From left: Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, who wrote Do They Know it's Christmas?; supergroup USA for Africa; Egyptian rapper Marwan Pablo who performs on the charity single Rajieen. Photo: Getty Images, Sony, Sole DXB
From left: Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, who wrote Do They Know it's Christmas?; supergroup USA for Africa; Egyptian rapper Marwan Pablo who performs on the charity single Rajieen. Photo: Getty Images, Sony, Sole DXB
From left: Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, who wrote Do They Know it's Christmas?; supergroup USA for Africa; Egyptian rapper Marwan Pablo who performs on the charity single Rajieen. Photo: Getty Images, Sony, Sole DXB
From left: Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, who wrote Do They Know it's Christmas?; supergroup USA for Africa; Egyptian rapper Marwan Pablo who performs on the charity single Rajieen. Photo: Getty Images, So

The evolution of the charity single, from We Are The World to Rajieen


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The release of a new Netflix documentary, The Greatest Night in Pop, shines the spotlight on one of the most famous collaborations in music history: the recording of the 1985 charity single We Are The World.

Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones, the song, which was released on March 7, 1985, sold more than 20 million copies and brought together some of the biggest names in music as the supergroup USA For Africa to raise money for famine relief on the continent.

The idea came from music legend Harry Belafonte, who Richie says “made it all come together” during a 3am phone call to the All Night Long singer.

The result was 46 of the most famous singers and songwriters in the world, including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Billy Joel and Diana Ross, heading to the studio to be greeted by a sign that read: “Check your egos at the door.”

“[My manager Ken] Kragen decided, well, everyone’s going to be in town for the American Music Awards. That’s the perfect place to have everybody do it,” Richie told The Hollywood Reporter of arranging the recording. “All we kept hearing was, ‘Well, we’re adding more people.'”

The documentary by Vietnamese-American filmmaker Bao Nguyen has received critical acclaim and plenty of nostalgia, particularly from one of the song’s main architects.

“What made We Are the World so fantastic was we snuck up on the world,” Richie told The Hollywood Reporter. “It came out fast. You could surprise somebody. It was a movement. I use We Are the World as my example of the end of my innocence, because from that point on, the world became too hip.”

How a Beatle’s song put Bangladesh disaster on the world's stage

While there had been smaller, country-specific charity songs before, The Beatles’ guitarist George Harrison is credited with recording the first international charity single.

In 1971, after being told of the plight of millions of refugees fleeing Bangladesh (known as East Pakistan at the time) by his friend, the famed Indian-Bengali musician Ravi Shankar, Harrison released the single Bangla Desh to raise money and awareness of the situation.

The twin blows of the 1970 Bhola cyclone, which killed more than 300,000 people and is still the deadliest tropical cyclone recorded, and the outbreak of the Bangladesh Liberation War, combined to create a major humanitarian disaster.

“I got tired of people saying: ‘But what can I do?’” Harrison wrote in his autobiography I Me Mine. “Also, the reluctance of the press to report the full details created the need to bring attention to it. So, the song Bangla Desh was written specifically to get attention to the war.”

The song was a top 10 hit in the UK and reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA.

Harrison followed up with the Unicef-backed Concert for Bangladesh at New York’s Madison Square Garden on August 1, 1971, which also featured Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan and Ringo Starr.

The concert was held with the aim of raising money for the Bangladeshi people and awareness of the work being carried out by Unicef.

In 2005, the UN secretary general at the time, Kofi Annan, said the song's success contributed to bringing the Bangladesh crisis to an international audience.

Do They Know it’s Christmas? revolutionises the charity single

Sting, George Michael and members of Bananarama were among the musicians who sang on the groundbreaking 1984 charity single, Do They Know it's Christmas? Getty Images
Sting, George Michael and members of Bananarama were among the musicians who sang on the groundbreaking 1984 charity single, Do They Know it's Christmas? Getty Images

Performances by Abba and the Bee Gees at the Music for Unicef Concert in New York in January 1979, led to their songs Chiquitita and Too Much Heaven become charity singles, after Abba donated 50 per cent of royalties to Unicef, an arrangement still in effect today. The Bee Gees also donated a percentage.

