When I heard Pitbull would perform in Dubai, I had imagined a beach party or a poolside concert. His brand of music falls under that category of yachts and a Miami lifestyle. Instead, it was the usual fan pit and VIP seats at the exhibition-focused Dubai World Trade Centre.
I look up and notice a huge Durex banner, thinking that’s a little too literal for Dubai. Also above, I could see the people on the second floor looked as though they were dying to come downstairs, although they had the best view of the singer, who appeared on the dim stage as though he was the Burj Khalifa — all sparkly.
“Make some noise, Dubai,” he hollered, and the jumping began. Pitbull, a.k.a Armando Christian Perez, took us to Saint Tropez and back, in his black aviators (at night) and his classic black suit, which he later took off (the jacket, that is).
The singer, who appeared at 12.15am, left the stage at 1.30am with sweat dripping down that Latin body after getting us to cha-cha-cha. His track I know you want me had people battling for the spotlight with a confident show of their dance moves.
It was highly organised show, but in the wrong venue. The weather is not an excuse — it’s even more of a reason to be outdoors getting wet.
