Ragheb Alama and Aziz Maraka to play at Dubai Opera

Both singers will take the stage in March

From left to right: Aziz Maraka and Ragheb Alama will bring their hits to Dubai Opera. Supplied, AFP

Two generations of Arab singers will perform at Dubai Opera in March.

Fresh from a New Year's Eve performance in the emirate, Lebanese crooner Ragheb Alama will don the slick black suit once again on Friday, March 12.

A week later, on Friday, March 19, the Jordanian singer-songwriter Aziz Maraka will take the stage.

Both shows will feature hits that have shot them to the top of the region's must-see list.

With Alama only dropping two songs last year – the patriotic Bous El Al Aalam and the folk pop of Sabahiyet Hadd – expect a set of older crowd favourites, including signature ballads Nasini El Dony, Habib Albi and Tar El Balad. Tickets for his show start from Dh400.

Appealing to an arguably younger crowd is Maraka.

Unlike Alama’s orchestral numbers, Maraka’s tunes are often simple in all the right ways.

Tracks such as the tender piano ballad Ya Bay, the ukulele-led Mafi Mennik and nostalgic Konna Sghar are direct and aim straight at the heart.

Such an approach has brought Maraka, whose debut UAE show sold out at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation in 2019, a youthful regional fan base.

Tickets for his Dubai Opera show begin from Dh245.

Both shows are part of Dubai Opera's growing events calendar, which includes concerts by UK singer-songwriter Calum Scott on Wednesday, January 20 and three shows by the Russian State Opera in February, including Giselle, Carmen and Aida.

For tickets and show details, visit www.dubaiopera.com