We are excited to announce the line-up for out 13th Concert Series - kicking off on May 20th with Melisa Le Rue. Check out the full list below, we're pretty stoked on this line-up and think you will be too!

May 20th - Melisa Le Rue - Soul
May 27th - Fox Hill V - Post-Rock
June 3rd - Vicktoriya & Nadine - Classical
June 10th - Philippe El Hage - Jazz
June 17th - Point of View - Rock
June 24th - Juliana Down - Rock

Grammy award winning a cappella group The Swingle Singers surprised passers by at Souk Madinat Jumeirah on Tuesday 12th February with an impromptu rendition of All The Single Ladies & Superstitious wowing the crowds gathered.

The Swingle Singers will be performing 2 concerts at the Madinat Jumeirah on Saturday 16th February and tickets are available from the following outlets:

Madinat Theatre Box Office
TimeOut Tickets
Groupon

You can check out the flash mob below:

We sat down with Byron Schenkman & Ingrid Matthews of Seattle Baroque to discuss the group's history and their upcoming performance in Dubai at the Amphitheatre Madinat Jumeirah.

When was Seattle Baroque formed and why?

Ingrid Matthews: Byron and I formed Seattle Baroque in 1994, to manifest our vision of what a baroque orchestra could be: an orchestra with the vibrant feel of a chamber ensemble, to play both famous works of the High Baroque(18th-century) and also lesser-known 17th-century music.

What are the challenges you face with this style of music?

Byron Schenkman: This music feels like my native language -- I feel very at home in it. I love the playfulness in it and the opportunity to be spontaneous in the moment. Also I love how it can be immediately accessible and yet very sophisticated at the same time.

IM: With the very famous pieces, the challenge is to make it fresh and new. With the more obscure music, the challenge is to present it in a way that draws people in. Baroque music often requires a spirit of improvisation and spontaneity, which is both a challenge and a joy.

What are your favourite pieces to play and why?

IM: Bach, for its wonderful combination of intellectual rigor and sensual beauty. (But I hate to name one favorite, because I immediately think of all my other favorites.... Biber and Schmelzer for their warmth and color; Handel for his magnificent expression of every feeling under the sun; the 17th-century Italians for their daring inventiveness and passion...)

BS: Often it's whatever I happen to be playing at the moment!

Who are your musical inspirations?

BS: My Uncle Irvin Schenkman was a pianist who lived with my family for a while when I was a baby. He was preparing a series of recitals covering the complete solo piano works of Beethoven. That was probably my first great influence. I've also been inspired a lot by recordings of Alfred Brendel and Vladimir Horowitz.

IM: so many. My father, who is a pianist. All the great artists I was exposed to as a child, especially singers. Ella Fitzgerald. Byron, and all the countless amazing colleagues with whom I've had the pleasure to make music. Above all, the composers themselves whose works we're playing.

Do you have any rituals you do prior to going on stage?

IM: Yes! Mine have to do with breathing, grounding, and gratitude.

BS: Yes, to recognize that I am there to be of service and that the concert experience is part of something much bigger.

Where have been your favourite audiences? Any special, stand out concerts you would like to mention?

BS: So many great audiences! One stand out was performing in Chile a few years ago -- I had lived there for a year as a six-year-old and it was wonderful being back there to perform.

IM: Some of my favorite audiences have been in Australia, where they are so exuberant, and in Japan-- I played a concert there during which the applause between pieces was so quiet and polite that we weren't sure if they liked the concert, but when it was over they gave us a standing ovation that seemed to never end. Our Seattle audience is extremely warm, supportive, and fun to play for. But honestly, every audience is special and represents a chance to connect with individual human beings through the medium of music. I think that's a magical thing.

With your career(s) in music, what would you like to achieve going forward?

IM: I feel so fortunate to have spent these last 20 years playing music with wonderful colleagues all over the place, and I look forward to new collaborations and adventures in music, new opportunities to record, etc.

BS: I have worked with a lot of great musicians and Ingrid Matthews is the one person I most love to be on stage with. When we are performing together I feel that we are so completely in the same space! We have worked together a lot in various ensembles such as Seattle Baroque and I look forward to doing more duo performances and recordings with her. The intensity when it is just the two of us is very special to me.

You are going to be playing at Amphitheatre Souk Madinat Jumeirah which is a spectacular venue to play at, what can we expect from your performance here in Dubai?

