DJs from around the world are preparing to battle it out on the decks for the grand final of the Palme ME Battle of the DJs. Both amateur and professional spinners will get behind the decks on Sunday and Monday for the semifinals of the competition which is running alongside the Palme ME annual technology exhibition at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.
The first eight DJs will take part in semifinal one from 12pm to 4pm today and the other eight will go head to head on Monday at the same time.
The three top DJs from each semifinal will then go through to the grand final on Tuesday.
Entry for visitors, spectators and fans is free and the competition will take place in Hall Six of the venue.
As well as the DJ spin off, the exhibition also showcases the latest kits from Denon, Sony, Playstation, Nexo, Technics as well as record labels and laser shows.
The judging panel includes DJ Big Pete, Mark Wise, DJ Humaid from Radio One and DJ Mo, last year's winner.
The panel will be looking for technical talent, overlay and mixing skills, creativity, stage presence, self-confidence and showmanship.
Along with thousands of dollars of prizes up for grabs, the winner will also receive a regular DJ slot at one of Dubai's most popular nightspots — The Lodge.
Sunday — Semifinal 1
-DJ Veejay: Waruna Liyanage, 29, is Sri Lankan and now lives in Dubai. A professional DJ, he plays CD and vinyl at Club Ozone in Dubai. He likes house, r 'n' b, hip hop and drum 'n' bass, but says he likes all styles of music as long as they are played well. For more, visit www.dj-veejay.com
- DJ Ruel: Ruel Cervantes, 32, is originally from the Philippines and now lives in Al Qusais in Dubai. The airport services agent says he likes to play r 'n' b and hip hop and uses both vinyl and CD format.
-DJ Jonny Storm: Jon Saxon, 35, is a magazine editor from the UK. He plays mostly hip hop and prefers vinyl and describes himself as a professional.
-DJ Rhom: Romeo Dela Torre, 28, is from the Philippines and currently lives in Dubai. A sales engineer, he likes to play r 'n' b, hip hop, drum 'n' bass, and is an amateur DJ.
-DJ Delarn: Delarn De Silva, 28, is originally from Sri Lanka and now lives in Abu Dhabi where he works as an events coordinator. He mainly plays house, garage, r 'n' b, hip hop, drum 'n' bass and works on both CD and vinyl.
- DJ Asanka: Asanka Perera, 33, is from Sri Lanka and now lives in Dubai where he works as a professional DJ at the Rock City Highland Hotel. He plays house, r 'n' b, hip hop, techno, trance and drum 'n' bass, but unlike many DJs he says he also likes playing the oldies. He works with both CD and vinyl.
- DJ Amin: Amin Golestan, 23, is from Iran and now lives in Dubai. He is a professional DJ and producer and owns his own record label. He plays house and techno music and prefers to use CDs. He plays regularly at Submarine, The Apartment and Plan B.
-DJ Jacob: Jack Albert, 24, is Lebanese and currently lives in Al Ain. He describes himself as a professional and plays regular gigs including The Luce Club. His preferred styles include house, r 'n' b, hip hop, techno and trance.
Monday — Semifinal 2
-DJ Andy Moy: Andy Moy, 26, is an aircraft engineer and professional DJ from the UK. He plays house and garage and heard about the competition through a magazine. He plays regularly at a club in Milton Keynes, England.
-DJ Debris: Rajeewa Ayyappa, 28, is Indian and currently lives in Dubai. He is a professional and regularly plays at the Bubble Lounge at the Grand Hotel in the city. He plays house, r 'n' b, hip hop and prefers to work on CD format.
-DJ FMix: Fadi Al Zein, 27, is from Sharjah. With strong Syrian roots, he says he is a professional DJ who likes to play “all sorts" of music. His favourite gigs are private parties and live events.
- DJ Flash: Ebrahim Saleh, 33, is Jordanian and currently lives in Dubai where he works as a DJ at the Elegante Club. He plays house, garage, r 'n' b, hip hop, drum 'n' bass and also loves a bit of pop rock. For more information check out www.myspace.com/djflashb
- DJ Kaabi: Mohammad Al Kaabi, 25, from Doha, Qatar, is a professional DJ and plays regularly at the Intercontinental Hotel in Paloma. His music style is house, r 'n' b and hip-hop and his preference behind the decks is CD. Check out more at www.myspace.com/djkabbi
-DJ Gremlin: Alec Harden, aged 25, is British and works as an account manager for a PR firm in Dubai. He is an amateur DJ and loves drum 'n' bass but prefers to work with vinyl.
- DJ Sypro: Sabri Mourad, 32, is a brand manager from Dubai and is Syrian, originally from Turkey. He is an amateur DJ and loves to play r 'n' b, hip hop and commercial tunes from CD and vinyl.
- Also in the competition will be DJ Steve and DJ XFader.
