Rolling Stone Middle East's Street to Stage competition is down to the finals, concluding the showcase tomorrow at Dubai's Hard Rock Cafe.
The five finalists span genres ranging from alt-country to indie and hard rock, and the sole woman of the group is Caitlin Murphy.
"That didn't surprise me, really, because there are a lot of men in this part of the world," says the Dubai-based singer-songwriter. "I don't know whether it will work to my advantage or not, but at least it looks good."
The Australian will perform alongside the Dubai artists Fables of Cantt, Danny Shirran and Abbo, and Jordan's Emad Alaeddin & The Final Wish.
Launched in June by the Dubai-based magazine, the competition invites unsigned artists to compete in the running for mentorship by (and a possible record deal from) Sony Music Middle East, not to mention a ringing endorsement from the regional edition of arguably the world's most famous music title.
Competitors uploaded MP3 files of original songs online. Dozens of entrants were whittled down through online and public voting to the final five. The finals will be judged by a panel drawn from the magazine and regional music industry figures.
No matter what the result is, Murphy says the competition has been her biggest success as a local musician. "As an original artist in Dubai there is not so much you can do here other than support big bands or get in with the big promoters," she says. "So the competition gave me more self-confidence as an artist and I will continue exploring more as an original artist. I will keep trying."
The Street to Stage final is at the Hard Rock Cafe Dubai tomorrow from 7pm to 11pm. Free entry. For details visit www.rollingstoneme.com
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Lady Snazz, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Rich And Famous, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Rio Angie, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB) Dh 92,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Kinver Edge, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
Ukraine
Capital: Kiev
Population: 44.13 million
Armed conflict in Donbass
Russia-backed fighters control territory
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
'Spies in Disguise'
Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane
Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
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