If you have seen every Mohammed Assaf gig in the UAE then you are either a truly hardcore Assaf-ite or you need to work for a living. I fall in the latter category, a music reporter who has taken in just about all of Assaf’s dates, which seem to arrive quarterly, since the 25-year-old won the inaugural season of the talent show back in 2013.
The venues have been varied: from the Dubai car park of broadcaster MBC (his first UAE post idol gig) to a make-shift stage outside The Galleria Mall last year in celebration of the relaunch of his label Platinum Records. There was also that packed beachside gig in the Abu Dhabi Corniche as part of the 2013 Beats on The Beach festival. Then came the real memorable shows, for various reasons: earlier this year he performed — or should I say survived — a Dubai Global Village show where he sang during a sandstorm of almost apocalyptic dimensions. This was a far cry from his heroic set at Du Arena last year as part of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, alongside Egyptian pop-king Tamr Hosny.
Despite the various venues and climates, the crowd response has been the same: people love Assaf. In turn, the singer has steadily grown from convincingly channelling his heroes on the small screen to becoming his own man on stage. Ahead of his special Eid concert at Abu Dhabi’s Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, we list some key things to expect.
The man is consistent
Considering the fact that Assaf has been on a never-ending world tour ever since winning Arab Idol, his voice remains remarkably intact throughout all his shows. The man doesn't sing easy pop-ditties either: the passionate Palestinian dabka and live favourite Ali Al Keffiyeh commands all facets of his rich voice, which he executes effortlessly every time.
He likes to stroll on stage
Considering how most of today’s leading Arab pop acts are mystifying rigid on stage, Assaf energetic prowl almost makes him resemble a rocker.
He dances a little
Look, the man is no Jason Derulo, but Assaf does get down with it once the mood takes him. This normally happens during the Palestinian folk tracks where he joins the band members for an impromptu dabka on stage.
He needs to work on his on stage banter
The guy is a superstar but he still interacts with the crowd like a nervous suitor. There are no commands for fists in the air or declarative statements such as “Abu Dhabi lets dabka!” or “lets set this majlis on fire tonight”. Instead what we get are series of thank yous and you look beautiful tonights.
The song that’s always played
From Reem Island to Rio de Janeiro, the Assaf song that really gets the crowd moving is Ya Halali Ya Mali. Criminally listed as a bonus track in last year's debut album Assaf, the track encapsulates the sheer passion and emotional release that's a hallmark of Palestinian dabkas. Fortunately, Assaf is aware of the song's power, and he and the band always give it their all with each rendition.
The song’s that’s never played
Remember Assaf 360, the well-intentioned yet sloppy East-meets-West dance fusion created especially for last year's World Cup? Assaf, who performed the song in front of the Fifa Congress in Sao Paulo last June, is seemingly bent on erasing it from our collective memory by never resurrecting it live. However, if you are up for a bit of clean mischief during an Assaf show, I suggest you scream it as a song request and then video record his reaction.
• Mohammed Assaf performs tonight at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr. For tickets and information, call promoters Slogan HC on 056 812 0960 or 056 812 0957