BS: This is an amazing opportunity. I can't even imagine what it will be like! I know that the music is always impacted by the environment in which it is performed. The energy from the audience and from the place itself can greatly enhance the magic of the performance!

IM: We are so excited to be coming to Dubai and playing in this beautiful venue, and we are playing music we dearly love, so it should be a joyful evening.

Baroque Music is steeped in tradition. How do you transfer your passion for this genre to audiences and the students who are coming to the Master Classes?

IM: I love working with students on baroque music, and helping them to approach music like language, with a sense of declamation and inflection. I think a lot of music can be boiled down to either song or dance, and I enjoy helping students to move beyond thinking like "violinists," and instead really let their instrument sing, or dance. Sometimes being "historically accurate" actually means taking the music less seriously, and I think a lot of students find that a refreshing approach.

BS: I think it's important to recognize that whatever repertoire we are performing we are musicians of the 21st century playing for 21st-century audiences. So it's all about using material from the past and adapting it to our realities in the present.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates August 2012 – The Middle East’s leading artist and music management company, The Fridge, is expanding its role in the region’s performing arts sector by moving to new, larger premises at Alserkal Avenue.

The company will be the first performing arts organization based at Alserkal Avenue, which is home to a growing cluster of Dubai’s creative businesses, conveniently located behind Times Square Shopping Mall close to the Sheikh Zayed Road.

The Fridge has been based in Al Quoz since its inception in 2007. The move to Alserkal will signal a new chapter for the rich and diverse programming the city has grown to expect from The Fridge, such as its Concert Series. It will also mean expansion of its space and facilities regularly used by musicians and the wider performing arts community, to include a larger stage and performance space as well as private practice rooms for rehearsals.

Shelley Frost, Founder of The Fridge, said: “With our portfolio now spanning more than 100 artists and acts and the programming of our space reaching new and culturally connected audiences, it is important for The Fridge to be based in a more central location. Alserkal reflects our commitment to promoting locally-based musicians, of supporting the region’s burgeoning performing arts scene and further enabling The Fridge to work side by side with others in the creative sector. Alserkal Avenue is evidently committed to the growing arts scene and has emerged to be a vital and diverse area of the city. The Fridge is proud to be joining the Alserkal district and in particular to be the first performing arts organisation to locate there”

To celebrate its arrival The Fridge will join Alserkal Avenue’s open day event on 10th of September, and will feature a preview performance of the highly-anticipated Kalubela show, due to be staged in Dubai in October. The preview will give visitors an exclusive glimpse of the show, featuring acts drawn from a wide range of talent including vocalists, dancers and aerialists. Frost added: “Our open house invitation is extended to everyone, from people who are already immersed in the local performing arts scene to those interested in seeing the region’s leading musicians and performers close up.”

From its new premises, The Fridge will be able to serve the needs of a wide range of music and dance aficionados by hosting classes, regular concerts, rehearsal sessions and workshops. It will also continue to spearhead high-profile corporate entertainment from concept to artistic direction and production.

Dahab are a band that transcend stereotypical genre classifications - mixing western melodies with traditional eastern rhythms they are one of a handful of bands on the local scene that are forging the way for a new sound in fusion. We took guitarist/singer Sherif Al Maghraby aside for a quick chat about their songwriting process and what audiences can expect at a Dahab gig.

THE FRIDGE: It's a well -known fact that you draw a lot of influence for your song-writing from places you feel you have a spiritual connection with such as the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt - can you expand on how your visits to these places helps shape the music that you create?

SHERIF: Yes of course – you know living in a fast-paced city like Dubai or Cairo, waking up every morning to run off to work, waiting for the next pay-cheque so you can pay rent or DEWA and generally being caught up in the pursuit of short-term and urgent goals is not very condusive to the creative process. It may help to reflect on these experiences once you are detached from them. Going to a place like Sinai and removing these influences really helps to clear up our perspective and gives us a much more focused state of mind. I recall watching the sunset from atop of Mount Sinai after spending 6 hours climbing and being surrounded by hundreds of people from different faiths – that’s a really inspiring moment that helps me understand that humanity at its very core is one. We are good – but misunderstood. Whether it’s bonding with other band members through shared experiences like diving or camping out in the desert, or just reflecting on the simple life of the Bedouins who have not been tarnished by consumerism – a trip to Sinai is always an excellent way to get inspired. It is thus inevitable that having such profound experiences affects the music that we create.

