Arab pop-star Elissa is the latest artist to perform at The Pointe in at Palm Jumeirah.
As part of a regular series of free shows to promote the new Dubai entertainment district, the Lebanese singer will perform a selection of her hits in an outdoor stage on April 5. Crowds will also be warmed up for the concert courtesy of a DJ playing the latest Arabic and English pop-hits.
Elissa music is close to her heart
It has been a momentous 18 months for Elissa on and off the stage. Then again, the 46-year-old has always been fond of mixing the two worlds together.
For instance, she chose to reveal her battle with breast cancer in the video for a Kol Elli Bihebbouni (To Those Who Love Me), the hit single and title of her latest album. The video also includes real audio recordings of the singer dating to December of last year, where she is heard speaking emotionally about how she had been living her life during treatment, saying that she was doing radiotherapy between studio recording sessions and live shows.
Elissa opened up about her condition when she took part in panel at the Dubai Health Forum in January. "I am a strong woman and initially I didn't want people to know because I didn't want them to look at me and say 'what a pity, she is ill'," she said. "I didn't even tell my own family members because I didn't want the news to reach my mother. I didn't want her to worry."
What you need to know about the venue
Located at the end of the Palm trunk and across the waters from Atlantis, the 136,000 square metre retail and entertainment complex will host more than 100 restaurants (some of which have opened), a cinema, a 1.5 kilometre promenade and a 12,000 square metre dancing fountain. Music has been a regular feature of the area with live performance by a host of local artists nearly every week and the occasional A-list act. The biggest of which was Spanish pop-star Enrique Iglesias last December and that was followed up this year with separate concerts by Lebanese crooners Ragheb Alama and Wael Kfoury.
Elissa at The Pointe at Palm Jumeriah on April 5 at 8pm, free entry, www.thepointe.ae
