Beat Machine to bring chart-toppers to UAE

Audiences are set for the time of their lives when Nokia Beat Machine reaches the UAE next month with six chart-topping stars. Sonique, Bomfunk MCs, Atomic Kitten, Darude, Fragma and Rui Da Silva featuring Cassandra Fox, all present chart-topping acts, will be performing at the Dubai Tennis Stadium on March 7 and at the Abu Dhabi Inter-Continental Hotel on March 8.

Eddie Maalouf, Marketing Manager of Nokia, is confident that Beat Machine will be a great opportunity to communicate with the youth market. "Beat Machine has done something special for the Middle Eastern youth. They've been bringing in top acts with the latest international sounds, and to a large degree connecting people through the medium of music and dance.

"The parallels with Nokia are obvious, so we're really glad of this opportunity to help bring something new to the UAE." Since its establishment in Lebanon in 1995, audiences at Beat Machine have enjoyed performances by a number of top artists including East 17, Shaggy, Sash, No Mercy, Dr Alban, Los Del Rio, Run DMC, Whigfield, Culture Beat, Shaft and many more. The event has grown at such a rate that today a typical Beat Machine night in Beirut attracts an audience of up to 18,000 people.

"Beat Machine has enjoyed great success in Beirut for many years and is now an established name for party-goers and music lovers," said Nagi Baz, Managing Director of Buzz Productions, owners of Beat Machine. "We wanted to expand on this and take the event to another location. We have chosen Dubai and Abu Dhabi because each city has wonderful venues and audiences who appreciate what the event has to offer. "We have also joined-up with a Dubai-based company, CSM, who are working with us to ensure that the event is a great success."

During each Beat Machine night each artist or group entertains partygoers by performing a set of up to 40 minutes that includes a repertoire of their most popular chart-topping hits. Sonique's chart-busters "Hear my cry", "Are you ready", "It feels so good" and "I put a spell on you" are instantly recognisable to anyone who has tuned into a radio over the last year, while Boomfunk MC's "Freestyler" and unique break-dancing routines have already proven their popularity with clubbers around the world.

Atomic Kitten has recently taken the UK by storm reaching number 1 with the hit single "Whole again". Darude's debut single "Sandstorm" is still enjoying air time six months after its release date, as is Rui Da Silva's smash hit "Touch me". Fragma created one of the biggest dance sales and radio hits of last year with their "Toca's Miracle", which went to number one and sold over half a million copies in the UK. Their follow-up, "Every time you need me", released in January, is set to be just as successful.

"We are looking forward to hosting the first Nokia Beat Machine event in Dubai, followed by Abu Dhabi," said Pancho Campo, CSM's Managing Director. "We believe that there is a big audience who enjoy the music we are offering and would like to see more events of this type happening on their doorstep. It's going to be a great night because we have such a wonderful line-up of artists."

Nokia Beat Machine tickets for the Dubai show are priced at Dh120 or Dh250 for VIP tickets and are on sale at Music Master outlets, the Aviation Club, and Planet Hollywood. Tickets for the Abu Dhabi show are priced at Dh150 and will be available from the Inter-Continental Hotel. Customers can also buy tickets online at www.clicktickets.com, www.godubai.com, www.uaemall.com.