TF: Dahab originally started off as a 3-piece and has since expanded to include 2 additional members. Aside from an obvious expansion of sound, that naturally results from having more bodies in the practice room, have there been any other significant differences since the band has grown, particularly since the original members have such a spiritual connection to the music?

S: Well it’s interesting because the essence of the music has not changed. It’s like having a company mission statement and then the company grows – but the mission statement remains the same. We are all aligned and passionate about the same themes – harmony, spirituality, unity, peace, love, using music as a universal language for connecting to other cultures and of course – the bond of friendship. Our music continues to draw upon these themes.

So I don’t think that the music has changed per say – but it has definitely evolved and matured. An interesting example of how this has happened is that our bassist, who is from Colombia - has brought in an interesting and innovative Latino influence that can be felt in some of the beats and in the syncopation of our songs. Our drummer is also a classically trained pianist and he expresses this through his restraint and nuances on the drum-kit. We all feel very grateful (Hamd Lil La’ah) that we have managed to find and sustain this chemistry between the band members – ask any musician and he/she will tell you that those are probably the 2 hardest aspects of being in a band – to create a unique ‘signature’ sound and to maintain a positive energy and respect amongst the band members. We are very grateful that we have achieved both these things.

TF: You often describe your sound as "Acoustic Ethnic Fusion" and we hear everything from classic rock to traditional Arabic influences in the songs from your two albums. Was it always a premeditated decision to forge forward with this particular sound from the band's inception?

S: I cannot say that it was pre-meditated i.e. engineered in that way however from the onset we knew that we wanted to express our love for Sinai and also the themes mentioned above through music. So thrash metal and distortion pedals were out of the question because Sinai is organic, natural, peaceful and sacred. That is the ‘filter’ that we used to form our sound. But it is also purely a reflection of the kind of music that we love to listen to. So for example a song like ‘Alice’ which is a fusion of funk, Bedouin beats and blues just ‘happened’. It was not designed that way consciously but came to life due to the jumble of influences and ideas that we have all been exposed to. When I composed the instrumental ‘Nuweiba’ – I was sitting on the beach in Nuweiba, Sinai with a guitar and I was just reflecting upon the environment around me and I found myself playing the opening notes to the song. So I honestly believe that we have to open our hearts to inspiration and be like a channel for that creative energy to flow through us. If it comes out as “Acoustic Ethnic Fusion” so be it – but to us it’s all music.

TF: Lastly, your live shows have a unique knack for coming across as intimate whether you're playing to a crowd of 50 or several hundred people - what can people expect from Dahab at Live Local Loud this Friday?

S: Thanks. Yeah we feel that we tend to command the attention of certain groups of people who choose to actually ‘listen’ and ‘reflect’ on the lyrics and music. Many times we have experienced complete strangers coming up to us at the end of the show with a profound look in their eyes and they start asking a flurry of questions about the meaning of the music. That’s always a great feeling – to know that we have inspired someone to ‘feel’ that way.

We are all very excited about this Friday because we will take the audience through a journey of the evolution of our music – from our beginnings on the ‘Spirit of Sinai’ album to our second release “Qabeela’h’. We are also planning the recording of our third album “Raya’h” this year in sha Allah and we will play exclusive new tracks from that album as well. We will be selling both of our albums at the gig. Towards the end – we may play some blues covers and invite guest musicians to jam out as well but the core of the evening will be focused on the music of Dahab.

Dahab perform at Live Local Loud at the Pyramids Rooftop Gardens at Wafi this Friday the 13th April from 8pm

Dear friends,

Thanks to all of you who took the time to check out our Concert Series micro-site and voted for the artists you wanted to see back for our 10th season.

We've compiled your votes and put together a programme which features a number of collaborations from artists across multiple genres and previous concert series. Below is the full list of performers who will grace our stage kicking off on the 14th May.

May 14th - Haley Kallenberg - Composer, performer and improvisational pianist. Haley will play her latest compositions. Contemporary Dancer Mariko Wada will collaborate with Haley on some of her pieces. Haley's interview for Fridge Concert Series

May 21st - Dahab Acoustic Ethnic Fusion
- 5-piece band Dahab performing unreleased tracks and favorites from their previous two albums, collaborating with guest musicians Pasha on violin and Malena on flute.

May 28th - Project X
- Three of Dubai's musical giants combined in a one-off genre bending collaboration.

