The Dubai Food Festival is staging an Arab Idol triple-header concert at Global Village on February 20, featuring all of the talent show’s winners so far.
Carmen Suleiman
Age: 20
Nationality: Egyptian
Winner: 2012
Carmen Suleiman was a winner long before she entered the inaugural season of Arab Idol in 2012. As a teenager she scooped a bunch of gongs for her singing in her native Egypt, the biggest of which was an award from the Supreme Council of Culture for having the best voice of anyone under the age of 16.
That kind of experience kept her calm throughout her Arab Idol journey as she wowed judges with a powerful voice that was equally at home singing complex Umm Kulthum numbers or pop covers of Sherine.
Suleiman's victory was no real surprise, so there were understandably high expectations that she would be the region's next big star. She began her post-Idol career with the debut single Kalam Kalam topping the Egyptian charts, followed by a self-titled debut album.
Despite that early burst of activity, Suleiman failed to gain traction with the public and was eclipsed by the Arab Idol season 2 winner Mohammed Assaf.
Pros: Her down-to-earth personality and easy charm on stage.
Cons: It’s been three years since she made a splash – does anyone care anymore?
Mohammed Assaf
Age: 24
Nationality: Palestinian
Winner: 2013
Arab Idol became an international talking point in 2013 thanks mainly to the humble yet confident contestant Mohammed Assaf.
His journey to winning the crown is the stuff of Hollywood movies, with the singer valiantly crossing Israeli checkpoints during an epic journey to Beirut for the auditions, and almost being excluded for arriving a few minutes late. A fellow Palestinian gave up his spot in the queue after recognising Assaf had a better shot at winning, and the rest is history.
Not only did Assaf’s victory become one of the biggest television moments of the year, it also kick-started a music career that shows no signs of abating.
Where other talent-show winners have the challenge of maintaining their profiles, Assaf faces the opposite “problem” – everyone wants a piece of him.
His tour schedule would make the most seasoned artist flinch – last year alone he completed tours of South America, North America, Europe and Australia. His Dubai show tomorrow comes on the back of his latest run of dates in Scandinavia.
Assaf’s live performance has also received a welcome revitalisation thanks to last year’s release of his self-titled debut album. Finally, he can add a bunch of his own songs to what was becoming a stale, cover-heavy set.
Pros: It’s Assaf, so you know that at the very least you will get a decent show delivered by an increasingly assured performer.
Cons: Familiarity breeds contempt – Assaf has performed in the UAE so many times that Akon’s frequent Dubai appearances pale in comparison.
Hazem Sharif
Age: 21
Nationality: Syrian
Winner: 2014
The Syrian poses the biggest threat to Assaf's dominance. The 21-year-old was this season's Arab Idol favourite from the moment he stepped on stage during the first episode last year.
Impressively, the constant attention never went to his head and Sharif displayed a welcome, old-school approach of keeping his head down and working hard on finessing his performance.
Sharif arguably has a better vocal range than Assaf and this versatility could be a key asset in his live shows.
His Arab Idol experience proved that he could sing dabkas and ballads – though his emotive croon is best showcased on evocative Syrian folk songs.
Sharif’s vocal abilities should also stand him in good stead in the studio later in the year when he records his first batch of solo tracks.
The Dubai show is one of his first major concert outings, so it will be interesting to see how he fares live with no cameras in sight. It won’t only be the fans following his progress, but perhaps Assaf’s team, too.
Pros: The excitement of seeing what could be the region’s next big singing sensation at the start of his artistic journey.
Cons: An unknown on the concert stage – will nerves get the better of him?
• Carmen Suleiman, Mohammed Assaf and Hazem Sharif perform Friday, February 20, as part of Dubai Food Festival’s free concert series at Global Village, Dubai. The show starts at 8.30pm
[ sasaeed@thenational.ae ]