But it was the charity single Do They Know It's Christmas?, released in November 1984 and performed by the supergroup Band Aid, that revolutionised what a charity single could do on a global scale.

Written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money and awareness for the famine in Ethiopia, the pair brought in George Michael, Bono, Phil Collins, Bananarama, Boy George, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Paul Weller and others to record the song in one day at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, West London.

The song raised £8 million ($10.13 million) in its first year (more than £30 million today), and to date has raised more than £200 million for The Band Aid Charitable Trust, which administers it.

The track also inspired the Live Aid concerts on July 13, 1985 at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, while more concerts were held in countries including the Soviet Union, Australia and Japan.

The song was re-released in 1989, 2004 and 2014, respectively, by Band Aid II, featuring Bros, Kylie Minogue and Chris Rea; Band Aid 20, which featured Chris Martin, Snow Patrol and Joss Stone, and Band Aid 30, which included Ellie Goulding, One Direction and Ed Sheeran.

Says Geldof: "The song has a life of its own. It raises money every time it’s played.”

Rajieen unites Arab artists for Palestine

Egyptian singer Afroto's vocals feature on the charity single Rajieen, sales of which benefit the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. Photo: Dubai Summer Surprises
Egyptian singer Afroto's vocals feature on the charity single Rajieen, sales of which benefit the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. Photo: Dubai Summer Surprises

Since Do They Know it’s Christmas? and We Are The World, charity singles have tended to stay within the borders of their country of origin, with a few notable exceptions.

The 1985 cover version of That’s What Friends Are For featuring Dionne Warwick, Elton John and Stevie Wonder raised money for the American Foundation for Aids Research and reached number one in the US and UK.

George Michael and Elton John’s 1991 duet Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, which benefited 10 charities, also reached the top spot in the UK and US.

Headline-making disasters including the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Haiti earthquake in 2010 have all inspired charity singles to raise money to assist survivors and rebuild infrastructure.

In the UK, charity singles are a popular part of the music landscape. Charities such as Children in Need and Comic Relief continue to release singles to raise money and awareness of their televised events.

Comic Relief pairs British comedians and actors with well-known bands for charity singles. These include a cover of The Beatles’ Help in 1989 by British comedians Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and Kathy Burke with Bananarama, which reached number three in the UK charts.

Absolutely Fabulous by the Pet Shop Boys was released in 1994 and featured Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders in character as Patsy and Eddie from the hit television show.

Disasters have also inspired creative communities to come together to raise money for those affected. These include the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry disaster at Zeebrugge in March 1987 and the Hillsborough football stadium disaster in England in April 1989, which inspired covers of The Beatles’ Let It Be by Ferry Aid, and Ferry Cross The Mersey by Gerry and the Pacemakers.

More recently, the war in Palestine has galvanised artists in the Arab world to come together and make music to raise money for relief efforts.

The track Rajieen, which features 25 Arab artists, is donating all revenue generated by the song to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.

Two of the Arab world’s biggest hip-hop stars, Afroto and Marwan Pablo from Egypt, as well as Jordanian singer Issam Alnajjar, Syrian singer-songwriter Ghaliaa Chaker and Tunisian singer Balti, provided vocals for the track's powerful lyrics.

Rajieen is a powerful and uncompromising composition that serves as a testament to music's transformative potential to ignite change and capture the world's gaze amid urgent global concerns,” a statement said.

Key developments

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LAST-16 FIXTURES

Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km

TICKETS

Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.

MATCH INFO

Manchester City 4 (Gundogan 8' (P), Bernardo Silva 19', Jesus 72', 75')

Fulham 0

Red cards: Tim Ream (Fulham)

Man of the Match: Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City)

The Vile

Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah

Director: Majid Al Ansari

Rating: 4/5

What is graphene?

Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.

It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.

It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.

It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.

Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.

The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.

