Mica Paris promises dancing amid the decadence of F1 ball

The British jazz singer, who returns to the Middle East for the F1 Chequered Flag ball in Abu Dhabi, explains why she loves the region.

Mica Paris has been called many things: a soul singer, actor, television presenter and writer.

Paris says she doesn't object to any of the above, as long as you say her name correctly.

"It's pronounced Misha, not Mica," she says rather forcefully at the beginning of the interview.

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Despite her chameleon-like talents, the 42-year-old is returning to the UAE to perform in her natural element: on stage with a cracking band.

However, the choice of venue - the regal St Regis on Saadiyat Island – is a far cry from London's smoky jazz bars where she made her name.

Paris is headlining the Abu Dhabi Chequered Flag Ball: the star studded gala dinner kicking off the Formula One weekend on November 11.

Hosted by the British model Kirsty Gallacher, the ball - where the rich and powerful can shmooze with competing drivers – is viewed as one of the country's most exclusive events. The general public can also sample the glamour, however – providing they are prepared to shell out Dh2,000 for single ticket or Dh25,000 for a VIP table.

Paris may have been born and raised in the middle-class urban sprawl of south London, but she is no stranger to such events, having headlined similar F1 balls in Europe and America.

"The Formula 1 is absolute decadence," she laughs.

"It's a chance for me to rub shoulders with people who are incredibly wealthy. It's like a party; you know you are never going to be that kind of person but it's fun to be around them and see the opulence... It's hilarious."

But Paris is intent on ruffling some feathers with her performance. She says her show leaves no room for wallflowers.

"I will shake them up a bit!" she says. "They better bring some good shoes with them because there is going to be a lot of dancing going on."

While the lives of the uber-rich may be foreign to her, the Middle East is a region the singer holds dear. For at least a decade, Paris has been in regular demand in the region with gigs in Egypt, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and even conservative Saudi Arabia.

This is Paris's second time performing in the UAE this year: in February, she headlined the Dubai Jazz Festival alongside Macy Gray and Allison Moyet.

Rather modestly, she puts her success in the region more down to her bubbly personality rather than a career spanning more than two decades. "I just love people, I love being in social situations and can't get enough of it. I guess that's why they keep calling me back," she says.

"People in the Middle East see that. They are very warm and people are very spiritual, while people in the West tend to forget that and focus on themselves and think about their own communities. It's very cliquey in London."

Since her 1988 debutalbum So Good, spawning her signature hit One Temptation, Mica went on to produce six solo albums featuring originals as well as interpretations of classic soul hits.

Her dynamic vocal range and supple voice made her the singer of choice for collaborations with the likes of Pink Floyd's Dave Gilmour, Prince and Jools Holland. Paris's evergreen personality also resulted in a successful radio and television career as a host: her popular BBC lifestyle series What Not To Wear commanded a weekly audience of four million viewers.

Paris's unexpected television success meant she did not release any new music for three years. Eventually, that prompted her to move away from the industry and back into the recording studio.

"After what tends to happen with television, you tend to become a head on a stick," she says. "I could see if I carried on I would become that and the music wouldn't become important anymore, so I pulled back from TV and went back to the music."

With the success of the jazz-influenced artists Adele and the late Amy Winehouse, not to mention her new legion of television fans, Paris says it is a good time to be releasing musically adventurous material. "Manufactured music has been dominating the music industry and people are so tired of it now. Thing are changing, especially with people like Adele doing really well," she says.

"But the reality is when you do anything creative – whether it's music, painting or writing – this is what you do. So it's not a question of whether it's the right time to do it, I am going to do it till I am100 if I live that long and sometimes great things are going to happen."

Mica Paris will perform at the Abu Dhabi Chequered Flag Ball at the St Regis Hotel on Saadiyat Island, November 11. Tickets start at Dh2,000 from www.chequeredflagball.com