In photos: UAE-based bands among musicians at Expo 2020 Dubai

The World's Greatest Show will host one of the most diverse line-ups of musical artists, from rising pop stars and oud players to classical musicians and jazz fusion bands. Visitors can jive, sway and dance to the musical festivities of the six-month world fair starting this October during the monthly ‘Expo Beats’ and weekly ‘Late Nights @ Expo’. UAE-based and international artists from all over the world including India, Syria and Serbia will be headlining the two festivals for the Expo audience. Some of the stars performing are listed below in alphabetical order. | Above: Expo 2020 One Year to Go celebrations at Dubai's Burj Khalifa.

ALEKSANDRA KRSTIC. The Serbian singer and songwriter has performed classical, jazz, funk, soul and pop music across Europe and more recently in the UAE. She also worked as a recording artist with jazz and electronic musicians. Krstic arrived in Dubai in 2012 and now works as a freelance musician, composer and songwriter.

AS PER CASPER. Composed of musicians from around the Arab region, this band focuses on unifying the Western and Oriental experience into euphonic melodies. Their debut album ‘Hit the Ground’, released in 2016, topped the iTunes Middle East charts. The band has even performed at the ‘One year to go’ concert ceremony for Expo 2020 back in 2019, the Dubai Opera and the Apple Flagship store opening at the Dubai Mall. This Indie rock and pop band started with Carla Saad (pictured), a UAE-based Syrian-Palestinian who wrote eight songs for their debut album with an array of musical instruments to complement them, from piano and guitar to darbuka and the oud.

CARL & THE REDA MAFIA. This Dubai-based band has four members: a singer, a guitarist, a bassist and a drummer. Their band was formed back in 2014 for Dubai’s BandJam battle, where they won first place. Since then, the group has performed across the UAE for Beats on the Beach in Abu Dhabi, Dubai International Jazz Festival and Abu Dhabi Festival. Carl & The Reda Mafia even opened for Bon Jovi at the du Arena in 2015. The four members of the band are from Egypt, Nigeria, Greece and India - to showcase their diversity, the group creates hybrid sounds with a base of funk and elements of blues and rock and roll.

DINA STARS. Stars is a Dubai-based Jordanian vocalist and songwriter who specialises in contemporary pop and R&B. She is a self-taught guitarist who began writing songs at the age of 14. She often sings her own songs at gigs; her originals include ‘You’, ‘Heart Away’ and ‘Kill My Summer’. Sometimes she covers popular numbers. She’s performed at the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Expo 2020’s ‘One year to go’ ceremony, the Dubai Media Centre Amphitheatre and the Mother of Nation Festival in Abu Dhabi.

FATINIZA. A Colombian Latin-pop singer and songwriter, Fatiniza kicked off her career in Dubai in 2010 when she released her debut album ‘Confusion’, which went on to receive awards and nominations for the best artist in Dubai 2010 and 2011 at the Time Out Nightlife Awards. Fatiniza finds her inspiration in the Colombian singer Shakira, and has performed at the Formula 1 Grand prix Finals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai International Jazz Festival.

IYAD RIMAWI. A Syrian music composer, songwriter and producer, Rimawi composes songs that are a hybrid of oriental and classical music. Rimawi has toured the Middle East, Europe and the US, where he and his band received an award for peace after performing at the United Nations headquarters. His last performance in Dubai was at the Dubai Opera in 2018, a sold-out live concert called ‘Love Letters from Damascus’. Accompanying him will be an entire orchestra to perform his greatest hits that include ‘Alharamlek’, ‘Masafit Aman’, ‘Al Nadam’ and ‘The Godfather’.

JAYE & FOE. This six-piece multi-instrumental band based in Dubai plays reggae, ska and gipsy rhythms. The band’s first debut EP is called ‘Bad Reaction’. The original folk, jazz band has roots in the UK, Australia and the UAE. Jaye & Foe had their own UK tour in 2017 but mainly perform in the UAE at places such Dubai’s music festival ‘Party in the Park’ and the Red Bull Music Academy Event. In 2019, they were nominated for the ‘WhatsOn Awards’ in the UAE for the best local band.

JAYMIE DEVILLE. The 'X Factor Australia' 2014 finalist released his first extended play (EP) ‘True Love’ in 2020. The solo artist moved to Dubai almost six years ago and has been playing in the city at some of its best-known venues such as Nobu in Atlantis Hotel, Irish Village and Soho Garden. Deville is a contemporary R&B artist that dabbles in bass beats and vibrational rhythms to elevate his emotive music. His most popular song ‘The Room’ has received more than a million listens on Spotify.

NOON. The UAE-based trio band includes Ratish Chadha, the drummer; Mohamed Hosny, the oud player; and Steve Bedford, the bassist. According to the band members, their style of music is “experimental oriental”. A one-of-a-kind jazz fusion band that draws on Middle Eastern culture to create distinct sounds that range from African and Indian percussive rhythms to funky grooves. NOON has performed at the NYUAD Arts Centre, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, the Dubai Opera, Magnetic Fields Festival in Rajasthan and more.

PAREKH & SINGH. The dream pop duo, based in Kolkata, India, is known for striking and colorful aesthetics and Wes Anderson inspired music videos. Nischay Parekh sings and plays the guitar and keyboard, while Jivraj Singh plays the drums and electronics. Their dreamy music has gained popularity amongst the youth in India, with their debut album ‘Oceans’ named as one of the best Indian albums of the year by Rolling Stones India. After touring the South Asian country, they released their second album ‘Science City’ in 2019. With more than 40,000 monthly listeners on the music streaming site Spotify, Parekh & Singh have performed at venues such as The Fridge, Dubai, and Mumbai Royal Opera House.

RONY SARKIS. A UAE-based singer-songwriter, who performs a range of genres including rock, pop and blues, appeared at local shows around Dubai such as JBR Street Beats, the Yard Sessions and The Fridge at Al Serkal Avenue. Most commonly known for his soulful vocals, he accompanies his soothing voice with the chords of his acoustic guitar. Sarkis performs his personal compositions with a few cover versions in the mix; his musical style is mostly as laid-back and light. Sarkis’ debut single, ‘Fields of Green’, was released on February 19, 2021.

SERGIO CATALAN. A Chilean musician, living in Dubai, Catalan has been exercising his musical prowess across the Emirates since 2007. He writes and sings his own songs, along with teaching music to adults and children. Catalan is known for exploring different genres such as pop, flamenco and Latin music. In 2016, he released his first album titled ‘Desde el Sur’, a compilation of songs that fuses Latin pop, romantic ballads and pop rumba together. His most notable performances have been at the Dubai Opera.

‘Expo Beats’ will take place once a month on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for eight hours starting from 4pm onwards. Whereas ‘Late Nights @ Expo’ will come to life every Thursday and Friday night from 10.30pm to 1am on Expo’s Jubilee Stage. For ‘Jalsat Nights’ and more entertainment events for your calendar, see: https://bit.ly/3mtwSTP