June 4th - Sach Holden
- Dubai's quirkiest and wittiest singer/songwriter Sach Holden steps out of his comfort zone to bring us a program full of interesting collaborations with double bassist and violinist as well as video and image projections.

June 11th - Khalil Ghadri Acoustic Fusion Band
- Khalil Ghadri's band plays a blend of Arabic, Indian & Flamenco sounds. The night will be enhanced with the collaboration of award-winning Oriental Dancer, Dareen.

June 18th - Shero/Dubai Vocal Ensemble
- Dubai Vocal Ensemble, the popular Filipino choir will be singing a new repertoire of traditional folk songs mixed with originally composed material by local singer/songwriter Shero.

We embedded our intrepid PR & Marketing Manager Anne amongst the performers of Monday's upcoming Fridge Concert Series season finale. She shot this heartfelt video of the Dubai Vocal Ensemble and singer/songwriter Shero rehearsing for their performance. Check it out below.

With her recent single with Schooly dropping on Tony Records we caught up with Fridge singer Rachael Calladine for a quick chat.

How would you describe your track 'Days gone by'?

Its a funky Soulful House track, quite an oldskool feel.

How did you end up working with Schooly?

Both hailing from the Midlands in the UK, I've kind of know Schooly forever. We have a lot of UK mates in common. I wrote a track with Greg Stainer back in 2009 and was doing a PA at Zinc to promote Greg's new album. Schooly was there and we got chatting. He also knows my ex-manager from the UK / New York and one thing led to another, we started writing together and still are!

Any plans to do any live performances around the single?

Not as yet but there is a lot going on with the label (Tony Records) in New York so watch this space!

Is there much difference in recording a dance track than say a Jazz number?

To me a song is a song, I write them all in the same way. I also try to deliver them all in the same way. Its really more a case of the production and treatment given by the producer that states the genre of my songs. I like to think that all my songs would stand up in an acoustic situation regardless of the way they are produced.

Who have been the most influential people in your musical development?

There are a lot of those as I've been doing this for over 26 years now! I think you learn a lot from live work but there is a lot of studio techniques that I've learned from the producers I've worked with too.

One of the most memorable moments came when I got my last album deal. The label put me in a studio and said 'OK, So what do you want to do?' I had no material already written as we were writing from scratch so thats just what we did. Sink or swim! In relation to the most influential people, that depends how you look at it really, labels can be influential from a marketing, promotional perspective but then musicians influence you creatively. I've been lucky to work with many people in many different circumstances.

KROMOZOMbeats is Dubai's latest experimental music mishmash, poised to explode onto the local scene. We sat down with band leader and mastermind Rony Afif ahead of their debut performance at Sikka Art Week to find out just exactly what makes KROMOZOMbeats tick.

THE FRIDGE: KROMOZOMbeats is made up of a wide variety of musicians from different schools of music, has it been tricky to find a common meeting ground when creating your art and can you tell us a little about your creative process?

RONY AFIF: No trickiness at all for the openess towards music is present in the band. Bhuvan, Rami and Sach listen to lots of different music.

Versatility is the key for it adds to the collective art we are making not to mention the devotion and excitement of Bhuvan, Sach and Rami which in the case of the latter exceed music to include graphic and logo designs for the band.

Each of us have his own compositions and ideas which he brings to the table - we discuss, jam, record, listen and keep on smoothing the edges until the music sounds like what we had in mind.

TF: The white elephant in the room is that you are one of the foremost Jazz musicians in Dubai - what made you decided to branch out and bravely tackle something outside of your percived comfort zone by spearheading this new project?

RA: I like to explore and experiment new aspects. I am more or less familiar with electronic music while not exploring much when it comes to dance music and techno, I always listened to Prodigy, Primus, Nine Inch Nails, Massive Attack, Bjork, Squarepusher, Shpongie, Venetian Snares etc and i always wanted to cross the barrier from a listener to perform this genre, to brreak the limits between the machines and me but the circumstances never convened until now - all was waiting for Buvan and I to meet!

TF: KROMOZOMbeats mixes a heft amount of Drum & Bass, World Music and even elements of Dubstep, are you guys drawing influences from anyone in particular in these genres?

RA: I prefer not to describe or limit the music by names, but it gets close to Drum & Bass and sometime Dubstep but everyone is adding his own perspective which draws straight from his musical background, after all, we are what we listen to. My main inspiration to form KROMOZOMbeats were Zach Danzinger, Jojo Mayer and Mark Guliana - it's all about beats and electricity.

