MUSIC

The greatest love of all

Whitney Houston’s musical legacy is brought to life at Dubai Opera

Get ready for the incredible vocals of Belinda Davids – a RiSA charttopping artist in her home country of South Africa – who has been featured on Fox TV’s Showtime at the Apollo and BBC1 TV’s Even Better Than the Real Thing. With the accompaniment of a live band, backing vocalists and choreographed dancers, plus state-of-theart sound, lighting, vision and theatrical effects, The Greatest Love of All is a beautifully crafted tribute to one of the world’s most revered singers. We caught up with Belinda ahead of her performance at Dubai Opera this month…

Is it true that it was listening to Whitney’s songs that taught you how to sing? I could sing since I was five, but I had never taken any lessons until I heard

Whitney Houston perform a song with Teddy Pendergrass called Hold Me. That’s when I knew that I wanted to sing like her and I never stopped listening to her. Even today, while I perform her music so frequently, I still listen to her. So you were a fan of the singer before you ‘played’ her? I have loved her and have been a fan of her from the moment I can remember. I was a huge fan of her because she had such a unique and incredible talent, she was inspiring in the true sense of the word. How did you feel when you were given this role? At first I was very excited and then I was scared. I realised that I had to do everything in my power to portray this woman to the best of my ability, which was quite frightening because portraying Whitney Houston you have to be just as good. You can be nothing less.

MUSIC

What’s your favourite song to sing? I think my favourite song to sing in the show would be I Have Nothing. It’s really hard to choose a favourite song when all of her songs are so relatable, but that is a very powerful and dramatic song to sing on stage. What is your greatest love of all? A few things really: firstly my children, and then finding myself. Finding who I really am and loving myself for who I really am is The Greatest Love of All for me. If you were able to meet Whitney today, what would you say to her? Thank you for teaching me how to sing. Thank you for teaching me how to deliver a song. Thank you for being the connection to my dream. Thank you for being such an incredible artist and allowing me to look up to you.

* This event has now been postponed. A new date will be announced soon. Visit dubaiopera.com for updates.

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Games night (and day) Where to buy board games in the UAE

Now is the time to be relaxing at home, whether you’re social distancing with close friends and family. Board games are a great way to enjoy a spot of digital-free fun, but how many of us actually have them sitting at home? We’ve rounded up a few small businesses where you can purchase board games to play at home.

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Back To Games Independent store Back To Games has temporarily suspended all of its gatherings, gaming, and demoing. However, the retail store, and its online shop is still open for you to purchase games to play at home. There are hundreds to choose from, so you can pick up a family classic, or discover something new. a Times Square Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Sat to Wed 10am to 10pm, Thur & Fri 10am to midnight. Tel: (04) 323 1336. backtogames.com

a Al Wahda Mall extension, 1st floor, Hazza Bin Zayed Street, Abu Dhabi, daily 10am to 10pm. Tel: (02) 562 3338. backtogames.com

Unwind Unwind Speciality Boardgame Cafe, located on Hessa Street in Dubai, has introduced stringent cleaning measures in light of Covid-19. The cafe is still open for business, but if you prefer to play at home, you’re welcome to stop by and purchase games from them. a Unwind, Hessa Street, Sun to Wed 10am to 11pm, Thur to Sat 10am to midnight. Tel: (04) 336 6611. unwinddubai.com

The Six If you’re in the Downtown Dubai area, check out The Six, a board game cafe on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard. Although they have around 1,000 games available in the cafe, they also have a small selection available to purchase and take home. a The Six, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, Sat to Wed 9am to midnight, Thur & Fri 9am to 2am. Tel: (04) 334 2666. thesixcafe.com