Vondelpark Camels (2011)
The 2011 indie-track with its wistful, dreamy music production will evoke a nostalgic feeling in most listeners tuning in, but with the title “Camels”, the sentiment might especially hit home in a part of the world rather far from Vondelpark’s homebase in London:
In the Arab Emirates, camels were used as the predominant means of transport for many centuries. The animals, which featured prominently in Bedouin and even older traditions, were so important for the region that it took several decades for their status to decline even after the discovery of oil in 1958.
Today, this process has, however, been completed: With the oil came Western financial wealth, and with that wealth came expensive cars. The camel, very much in the spirit of Vondelpark’s track, became a somewhat nostalgic symbol of Arab history and traditions of yore.
Considering that the oil sourced in the Arab Emirates is a finite resource, it is uncertain what meaning the camel will take on for the region in the future—but it surely is going to change again. Sheik Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who ruled Dubai in the oil-discovery-year of 1958, has described this uncertainty as follows: "My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I ride a Mercedes, my son rides a Land Rover, and my grandson is going to ride a Land Rover, but my great-grandson is going to have to ride a camel again."
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