KROMOZOMbeats is:

Rony Afif - drums / cymbals / electricity

Bhuvan Sachdeva - electronics / samples / mac /dreads

Rami Lakkis - obese bass sounds

Sach Holden - guest vocals

KROMOZOMbeats perform tonight (March 22nd) at 9pm in Courtyard C, Al BAstakiya as part of Sikka Art Week.

Despite one of the worst sandstorms of the year so far the old adage dictates that the show must always go on - as was the case on the 17th of Feb for Beirut rockers Lazzy Lungs scheduled performance at Live Local Loud. Gear was packed up and shifted inside to Carters at Wafi for a far more intimate setting which the band turned to their advantage by putting on one of the most energetic sets we have had the pleasure of hosting in a long time to a crammed in audience. Local openers Fables of Cantt put in a strong showing as well with the debut of their most recent lineup. You can check out a video of Lazzy Lungs performance below as well as some photos from the evening.

Photos courtesy of Kelly Brbich

Jason Carter is a harp-guitarist and world traveller, having brought his unique sounds to some of the most far-flung regions of the globe he is blazing a trail through Dubai and we had a chance to sit down and catch up with him ahead of his performance on February 20th closing off our 9th Concert Series.

Janurary 20th saw French ska band, Les Fils de Teuhpu, kick off the revamped Friday Fridge to a roaring success. Unperturbed by the looming threat of Dubai's first rain in over a year, a massive crowd of people of all nationalities and walks of life gathered to dance and party the night away. The band charged through an hour-long set of hits both old and new, busting out their full arsenal of instruments including a theremin and a sousaphone! Check out pics and a short vid below.

Photos courtesy of Fabien Chareix.

Indie rockers Beat Antenna shed their amplifiers and pounding drum beats for the more intimate & considered platform of our warehouse to launch our 9th(!) concert series. The trio performed songs off their upcoming album and took the time to reflect with the audience on what it means for them to write a song - check out a video of their song "Wrong Healing" below as well as some choice pics.

January 18th saw a mix of industry professionals and music fans descend upon the exclusive Cavalli Club for the offical launch of fusion pianist Malika's sophomore album 'Sand Star'. Malika performed a handful of tracks from the album live and video blog site My Dubai, My City caught up with her on the night for a quick chat about the release.

The Fridge's own Anne Cabanel sits down with Rodolphe Salles, trumpet player for Parisian ska band Les Fils de Teuphu, ahead of their performance in Dubai on January 20th.

Acoustic Songwriters Showcase Seeks to Strengthen City’s Local Music Scene

Organized by The Fridge and songwriter Harrison Rice, the event focuses on songwriters as one strong foundation of a music community

The event aims to foster the growth of an organic songwriting community within Dubai by allowing established and emerging songwriters a place to showcase their work, build connections and collaborate with one another. Continuing the second Wednesday of every month, the showcase is also a great place to hear some of the city’s best tunes.

“This event fits well into our broader mission,” said Shelley Frost, Director of The Fridge. “We at The Fridge are extremely pleased to be helping spearhead this initiative that brings to the forefront some of the city's most talented singer/songwriters"

“By bringing together the city’s best songwriters into a stronger community, we hope to create an environment in which artists learn from each other, collaborate and even compete to produce a stronger music scene,” added Harrison Rice, songwriter and event organizer. ”It’s about emphasizing not techno beats or hard rock, but the rich nuances of voice, guitar and songwriting. This city has the talent and potential to produce artists of the same caliber as those from London, Seattle or New York, it’s just about continuing to foster the right environment.”

Every showcase will feature a lineup of five artists each playing three songs and will focus on a variety instruments and vocal talent. There are three rules participants must abide by: works must be acoustic and original; no more than two people may perform per set; and it’s got to be good.

The showcase is open to all songwriters across the Emirates. Those interested in participating may email a sample song and bio to songwriters@thefridgedubai.com

Monday 12th December saw Dubai's most elite jazz connoisseurs descend upon the Media One Hotel's M-Dek bar and rub shoulders with a lively mix of musicians, industry professionals and fans for the launch of the Elie Afif Quartet's debut album 'Giant Steps To Heaven'.

Playing a mixture of tunes from the album as well as an excellent selection of standards the band spared no expense in displaying their enormous musical chops ahead of the region-wide release of the album in all Virgin Megarstores.

