Review: Jamie Woon puts on impressive performance at Dubai gig

Jamie Woon performing at One Big Vibes concert at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre. Andre Valentin for Vibe Series

Jamie Woon

Red Bull Music Academy’s One Big Vibes.

Dubai Media City Amphitheatre

Jamie Woon remains an unfamiliar name to the UAE. “Who?” was the question most-often asked when I told people what I was doing on Friday night in Dubai.

But his introduction to the Emirates – at an event in Media City described with a self-deprecating nod as an intimate or exclusive event – was possibly enough to get tongues wagging.

Woon, if you need to ask, is a British singer-songwriter whose musical style finds a home nestled somewhere between folk and soul and R&B.

The 32-year-old Londoner got early support in the late 2000s from the likes of DJ Gilles Peterson and dubstep innovator Burial, who co-produced the stark and beautiful Night Air from 2010's Mirrorwriting, one of the best debuts in recent years.

His sophomore effort, last year's well-received Making Time, cemented a repetition for strong songwriting and flawless production.

Typically, a lone acoustic guitar and stripped-backed minimal beats allow his rich voice to soar through some of the most hypnotising and emotional tunes released in some time.

On Friday, songs such as Shoulda, Lady Luck and Sharpness rise through the fresh winter air, but this time with the support of a couple of fine backing singers and the makings of a small band.

For those for whom his name is familiar, the gig – concert is a little too large a word for Friday’s performance – was arresting and evidence their loyalties are not misplaced.

It was also proof, if proof were needed, that Woon is an adapt musician, not someone who relies heavily on the studio to make him shine.

His performance is polished, his presence subtle, and the live rendition of his standout tracks and lesser-known tunes is impressive.

This guy has quality and class in abundance, but he is unlikely to become a household name in UAE.

Paradoxically, he is an open secret known to a few, but perhaps that’s a good thing.