THE SPECS

Engine: six-litre W12 twin-turbo

Transmission: eight-speed dual clutch auto

Power: 626bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh940,160 (plus VAT)

On sale: Q1 2020

RESULTS

Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Azizbek Satibaldiev (KYG). Round 1 KO

Featherweight: Izzeddin Farhan (JOR) beat Ozodbek Azimov (UZB). Round 1 rear naked choke

Middleweight: Zaakir Badat (RSA) beat Ercin Sirin (TUR). Round 1 triangle choke

Featherweight: Ali Alqaisi (JOR) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (UZB). Round 1 TKO

Featherweight: Abu Muslim Alikhanov (RUS) beat Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG). Unanimous decision

Catchweight 74kg: Mirafzal Akhtamov (UZB) beat Marcos Costa (BRA). Split decision

Welterweight: Andre Fialho (POR) beat Sang Hoon-yu (KOR). Round 1 TKO

Lightweight: John Mitchell (IRE) beat Arbi Emiev (RUS). Round 2 RSC (deep cuts)

Middleweight: Gianni Melillo (ITA) beat Mohammed Karaki (LEB)

Welterweight: Handesson Ferreira (BRA) beat Amiran Gogoladze (GEO). Unanimous decision

Flyweight (Female): Carolina Jimenez (VEN) beat Lucrezia Ria (ITA), Round 1 rear naked choke

Welterweight: Daniel Skibinski (POL) beat Acoidan Duque (ESP). Round 3 TKO

Lightweight: Martun Mezhlumyan (ARM) beat Attila Korkmaz (TUR). Unanimous decision

Bantamweight: Ray Borg (USA) beat Jesse Arnett (CAN). Unanimous decision

Huroob Ezterari

Director: Ahmed Moussa

Starring: Ahmed El Sakka, Amir Karara, Ghada Adel and Moustafa Mohammed

Three stars

The low down on MPS

What is myofascial pain syndrome?

Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (­connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).

What are trigger points?

Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft ­tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and ­sustained posture are the main culprits in developing ­trigger points.

What is myofascial or trigger-point release?

Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle ­sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in ­connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. ­Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.

Results

6.30pm Madjani Stakes Rated Conditions (PA) I Dh160,000 1,900m I Winner: Mawahib, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)

7.05pm Maiden Dh150,000 1,400m I Winner One Season, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar

7.40pm: Maiden Dh150,000 2,000m I Winner Street Of Dreams, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

8.15pm Dubai Creek Listed Dh250,000 1,600m I Winner Heavy Metal, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

8.50pm The Entisar Listed Dh250,000 2,000m I Winner Etijaah, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson

9.25pm The Garhoud Listed Dh250,000 1,200m Winner Muarrab, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

10pm Handicap Dh160,000 1,600m Winner Sea Skimmer, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi

While you're here
Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

MATCH INFO

England 241-3 (20 ovs)

Malan 130 no, Morgan 91

New Zealand 165 all out (16.5ovs)

Southee 39, Parkinson 4-47

England win by 76 runs

Series level at 2-2

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The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

What is Folia?

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.

Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."

Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.

In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love". 

There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.

While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."

Results

1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000

2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000

3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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How to help

Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.

Account name: Dar Al Ber Society

Account Number: 11 530 734

IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734

Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae

The specs

Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Power: 300hp

Torque: 420Nm

Price: Dh189,900

On sale: now

The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410

Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000

Engine 3.5L V6

Transmission Six-speed manual

Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm

Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km

SERIES INFO

Cricket World Cup League Two
Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
 
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal

Table
The top three sides advance to the 2022 World Cup Qualifier.
The bottom four sides are relegated to the 2022 World Cup playoff

 1 United States 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.412
2 Scotland 8 4 3 0 1 9 0.139
3 Namibia 7 4 3 0 0 8 0.008
4 Oman 6 4 2 0 0 8 -0.139
5 UAE 7 3 3 0 1 7 -0.004
6 Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 PNG 8 0 8 0 0 0 -0.458

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

Australia men's Test cricket fixtures 2021/22

One-off Test v Afghanistan:
Nov 27-Dec 1: Blundstone Arena, Hobart

The Ashes v England:
Dec 8-12: 1st Test, Gabba, Brisbane
Dec 16-20: 2nd Test, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (day/night)
Dec 26-30: 3rd Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Jan 5-9, 2022: 4th Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Jan 14-18: 5th Test, Optus Stadium, Perth

The%20specs%20
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Updated: February 02, 2024, 6:02 PM