DXB4BEY

TOP LOCAL ARTISTS AND PRESENTERS COME TOGETHER TO RAISE FUNDS IN SUPPORT OF THE UNHCR’S HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS IN BEIRUT WITH A LIVESTREAM MUSIC FESTIVAL FILMED AT DUBAI OPERA.

When news broke of the catastrophic explosion at Beirut Port on 4 August 2020, Dubai-based guitarist and composer, Niki Mukhi, like many others around the world, was devastated. “It just didn’t seem real,” he commented. “It’s been a devastating year all round, but this disaster really hit home, with so many people having their homes destroyed, and businesses blown to the ground.” While the world watched on in horror as the numbers of dead or displaced continued to rise, Mukhi, whose father was born in Beirut, felt a burning desire to do whatever he could to help the ongoing humanitarian efforts. “I had to do something and I wanted whatever I did to create a substantial impact.”

The first person he called was his friend, Assaad Lakkis – a fellow musician and the Founder of Bull Funk Studios. “Assaad is Lebanese, so we both have a lot of love for the place,” Mukhi confirmed. “Assaad jumped into action straight away; he was already busy providing perishable goods and doing whatever he could to help the cause when I called.”

The pair discussed potential ways of using their shared skillsets to raise much-needed funds and awareness. With COVID-19 restrictions in full force, a regular ticketed concert was out of the question, so the idea of a livestream emerged.

“Assaad and I had seen quite a few livestreams over the past few months, so we know what works and what doesn’t. We came up with a plan to put together all of the most wonderful musicians in Dubai, as well as some really good speakers.”

With a concept in place, next on the agenda was the not-inconsiderable task of getting a line-up of artists confirmed, booking the venue and collaborating with a raft of local companies to gather support on everything from backline and lighting, to photography, social media and catering. Produced in association with Arbor Dubai – a School by Praxis – and aired across social media on 8 December 2020, DXB4BEY was created with the support of a range of individuals and companies. These included: Dubai Opera; MEI; SSL; Editor, James Gosney; DOP, Tom Richardson Productions; Redlegacy Design; Creative Technology Group ME; Reachr Social; Akela Films; Pinsanity; Subsonic Studios; Hyku D Photography; Nino Analog Photography; The Guild PR; and Eventagrate.

Hosted by comedy superstar Wonho Chung, the four-and-a-half-hour livestream featured performances from Tina Yamout, Danny Aridi, Layla Kardan, Hadi, PAV4N, Bull Funk Zoo, Gaya, The Niki Mukhi Quintet, Noush Like Sploosh, Noon, Jad Abi Haidar, Jerome Deligero and more.

Lakkis explained how the initial idea was to go for a truly live broadcast – “with watchout systems, redundancies, the whole works” – however, due to the length of the show and the limited time available in the venue, a

pre-recorded livestream was the most prudent option. “We had a two-day timeslot available at Dubai Opera and with the load-in and rehearsal time, pre-recording was definitely the best option,” he commented, adding that this gave them much more control over how the final product looked. “The team was so good that everything already looked really great right off the bat,” he added. “We just had to cut things together in the final edit.”

Despite the tight timeframe, Lakkis was full of praise for Dubai Opera. “They were incredibly supportive and professional,” he commented. “The venue lends itself to a great-looking show. Aiden [Kobus, in-house Lighting Programmer and Operator at Dubai Opera] did a fantastic job on running the lighting for the show – especially since we had so many different styles of act and we didn’t have time to programme anything in advance. All I had to do was make it sound as good as possible.”

On the subject of sound, the Bull Funk Studios Founder was all too aware that this was a common area where livestreams can fall

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Niki Mukhi and Assaad Lakkis.

“It was a beautiful mesh of the raw talent this exists here in Dubai. Most of the guys involved were already thinking of what they could do for Beirut before we approached them, so this was the perfect opportunity for them to help.” DXB4BEY Organiser, Niki Mukhi.

down. “Most livestream broadcasts look pretty good, but they very rarely have really good sound because the way that sound is often approached for a live broadcast is very different,” he commented. “If you treat it like a normal live show, then a lot gets compressed out when it’s played over the streaming platform.”

‘A PERFECT SYMPHONY’ With viewers of the livestream encouraged to donate to the ongoing efforts in Beirut, a crucial part of the concept was to have the show livestreamed across multiple channels simultaneously, thereby generating a much larger audience than would be possible on a single channel. Dubai Opera, Khaleej Times, MTV Lebanon, Lovin’ Dubai, What’s On Dubai and UAE Up to Date were just a few of the pages that streamed the show.

“It was absolutely vital that we were able to work with all these partners in order to get the content out there to as bigger audience as possible,” Mukhi revealed. “We’re incredibly thankful for their support.” As is always the case in this post-pandemic world, the team were faced with a raft of COVID-19 protocols to follow in order to ensure the safety of all performers and crew. “COVID-19 procedures were extremely tight at the venue, as you would expect,” he confirmed, adding that the key to a successful show was very much in the planning.

“If you’ve got everything set up and planned, then all you need to do is execute. Assaad managed the entire production and accounted for every minute so that we could maximise on the time we had with everyone and the venue. It

was planned and executed beautifully, everyone brought their A game, and it came together like a perfect symphony.”

Clearly pleased with the line-up of artists that came onboard for the show, Mukhi explained how, as well as the primary goal of raising money for the humanitarian effort in Beirut, it was also important for him to champion local Dubai talent.

“We had such a variety of artists – everything from Arabic singers, to rappers, instrumentalists and soul music – who generously gave their time and effort to the cause,” he commented. “It was a beautiful mesh of the raw talent this exists here in Dubai. Most of the guys involved were already thinking of what they could do for Beirut before we approached them, so this was the perfect opportunity for them to help.”

Including artists and production crew, around 150 people came together to make this livestream a reality. “I honestly am blown away that we managed to pull something like this off all from good will,” Lakkis reflected. “To have all these incredibly talented people working together like clockwork – it was amazing to see.”

In conclusion, the pair stated: “The incident on 4 August at Beirut Port broke all our hearts, and the people of Beirut still need all the support they can get as they rebuild their city and their lives during these difficult winter months.” UNHCR is continuing to provide shelter and medical assistance to those in need across Beirut and is working to provide maintenance and support as people rebuild their homes and their lives.

“Their estimation is that each unit will cost $1,900 to provide minor repairs for windows, doors and false ceilings to approximately 88 beneficiaries. Let’s do all we can to give them all the help they need.”

The full show is still available to view on the DXB4BEY Facebook Page. Photos: Fil Seaton at Team Hyku D www.bullfunkzoo.com www.nikimukhi.com www.dubaiopera.com facebook.com/dxb4bey/live