Even though many people in the UAE were not yet born when David Bowie first ruled the music charts, his death still prompted reactions of shock here, just like in most of the rest of the world. Such was his ability to continually reinvent himself that some seemed to think he had an element of immortality.
The reaction was also because in contrast to the extravagant and outrageously extrovert early phases of his 49-year career, he later went to the opposite extreme and zealously guarded his privacy and that of his family. A common reaction when the news broke yesterday that he died 18 months after having diagnosed cancer was surprise that he had been ill at all.
In a sense, he did achieve immortality through his oeuvre, both in his music – his most recent album, Blackstar, was released only days ago – but also in film, fashion and lifestyle. Just as those not born in his heyday will mourn his death, so too will fans who are not yet born. The stars look very different today.