Intrepid photographer Tiffany Schultz was on site to snap some fantastic shots from the evening, you can check out a select few below or hit up the gallery for the full reel.

Video blog My Dubai, My City also put together a short piece on the launch which you can check out below:

On the 29th of November 2011 The Fridge provided entertainment at the ACI Gala Dinner for the annual Airport Exchange Conference. The night was an unprescedented extravaganza featuring the ICE Electric Trio, sultry singer Florentina (with Stoyan on keyboards) & a dazzling aerial performance. We captured some footage from the event that you can check out below as well as some great photos in or gallery.

Video courtesy of lafiphoto.com

On Monday we drew the curtain on our 8th concert series - bringing the total number of performances held over the last two years to 48.

This season we spotlighted what we felt was one of our strongest line-ups yet- a varied and eclectic mix featuring everything from Indian Dance & Jazz to Indie Folk & Arabic Fusion.

We'd like to thank each and everyone of you that came to show your support for wide range of locally based talent that graced our stage this season.

For those that missed out we have a few videos below from some of the choice moments of several of the concerts. Keep your eyes peeled to this blog as we will be annoucning the line-up for the 9th seriers kicking off in January in the upcoming weeks.

Friday 25th November saw our warehouse jam-packed with eager film buffs for the Best Of Screenings / Awards Ceremony of the 48hr Film Project. 11 films were screened in total and winners were announced for a number of categories. We'd like to congratulate all the winners as well as everyone who entered - we enjoyed each and every one of your films!

A few notable winners included friends of The Fridge Assem Kroma (Best Actor, "Paradise Falls" by The Turtles, Mocumentary), Nabil Amarshi (Best Musical Score, "The Peninsula" by Browntown, Western/ Musical) & My Dubai My City (Most Promising Filmmakers, "The Peninsula" by Browntown, Western/ Musical)

You can check out the full list of winners by clicking here and scroll down below for a few pictures from the evening itself courtesy of organiser Mo Rida.

The inaugural month of Live Local Loud has been a resounding success and we'd like to thank everyone who came down to check out the wide variety of local talent on show - from the artists themselves to you music-hungry punters who are precisely what we do these nights for!

December's line-up is looking mighty fine with a varied mix of genres from rock to country to jazz to soul to tango. You can peep it below and make sure you mark your calendars for 7.30pm every Friday to come and join us at the Pyramid Rooftop Gardens at WAFI for some of the best local talent that Dubai has to offer.

Friday Fridge - Live Local Loud - December 2011 Line-up

DEC 2nd - Sandwash (Rock) w/ Ali Emara (Acoustic)

DEC 9th - Tim Hassall (Country/Folk) w/ Caitlin Murphy (Indie)

DEC 23rd - Haruka Horii (Jazz) w/ Aaron Kim (Electronica) ft. Zazous, Haruka's Casual Jazz Ensemble, The Wild Gauchos & Sol' Eclectic

DEC 16th - Rachael Calladine & The Everyday People (Jazz/Soul)

DEC 30th - Hamdan Al Abri (Soul)

Last night the Maayvi Dance Drama Academy were busily putting the finishing touches on their performance scheduled to close our 8th Concert Series tonight.

We snapped a few pics of their rehearsal which you can check out below - there will also be traditional Indian paintings and eco-friendly jewellery for sale.

We're very excited for you to check out what they have in store, it's going to be very special indeed! Click here for full event details.

Fusion pianist extrodinaire Malika is poised to launch her latest single "A New Hope" - a benefit track for the PCRF, a non-profit organisation focusing on helping sick & injured children in need.

This single marks Malika's first foray into vocal performance, having both penned the lyrics and sung on the recording, whereas previously her music has always been exclusively instrumental.

For this project Malika once again teamed up with the dynamic duo production team of Joshua F. Wiliams & Reiner Erlings, who were also behind her latest album "Sand Star"

Once the single is released online 60% of all sales will go directly to the PCRF. You can check out a clip of the upcoming single here.

Tango Trio, The Wild Gauchos were recently featured on an episode of Dubai's premiere online video-guide, My Dubai My City. You can check out the footage below:

The Wild Gauchos are: Haruka (Violin), Stoyan Stoyanov (Accordion) & Amir Mafakher (Guitar)

Ahead of his performance next week as part of The Fridge Concert Series, Khalil Ghadri and his band have been dilligently practicing at our space for the last several weeks. We filmed this short snippet of their rehearsal today as a little taster of what to expect next Monday night. Enjoy!

