Fresh from a flurry of music-based activity in the last 2 months, Dubai-based telecommunications company du (as part of its ‘du Live!’ series of concerts) and Finnish brand Nokia are hosting a unique, free, World Music Festival across Dubai this week.
Boasting an incredible array of talent from the region, and beyond, the Festival is bringing together a diversity of artists rarely seen on these shores, and all for free in two convenient locations across the city over a week.
As the world of discovery is a central theme of triplew.me, this festival is one that’s both unique and spot-on with its marketing. Unlike other ‘festivals’ that we come across in these parts that lay claim to a particular theme, but generally deliver something entirely different; this Festival is exactly what it says, and then some.
Boasting triplew.me favorites Mashrou3 Leila [ed. If you’re wondering what the ‘3’ is, brush up on some phonetic Arabic!] from Beirut, who you can hear on our audio stream (hit listen live at the top), the Festival’s lineup is enhanced by several high-profile acts from further afield.
While we’d love to detail them all out, but here’s a summary below, and why don’t you head out and get discovering yourself? And with this weather and a perfect entry price (did we mention it was free?!?), you’d be quite silly to miss it! Or perhaps, we should be asking, do you have time to see them all?
Sanam Marvi – from Pakistan, is a Pakistani Folk and Sufi singer, singing in Urdu, Sindhi and Punjabi;
Mashrou3 Leila – with a name that means ‘overnight project’ are from Beirut, Lebanon and have been producing their brand of quirky Arabic art-pop for 3 years. Get along. You won’t be disappointed;
Amit Chatterjee Alliance – a fusion-led mix between Indian Sitar playing and guitar, mixed with vocals that are other-worldly, Amit is an enormously accomplished musician that shouldn’t be missed;
Spongecola – the famous Filipino rock band are heading to Dubai! In-between studio albums, the boys will be playing their hits from the past, and we’re betting will draw a big crowd;
Black Gandhi – not really ones to be pigeon-holed, the Barcelona band take many inspirations (including the late Indian leader) and meld them into what they call ‘joy’ music. Praised by critics the world over, they will be a ‘must-see’ at the Festival;
Mouna Amarcha – a young Moroccan singer that’s made it big on the Khaleeji scene across the GCC, her music is lauded across the region;
Miyah of ‘Desert Heat’ – Desert Heat, renowned UAE hip-hoppers have carved quite the reputation for themselves recently. Miyah is one half of the renowned duo and will no doubt will rip up the mic with some fierce rhymes;
Soulmate – from India, playing their brand of blues and blues-rock will grace the stage in Dubai prior to them representing India at the Massive India festival in the US;
HFT – an Indian-based fusion band that are veterans of any music scene, let alone the Indian music scene, and will be plying their experience across the stages in Dubai; and
The Afif Bros. featuring Mounir Troudi – the famous and accomplished jazz musicians the Afif Bros. lead by amazing bass player Elie Afif, is joined by Troudi, the amazing Sufi singer from Tunisia will be another to catch.
