Review: No disappointment for Dubai fans at concert featuring Aslam and Nigam together on same stage for the first time

September 10 will go down as one of the most memorable evenings of the year for fans of Desi music in the UAE, as two of the biggest music icons from India and Pakistan came together to perform on the same stage for the first time.

Celebrated Bollywood playback singer Sonu Nigam, and Atif Aslam, the Pakistani superstar who made a huge name for himself in India as well, performed live at the Dubai World Trade Centre, keeping a crowd of almost 3,000 on their toes well past midnight.

While neither Nigam nor Aslam are new to the UAE (both have headlined several concerts in the country over the past few years), this was the first time they shared the stage.

The early crowd started trickling in to make sure they snagged the best spots in the free-seating areas at 6:30pm. By 7:30, the venue was half-full and the evening kicked off with RJ/DJ Asef Sheikh pumping up the crowd with his set.

Atif Aslam made his entry at 9pm, eliciting a rip-roaring welcome from the crowd. The 32-year-old singer performed 17 of his greatest hits, including songs from his albums as well as his Bollywood playback repertoire. Pehli Nazar, Doorie and Aaadat brought the fans to their feet, as expected. The highlight of Aslam’s set was no doubt his rendition of the classic Sabri Brothers qawwali, which he remastered into his own style as part of his performance on the ongoing season eight of the television series Coke Studio Pakistan. This was the second time Aslam performed the song live onstage, the first being at his performance at the O2 Arena in London last month.

As Aslam left the stage, RJs Mansi and Ved from 105.4 Radio Spice amped up the crowd before Sonu Nigam’s entry. Ved, who is known for his mimicry, prompted plenty of laughs, and Mansi did a great job of making the audience feel connected by inviting them to sing several Nigam and Aslam songs.

Nigam took the stage at midnight and instantly endeared himself to the audience with his disarming charm and humour. Starting off his set with Bijuriya, he went on to deliver his biggest hits including Sandese Aate Hain, Deewana, Abhi Mujhme Kahin, and Kal Ho Na Ho.

As the evening drew to a close, Nigam surprised the audience by inviting Aslam to join him on stage for some jugalbandi - an impromptu jam session. The interesting twist here was that the two paid tribute to singers from each other’s countries: Aslam performed songs by Indian legends such as Rafi an Mukesh, while Nigam went with Pakistani maestros including Mehdi Hassan and Reshma.

To wrap up the show, the two sang each other's songs in their own style, and wound down with a joint performance of Nigam's superhit Kal Ho Na Ho to a standing ovation, and sent home their fans with some really great memories.