Dubai Jazz Fest was a resounding success

25 Feb

Dubai Jazz Fest Day 1 was a residing success

Dubai Jazz Fest was a resounding success

The critically acclaimed Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival lived up to its promise of an amazing start to a three-‐day extravaganza.

Day 1: It was the opening night of the 14th edition of the festival and the atmosphere was electric as Youtube Sensation Postmodern Jukebox began to thrill the festival goers with spectacular tap dancing. Their energy was truly contagious playing hits like “Bad Romance” and “My Heart Will Go On”. They even had the audience singing along to the popular cover of Justin Bieber’s “Sorry”.

Following was British Rock Band James who did an encore as “Moving On” and “Sit Down” weren’t enough. It was inevitable seeing as the audience was begging for more! Everyone was in for a special surprise as Tim Booth jumped into the Fan Pit and Golden Circle to sing along with all their fans bringing out one of the biggest cheers of the night!

Then the Legendary Band Toto launched into their rocking performance wherein the level of musicianship onstage was immediately apparent. Everyone at the audience, regardless of their age danced along to each of their tunes. The world-‐class live band was in exceptionally fine form, starting off at a high level and keeping the energy up throughout their entire show. Their impressive set list included “Africa”, “I’ll Be Over You” and the joyous jazzy grooves of “Rosanna”.

Day 2: Soulful and intense, English Singer-songwriter David Gray gave a mesmerizing and emotional performance. He connected with the audience and gave a performance full of energy, even though he was a bit under the weather. His stage presence was incredible and vocals were stellar. Always on time and in the groove, Master Trumpeter Chris Botti along with his top-notch band mates showcased their enchanting tones to a spellbound audience. Fans applauded his high notes and were impressed with his dramatic flair, expanding his fan base within the Gulf region. About 70 minutes into the night, the crowd exploded for the third time as the Legendary Sting joined the concert. It was a dazzling and spot on performance with almost an hour and a half of gorgeous singing and symphonic music, including an inescapable encore to end the show.

Day 3: It was an incredible night last February 26 as the music legend, Carlos Santana, graced the stage for the second time in Dubai Jazz Festival history.

Santana brought his all-star band, which included his wife and former Lenny Kravitz drummer, Cindy Blackman. His band’s performance was stellar. They played with enough rhythmic charisma to make an entire amphitheater dance.

It was amazing to see all the reactions not only onstage but also in the packed venue; the wide-eyed festival goers in the fan pit can’t keep their eyes off the superb performance delivered by one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time. His guitar style is impossible to miss. A pioneer in his area, the short melodies that flowed were soaring and inspiring.

The third day opened with the Argentinian group, La Bomba De Tiempo. Wearing their bright red uniforms and with the presence of djembes, congas, maracas, cowbells, and shakers, they started the evening into a sort of communal ritual that both absorbed and produced vibration, rhythm, and uncontrolled movement. Their ability to toy with rhythm and its power to transmit energy was evident throughout their show.