October 31st saw the Dubai Vocal Ensemble take our stage as part of the 8th Fridge Concert Series amidst whoops, cheers and a raucous standing ovation. This concert marked their first ever public performance outside of St Mary's and we had goosebumps from their stunning renditions of traditional Filipino folk songs exploring different vocal textures and techniques.

We captured a clip of their performance that you can peep below.

In November (Wed 16th - Sat 19th) Gulf Photo Plus will be holidng a FotoWeekend event.

They are looking for four groups or musicians who'd like to have their photos taken.

Requirement: 4 bands or musicians

What to expect: The bands will take part in a photoshoot in the style of a real life client assignment, photographing a band/musician for the cover of a contemporary rock magazine. In this module, students will be expected to create edgy, haunting, exciting and visually stimulating images or the cover a popular rock magazine. Martin Prihoda (instructing photographer) will act as Photo Editor and Art Director, overseeing the shoot in a realistic client setting.

Martin Prihoda is the instructing photographer, a Canadian advertising and portraiture photographer based in Mumbai. The class he will be leading will be Big Lights Far Away, a commercial style workshop covering corporate, fashion and music shoots.

Particulars:

Dates - Thurday Nov 17th 12.00 - 16.30 bands 1 & 2
   Saturday Nov 9th 11.30 - 16.00 bands 3 & 4 

Where - Dubai Knowledge Village

Renumeration - Photographs taken by the students during the workshop will be given to the bands by way of thanks.

If you are interested in taking part please contact Kerstin Spence on kerstin@gulfphotoplus.com

Two weeks ago we hosted our very first full-blown production 'Cirque Du Souq' at the First Group Theatre, Madinat Jumeirah. Both nights were a sold-out success featuring a fusion of dance, music & aerial acrobatics.

A huge thanks to all those that attended and doubly so for your kind words. For those that missed out you can check out the video below to see the show in action or hit up the gallery for some choice shots.

On Monday 24th October alternative folk artist Michael Love Rexen took the stage to kickstart our 8th Concert Series. Michael shared stories about his life in Denmark and played a mixture of his quirky, spine-tingling originals and some of his favourite songs from artists that inspire his boundless creativity.

We captured one of Michael's original compositions "Keep Beating Them Saints" on video - a collaboration with several of Dubai's top musicians in which they improvise over a single chord to create a truly moving piece of music.

Here's what you've all been waiting for! Check below for the full line up of concerts we have planned over the next six weeks. We are extremely excited about this eclectic and diverse performance schedule and hope you'll all enjoy it as much as we did putting it together.

Picture a place where artists are free to experiment and express without compromise. A place where you can sit on beanbags under the stars, smoke shisha, drink cocktails and enjoy unique original music. Sounds good right?

Last Friday 21st October we were proud to launch a new live music night “The Friday Fridge- Live local loud” at the beautiful Pyramid Rooftop Gardens, WAFI. Each week we present a few locally based artists, performing original material, with a jam session towards the end of the evening. It makes a refreshing change to the 80’s cover bands you can hear all around town. (There will be no ‘Hotel California’ here we assure thee ;))

To kick off we had the ‘Wild Gauchos’ performing their charming Argentinean tango with a twist. We then we had the very talented Aaron Kim, performing a mind- blowing fusion of Electric cello with loops and synths. After that I took to the stage with a 7-piece band to perform my original material, a mix of Soul, Jazz and Funk. Concluded with a lively jam session where we all jammed and had a lot of fun.

On a personal note, it really was one of the most enjoyable gigs I’ve performed in Dubai. Jam sessions are one of the things I miss the most about London, and after 3 years living in Dubai that is first time I’ve really been able to improvise and jam live, and perform the songs I have written -without having to sing Sade or Amy Winehouse! ;)

So-if you’re looking for a place to chill and enjoy live music… you know where to be next Friday!

Stay tuned to the event page for line-up details!

Check out this video below of Melisa's performance - thanks to lafiphoto.com for the great footage.

The Fridge is in full swing getting ready for Cirque Du Souq, our debut show at the Madinat Theatre this weekend. The show's official photogrpher (and long-time Fridge supporter) Tiffany Schultz snapped these amazing photos of the cast and the show's choreographer Stacey Carlson from yesterday's rehearsals that we just had to share with you! Friday's show is completely sold out at this stage but there are still a few tickets available for Saturday, so if you've been sitting on the fence, jump off now! This is something you're not going to want to miss!

