When Dubai-born Dhiraj Kalro was growing up, the Bollywood music scene in the UAE was tepid at best. A handful of clubs in Bur Dubai played remixed versions of Hindi songs for a few hours one day a week, often only post midnight. Kalro, who now goes as DJ Carlos, played a big part in changing this around.
The 31-year-old has performed at some of the city’s most popular nightclubs – including Aks, Velvet Underground and Pulse – as well as private events such as weddings and corporate gigs across the Middle East, Europe and India. Slowly but surely, popular nightclubs including Cavali, People by Crystal and Mahiki warmed to the idea of desi music.
A Bollywood night in “New Dubai”, is still something of a rarity, though, which is exactly why DJ Carlos’s next gig, Buzz Dubai, on Friday, October 14 in Media City, promises to be a night to remember.
“I am looking forward to the energy that the young expats who live on this side of town will bring to the dance floor. It’s their playground, and my mix of Bollywood, Punjabi, house and R&B tunes will have even non-Indians letting their hair down,” he says.
Event coordinator Hitesh Sharma adds: “That’s exactly why we chose a laid-back lounge that serves Brazilian food as the set-up. The beauty of music – Bollywood or otherwise – is that it does not need to belong to a single category in order for it to be enjoyable.”
Dj Carlos says his top tracks at the moment are Kala Chashma, Wakhra Swag, Took a Pill in Ibiza, Let's Nacho and This is What You Came For. "You won't need to request your latest favourite track. I can promise it'll be played," he says.
Entry is free for couples and mixed groups. Tables start from Dh1,200 for four guests; Dh2,400 for up to eight guests; and Dh4,800 for a VIP table.
• Call 055 763 5384 for more information about Buzz Dubai, which is on Friday, October 14 in Media City, or to reserve a table
pmunyal@thenational.ae
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Honeymoonish
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Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Wallabies
Updated team: 15-Israel Folau, 14-Dane Haylett-Petty, 13-Reece Hodge, 12-Matt Toomua, 11-Marika Koroibete, 10-Kurtley Beale, 9-Will Genia, 8-Pete Samu, 7-Michael Hooper (captain), 6-Lukhan Tui, 5-Adam Coleman, 4-Rory Arnold, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 2-Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1-Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16-Folau Faingaa, 17-Tom Robertson, 18-Taniela Tupou, 19-Izack Rodda, 20-Ned Hanigan, 21-Joe Powell, 22-Bernard Foley, 23-Jack Maddocks.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
