration of the piece, it had to make an impact from the beginning.