Underground Music in The UAE
The UAE houses a considerably lively underground music scene, consisting mostly of expatriates, concentrated in Dubai. The majority of local artists play Rock and Metal music, but some bands playing alternative styles of music such as Ska, Punk, House music and Experimental have also emerged.
A cover band scene is prevalent in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with groups such as The Rock Spiders, Flipside, The Meerkats and The Maplejacks performing regularly in various bars and clubs. Dubai's Blue Bar frequently hosts live jazz performances, featuring artists such as Kamal Musallam, Tim Burnell, Rony and Elie Afif, Blue Light Collective, and Marwan & The Mojos.
Local organizations such as the American University in Dubai Sound Society, Dubai Lime, Blacksheep, Ignite Events, Metality UAE, Ampulance, The Fridge, Shouscene?, Phride, Metal Asylum, Rock Nation, Mainstage Music & Events and Project E have been key players in moving the music scene forward, in terms of organizing and promoting concerts and bands, as well as providing online discussion areas for local residents wishing to know more about upcoming events.
Various compilation albums showcasing UAE-based underground musicians have been released over the years, including: Ampulance volumes 1 (2006), 2 (2007) and 3 (2009), and UAE Metal Asylum volumes 1 (2010) and 2 (2011).
Local media actively promotes bands from within the UAE; radio stations such as Dubai 92 FM and publications such as Time Out Dubai and Rolling Stone Middle East include features on local bands on a regular basis. The Dubai One TV show Twenty Something also contains a live performance segment showcasing local acts.
International recording artists Therése Neaimé, Holly Major and the band Borrison Ivy have all been based in Dubai for part of their careers.
Yassin Alsalman, better known by his stage name The Narcicyst, was born in Dubai in 1982.
Canadian singer Karl Wolf lived in Dubai between the ages of three and seventeen, and has returned to perform in the UAE a number of times.
In June 2008, Axon Collektive's release of The Mutiny by Obleek Mode (a lounge / experimental trio from Dubai) effectively established the presence of electronic music in the UAE.
In 2010, a documentary film about the UAE music scene was released, entitled The Sound of Live.
On 3 October 2012, the Dubai-based rock band Point of View officially launched their debut album Revolutionize the Revolutionary at the Hard Rock Cafe Dubai, with a concert featuring special guest Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal of Guns N' Roses.
Read more about this topic: Music Of The United Arab Emirates
Famous quotes containing the words underground and/or music:
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