Mayssa Karaa, in Abu Dhabi, and on the brink of stardom

All roads lead to the Abu Dhabi Festival for Mayssa Karaa. The 25-year-old Lebanese singer will close this year’s event tonight with a performance that blends Arabic classics with more modern tunes from her upcoming debut album.

Along for the ride is an all-star band featuring musicians who have performed with big-name stars such as the Foo Fighters, The Wallflowers, John Fogerty and Christina Aguilera. “This show is a world premiere and absolutely important to my career,” Karaa says.

“The show is divided into two sections, with the beginning focusing on traditional Arabic music, but that’s done in a more contemporary way. The second half will incorporate more fusion and rock elements because of the band I have. It is really about transporting the audience from one land to another.”

The concert will complete Karaa’s transition from talented newcomer to full-blown world-music artist. The process began in 2013 with a midnight phone call while the singer, who lives in Boston in the United States, happened to be on holiday in her native Lebanon. On the line was Dawn Elder, the renowned American producer who has worked with luminaries such as Quincy Jones, Sting and Lenny Kravitz.

Aware of the industry buzz surrounding Karaa as a young touring performer in North America, Elder offered her the chance to contribute a song to the soundtrack of the Academy Award-winning movie American Hustle. There was a catch though.

Original article by Saeed Saeed

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Mayssa Karaa, in Abu Dhabi, and on the brink of stardom