The kingdom’s music lovers were treated to a surprise concert by a Grammy award-winning rapper and record producer at the US Naval Base in Juffair.
When word spread like wildfire that the singer, songwriter and actor, Faheem Najm, better known by his stage name T-Pain, was going to be serenading servicemen, women, families and friends on the island, music-lovers were ecstatic … including this reviewer who has been a devoted fan of the Nappy Boy Entertainment record label founder since his hot hit Sprung in 2005.
He did not disappoint with a fast-moving set which included funky hip-hop track Church and inspirational All of the Above, a rendition with fellow rapper, Maino. The list of popular songs is vast as it appears anything T-Pain has collaborated on, or touched, has turned to gold.
He lit up the stage with his performance. A small stage was set up in the courtyard close to a food court surrounded by picnic tables and benches for people to sit and enjoy the show. I’m not sure why there were chairs because, as soon as T-Pain and his entourage hit the stage, everyone was on their feet, snapping their fingers and bopping to the beats.
It may not have been the best set-up with the fanciest lights or effects, but this concert had something that many others lack … energy and heart in abundance.
T-Pain danced up a storm, interacted with the audience and hit all the right notes. It was an intimate affair as fans managed to get up close to the star, yell out requests and laugh at his humorous antics.
He sang many crowd favourites including hits All I Do Is Win, 5 O’Clock, Snap Yo Fingers, Buy You a Drank and his latest single Up Down. It was a one-hour mash-up of T-Pain’s greatest hits.
We sang along, waved our hands in the air and cheered at his live free-style mixing.
When he stopped for a water break and shared his exhaustion with the crowd we laughed.
And, when he left the stage the first time round and came back for an encore we shrieked in delight.
When the show was over, many stayed around talking about how great the show was and were rewarded for their dedication. The show organisers invited fans to queue up for autographs and pictures, the courtyard magically emptied and people lined up for up to an hour to get a chance to shake hands with the entertainer.
An amazing event and the best Monday ever!
By Mai Al Khatib-Camille
