The hardest of Dubai’s rockers are proving that they’ve got the softest of hearts, in uniting for a one-off gig to support those affected by the earthquake in Nepal.
Rock Nation Live and Red Crescent bring together the cream of local rock talent on Wednesday at the Fridge, including headlining band Point of View, Liberty Hounds and Chronicles of Khan; acoustic performances by brothers Wesley and Scott Attew; Cruize from rock band Nikotin; and Bollywood bashers Dhruv and Prakash and Vidya, who will be performing a mix of Bollywood and western folk music. Also in the line-up is a debut performance by Nepalese singer-songwriter Sanjay Shrestha.
The gig, titled Rebuilding Nepal – A Charitable Initiative, is being masterminded by Nikhil Uzgare, the lead vocalist for Point of View, who were winners of Best Band in Dubai in Timeout Music & Nightlife Awards two years ago.
“This event will showcase some of the best live musicians, singers, songwriters and bands from the UAE,” says Uzgare, 41, who is from Bombay. “Musicians can be really complicated people. But when it comes to events such as this, everyone is very open-hearted. Dubai has a small musical community and everybody knows everyone. The city’s musicians are leaving everything aside and coming together for one purpose.”
One of the headliners is a collective of musicians known as the Chronicles of Khan, led by Faraz Khan. He describes the concept as “a weird place between a solo act and a band”.
British brothers Wesley and Scott Attew are also in the line-up, with Scott's claim to fame opening for Paolo Nutini's Dubai show in April. Older brother Wesley, who pays the bills by working as a travel agent, penned a poignant song called The Kingdom: "About how people are treated differently for working different jobs."
Point of View are proud friends of rock royalty Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, the guitarist for Guns N' Roses, and have toured India and Bahrain with him. But despite their mean rock'n'roll personas, the band are softies on the inside: 90 per cent of proceeds generated from sales of their album Revolutionize the Revolutionary were donated to animal charity groups. Two years ago, they pitched in to organise a concert in aid of Pakistan Flood Relief at Traffic.
The rebuilding of Nepal has some personal resonance for band members. “A lot of our musician friends were actually stuck in Nepal while this was happening,” says Uzgare. “So they got first-hand experience of what was going on there. There are loads of musicians in Nepal, a lot of music festivals happen there. Rebuilding Nepal is a huge process. Now that this has happened, an alarm has been raised that stronger houses need to be built, and everything has to be done properly this time. What we can give might not be a lot compared to what the governments are putting in, but I think everyone needs to do their little deed for the day.”
• Rebuilding Nepal – A Charitable Initiative is on Wednesday at 6pm at The Fridge, Alserkal Avenue in Al Quoz, behind Times Square Center. Minimum donation is Dh30, which goes to the Red Crescent’s work in Nepal
artslife@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Total eligible population
About 57.5 million people
51.1 million received a jab
6.4 million have not
Where are the unvaccinated?
England 11%
Scotland 9%
Wales 10%
Northern Ireland 14%
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
RACE CARD
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
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From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
Company%20profile
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