Desi music fans will remember tomorrow night, when two music icons from India and Pakistan will perform together in Dubai for the first time ever.
Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam, and Atif Aslam, the Pakistani star who is also a household name in India, will be at Dubai World Trade Centre tomorrow, an event that is selling fast. Neither Nigam nor Aslam are new to the UAE – both have headlined several concerts in Dubai over the past few years, but this is the first time they will share the stage.
A singer, composer and actor, Nigam, 42, gave his first public performance at the age of 4. At 18, he began training with classical maestro Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan and subsequently moved to Mumbai to try his luck in Bollywood. It was in the mid-1990s that Nigam started to come into his own and found fame with the song Sandese Aate Hain from the 1997 war drama Border. This was followed by several other popular Bollywood hits.
Nigam has been equally successful as a solo artist – his first album, Deewana, was released in 1999 – and has regularly enthralled audiences all over the world with live concerts and tours. He has also won dozens of gongs, both at home (among them a National Award) and abroad (including an MTV Style Award).
The 32-year-old Atif Aslam started out wanting to be a cricketer, but went on to become one of the most celebrated musicians in his country. In 2013, Indian music streaming service Saavn had billed him the most popular artist of the year, followed by Arijit Singh, A R Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal and Mohit Chauhan.
The youngest recipient of Pakistan's highest civilian honour, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Aslam started out performing in college and at other small gatherings with his friend, the composer Goher Mumtaz, with whom he later formed a band called Jal. Their song Aadat, recorded and released in 2004, went insanely viral and made Aslam an overnight sensation. Aslam and Mumtaz parted ways shortly thereafter. Mumtaz continued with Jal, while Aslam embarked on a solo career – one which would prove to be immensely successful.
His first solo album, Jal Pari was released shortly thereafter and some songs from the album instantly became as popular across the border as they did at home. Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt took notice, and immediately got Aslam to sing a version of one of the most popular tracks, Woh Lamhe, for his 2005 movie Zeher. It was a hit, and Aslam secured his place in Bollywood.
His solo career has been equally stellar. In 2012, he became the first Pakistani to perform in London’s O2 Arena. The same year, he became the first Asian singer, and the second artist after Bryan Adams, to perform at the Dashrath Rangasala National Football Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal. Last month, Aslam performed at O2 for the third time – a first for any Asian artist.
Aslam is currently enjoying the success of his explosive performance of Tajdar-e-Haram in the ongoing season eight of the television series Coke Studio Pakistan – a track we strongly suspect is on his playlist for tomorrow's concert.
• Sonu Nigam And Atif Aslam will perform tomorrow at Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre. Silver (Dh500) and diamond (Dh1,500) tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com. Call 055 599 0080 for more information
artslife@thenational.ae
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Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
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Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
More Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions:
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Benevento v Atalanta (2pm), Genoa v Bologna (5pm), AC Milan v Torino (7.45pm)
Sunday Roma v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Udinese v Napoli, Hellas Verona v Crotone, Parma v Lazio (2pm), Fiorentina v Cagliari (9pm), Juventus v Sassuolo (11.45pm)
Monday Spezia v Sampdoria (11.45pm)
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
