British DJ Russ Winstanley to perform in Dubai

From its origins in tiny clubs in the North of England in the 1960s, Northern Soul has penetrated all parts of the globe - including the UAE.

Wigan Casino DJ Russ Winstanley with the original record deck used in the 1970s Casino heyday. Courtesy Lancashire Publications

From its origins in tiny clubs in the north of England in the 1960s, Northern Soul has become a truly global phenomenon, with outposts in Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, every part of Europe from the Baltic to the Balearics – and the UAE.

And one of the scene’s original masters, the British DJ Russ Winstanley, is coming to Dubai on Boxing Day. It’s his first visit to the region – and something of a coup for the organisers of Soul of Dubai, Ollie Martin and Steve Bannister.

Winstanley was one of the founding DJs at the Wigan Casino – playing records at its first all-night dance in 1973 until its last in 1981. During those eight years, the casino entertained hundreds of thousands of revellers, with Billboard magazine naming it the Best Disco in the World in 1978.

“Russ is our first big-name guest DJ,” says Martin. “We chose him because he is the creator, the one who began the all-nighters at the Wigan Casino. Obviously he’s the biggest draw.”

“If the night continues to be successful, who knows who might appear in the future,” says Bannister.

The name Northern Soul was coined in the early 1970s by Dave Godin, a journalist who also ran a record shop in London, to distinguish the black American music that was popular in the north of England from the funkier sounds then popular in the south. The emphasis is on the rare and the forgotten – and for purists, there is no substitute for original 45rpm, seven-inch vinyl records.

Bannister did bring his record collection with him when he moved to Dubai five years ago, but, he says: “I wish I hadn’t. I end up lugging them around from flat to flat each time I move.

“On the topic of format, I think you have to be practical,” he continues. “I can understand the frustration of a dedicated collector when they have spent ages – not to mention a princely sum – on securing a particular pressing, only to have a DJ play it as an MP3. The scene was, after all, all based around rare records being discovered and then broken to audiences.

“But MP3s have also helped the music spread far and wide, with Soul of Dubai being a case in point. The night would never have happened if it was dependent on vinyl only, so the digital format has distinct advantages.”

Martin, who has been a professional DJ for 35 years, both in Dubai since he relocated to the city in 1990 and back in the UK, agrees: “I understand that the purists demand that it’s played on vinyl only, but it’s just not practical. Carter’s don’t even have turntables, but Russ is bringing some seven-inch stuff with him, so we’ll hire a pair for the 26th.

“I had one guy a few months ago saying that he would bring a CD in, which had been recorded from vinyl – he was telling me that you could hear all the scratches, and, at one point on one of the tracks, it even jumps a few times.”

Soul of Dubai has attracted a dedicated following in the six months since Martin and Bannister launched it and Bannister knows why: “It’s a unique night in Dubai. The city has numerous nightlife options, but it only seems to be the venues that differ. In terms of music, all you seem to get are ubiquitous R&B offerings. This is something fresh and different, and seems to have touched a chord.”

• Soul of Dubai is on December 26 at Carter’s, Wafi Pyramids, Dubai, 9pm to 2am, Dh75 (including two beverages). For more information, visit www.facebook.com/soulofdubai