We're gearing up for our 8th Fridge Concert Series kicking off at the beginning of October and are very excited at how the line up is shaping up!

Below is a behind-the-scenes clip of the Dubai Vocal Ensemble who will be performing as part of the series.

We will be announcing the full line-up very soon so stay tuned!

The second quint @ The Fridge event was a raging success regardless of the mass Dubai exodus over the weekend to the capital to see ex-Oasis frontman's new outfit Beady Eye - discerning art connoisseurs arrived at The Fridge in full force for a very special evening of poetry, spoken word, Shakespeare, music & art.

Artists Laila Masri & Mohammed Hammad held court on the walls of the downstairs portion of the warehouse with both canvas work and a video installation piece.

Upstairs audience members were treated to the rousing spoken verse of Hala Ali, Dana Dajani & Noush Like Sploosh with a little musical backing from cellist Aaron Kim and his loop-station.

Below is a short video of one of the pieces performed by Noush Like Sploosh's & Aaron Kim. We'll post pics in our gallery once we get our hands on them.

On Thursday 15th September Virgin officially kicked of a nearly month-long festival celebrating the very best of Dubai's local music scene in conjunction with the launch of it's newest store at Dubai Mall.

The first performer was none other than The Fridge's own fusion pianist extraordinaire, Malika. Thanks to everyone who came along to show their support, we have some photos below of Malika's performance for you to check out.

If you want to see what other acts will be performing over the coming weeks click here.

Kicking off the new season in style Hugo Ticciati took The Fridge Fringe stage with an eclectic programme featuring works from classical, contemporary, jazz and avant garde composers. Enlisting the help of local dance choreographer Riina Liukkonen and her troupe to incorporate a visual element we were genuinely floored by the calibre of this performance, particularly as several of the elements were either prepared only a few days prior or otherwise improvised on the spot.

Easily one of the most unique performances ever to grace The Fridge, we have some photos and videos for you below.

Last night a small group of some of Dubai's top musicians gathered at The Fridge to participate in a Master Class with visiting violinist Hugo Ticciati. Ideas were shared and creativity was expressed in this intimate coming together of musical minds. Things went so well in fact that Hugo has invited the attendees to perform in his Fridge Fringe concert tonight.

We have a few choice photos from class below.

 Here's a tiny look at Hugo Ticciati's rehearsals ahead of tomorrow's performance as part of the Fridge Fringe. Like what you see? Then come join us! If this clip is anything to go by it promises to be one of the most unique concerts we've ever hosted!

 Check out the event page for more details. 

The Middle East edition of Rolling Stone conducted an interview with our esteemed director Shelley Frost regarding our recently announced venture The Fridge Records. In the interview Shelley discusses the goals of the label as well reasons why we felt it was the right time to launch a platform for getting the music of locally based artists out there into the wild.

You can read the full article here and we'd be keen to hear your feedback regarding it in the comments section below.

On Friday June 24th Dubai's jazz aficionados gathered at the Novotel's Blue Bar to get a sneak preview of Elie Afif's outstanding debut album Giant Steps to Heaven - set to be released in the autumn of 2011. Backed by a trio of the region's top jazz musos, Elie treated the 200+ capacity crowd to a night of quality original muisc with everyone walking away in awe at this young musical talent.

Below are some super pics from the night and we'll besure to keep you posted on more details from the upcoming release.

'Giant Steps To Heaven' is available now for purchase through the iTunes Music store.

quint @ The Fridge is a year-long series spotlighting artistic talent in the UAE - from music and theatre to poetry and art.

The inaugural event of our new initiative with quint kicked off with a bang featuring a stirring musical collaboration between three of Dubai's most eclectic performers - Hamdan Al Abri, Gayathri & Reiner Erlings. As well as artwork from 3 locally based artists on display on the lower level of the warehouse.

Check out photos of the event below and stay tuned for more unique events in the coming months.

*photos courtesy of quint magazine 

Rachael Calladine performs at the DU Jazz Garden alongside Ian Shaw

Malika's second studio album, Sand Star features 8-tracks of dreamy, chilled out piano fusion and is now available across the UAE at all Virgin Megastores For those of you a little more digitally minded it can also be purchased directly from the iTunes music store. Head over to Malika's artist profile to preview a few tracks from Sand Star.