The Rhythm will get you

The queen of Latin pop, Gloria Estefan, is heading to Dubai to launch a fiesta of cinema and song at this year's Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).

In 1987 she warned it would happen when she told us the "rhythm is going to get you", and now, 20 years on, it appears she was telling the truth as she prepares for her first performance in the Middle East.

The five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter will debut songs from her latest album, 90 Millas (90 Miles), following the world premiere of her husband Emilio's documentary of the same name.

In a pre-recorded video link, at a press conference yesterday in Dubai Media City, Gloria said she was looking forward to her first show in the Middle East and was honoured to have been invited to the festival.

Creative relationship

Estefan will perform on the opening night of Rhythm and Reels - a new element to DIFF - running from December 13 to 15 at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre.

The three-day initiative has been introduced to celebrate the creative relationship between music and film.

Each evening the gates will open at 7pm, before a feature film or documentary is screened at 8pm sharp followed by a live performance.

Estefan said: "It is an honour for Emilio and I to have the world premiere of the 90 Millas documentary in Dubai. As an artist and performer it's always a fun and exciting experience to play to a new audience.

Thrilled

"Having performed for fans all over the world, this will be my first concert in the Middle East and I'm thrilled to have been invited to perform it at the Dubai International Film Festival."

Managing director of DIFF, Shivani Pandya, said the performance promises to be one of the highlights of the Dubai concert season as well as a fitting way to kick off the first year of DIFF's Rhythm and Reels programme.

She said: "Music and film go hand in hand. Music soundtracks have always been an integral part of a film and these days even more so. So it seemed like a natural progression for us to introduce a musical element to DIFF.

"Both music and film can move audiences equally and generally need no translation. This film and Gloria Estefan's music will bring the Cuban experience to life at DIFF, which also fits perfectly with our mandate of Building Bridges, Meeting Minds."

Gloria will sing songs from 90 Millas when she performs in Dubai.

Some of the legendary artists joining Estefan on this album include Arturo Sandoval, Andy Garcia, Chocolate, India, Cachao, Papo Lucca, Johnny Pacheco, Generoso and many more.

Other screenings

On December 14, the second film in the Rhythm and Reels series will be The White Thread, a documentary by Moroccan filmmaker Khalil Benkirane. It tracks San Francisco DJ Cheb I Sabbah as he records Moroccan villagers performing ancient songs and remixes them with modern electronic beats.

The screening will be followed by Moroccan DJ Zayan Freeman who will hit the stage with Bnet Marrakech, a group of gypsy women singing in traditional Berber and Arabic style.

The third and final night, on December 15, takes us to the UK and the US. A screening of the critically-acclaimed Across the Universe, directed by Julie Taymor, will take the audience on a kaleidoscopic journey through the Sixties.

It is a cross-cultural romance that deals with conflict between art and commerce, conscription, protest culture, the music business and class conflict. Based on the Beatles's songbook and set in 1960s England, America and Vietnam, the love story of main characters, Lucy and Jude, is intertwined with the anti-war movement and social protests of the times.

The plot is woven together with more than 30 Beatles songs, together with visual allusions to the films Help! A Hard Day's Night, Yellow Submarine and Let it Be.

After the screening the film's musical compliment will be the Best of British Invasions, a multimedia act which revisits some of the greatest moments in music history, featuring Elton John, The Rolling Stones and David Bowie.

Alongside the screening will also be a photo exhibition by acclaimed photographic cooperative Magnum Photos, with the theme The Magic of Cinema.

Tickets, priced Dh175 for each evening, which includes the screening and music, or Dh450 for all three nights, are available at the DIFF box offices and online at www.dubaifilmfest.com.

Other screenings at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre from December 10 - as part of DIFF - will all be free.

Did you know?

Gloria Estefan almost died from a car accident while touring in 1990.

She fractured her spine and had two titanium rods permently implanted in her spine. It took a year of intensive physical therapy before she finally recovered.

The singer returned to an international tour 10 months after the accident.

90 Millas

USA & Puerto Rico/2007/Spanish & English dialogue with English subtitles/Colour/35mm/66 mins

THE FILM

90 Millas is a journey through the evolution of Cuban music, from its beginnings to now. It gives you a behind the scenes look at some of the greatest Latin musicians, their struggle to get their music heard, and how they kept it alive for over 50 years.

It shows the coming together of three generations, with luminaries Israel Lopez Cachao, Paquito D'Rivera, Nelson Gonzalez, Gloria Estefan, Andy Garcia, Jose Feliciano, Carlos Santana, Sheila E, Arturo Sandoval, Pit Bull and Wisin & Yandel. They all collaborate on Gloria's new album, 90 Millas, which pays tribute to these legends.

Director Emilio Estefan combines the album's recording sessions with intimate interviews. The musicians' perseverance, love and talent helped carry Cuban music from generation to generation, enjoyed worldwide.

Stats

Born: Gloria Maria Milagrosa Fajardo Garcia.
Date of birth: September 1, 1957, in Cuba.

DIFF DATES

The Dubai International Film Festival 2007 will run from December 9 to 16. Visit www.dubaifilmfest.com

Did you know?

Gloria Estefan almost died from a car accident while touring in 1990.

She fractured her spine and had two titanium rods permently implanted in her spine. It took a year of intensive physical therapy before she finally recovered.

The singer returned to an international tour 10 months after the accident.