The first of four Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after race concerts kicked off with a regional flavour on Thursday at the du Arena.
The Egyptian pop star Tamer Hosny topped a bill featuring the Lebanese chanteuse Carole Samaha, Palestine’s Mohammed Assaf and the UAE’s very own Fayez Al Saeed.
It was a well-curated line-up: Assaf appealed to the youngsters, Al Saeed and Samaha catered to the parents and Hosny brought everyone together courtesy of his hit-laden set.
For Assaf, his du Arena appearance marks his arrival as a genuine Arab music A-lister. With the 25-year-old constantly touring ever since winning Arab Idol last year, he has developed a slick stage performance full of crowd banter.
Anyone disappointed that his recently released debut album, Assaf, was too heavy on the ballads would have enjoyed the energetic live show that contained a smattering of Palestinian dabkas with the rousing Ya Halali Ya Mali and Ali Al Keffiyeh being standouts. In regards to Assaf's solo material, the new single Aywa Haghani is a fine showcase for Assaf's smooth tenor.
Al Saeed also delivered a solid set – the singer relished the opportunity to perform as part of the Grand Prix celebrations — even if it meant missing out on watching the big football match between the UAE and Iraq.
“It’s a beautiful to be here tonight,” he said. “There is big game tonight and although I am supporting the UAE I have to say I also love my Iraqi brothers and sisters.”
Backed by a 10-piece band, including a strong percussion section, Al Saeed dropped a string of his crossover Emirati pop hits including the catchy Deg Hawa and the rhythmic Yensa.
The evening took a more glamorous turn with the arrival of Carole Samaha. The Lebanese singer took the stage in an outfit that looked straight out of a vintage Janet Jackson video, with a sparkling blue top resembling jagged jewels and black leather trousers.
She delivered 45-minute set full of her yearning orchestral pop, with crowd favourites being last year's single Ehsas and the affecting Khallik Behalek.
The evening was brought home in style with another sterling performance by Tamer Hosny. The Egyptian was galvanised by the adoring crowd and tore into a set blending his modern Arab pop with his signature romantic ballads.
Last year's big hit Si Al Sayed had the youngsters on their feet while the percussion-heavy Arrab Habibi elicited a massive crowd singalong.
sasaeed@thenational.ae