What’s On details the latest live music in Dubai as it’s announced Cavalli Club will host Akon in Dubai this week, a year after his last concert in Dubai.

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Hip-hop star Akon is returning to Dubai. The Locked Up hitmaker will be performing at Cavalli Club on September 24, less than a year since his last visit to the nightlife spot.

It’s been a decade since Akon, real name Aliaune Thiam, burst onto the music scene with his 2004 album Trouble, which spawned the hit singles Belly Dancer (Bonanza), Locked Up and Lonely. When the latter was released in 2005, it went straight to the top of the UK charts.

In addition to his own library of hits, the Senegalese-American artist is best known for high profile collaborations with some of the biggest megastars in music, from The Sweet Escape with Gwen Stefani to Smack That with Eminem and My Love with T.I. He also worked with David Guetta on his first house track in 2011.

As well as selling more than 10 million albums worldwide, Akon has also founded two successful record labels, Konvict and Konlive – the latter is notable for launching the career of Lady Gaga, another superstar who performed in Dubai this year.

Clearly the hip-hop star is a fan of the UAE – last November, he kept the crowds entertained at Club Rush in the Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi as part of the Formula 1 race weekend.

Akon will arrive in Dubai fresh from a show in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo on September 21, where he performed in honour of the Peace Day celebrations.

It’s not his only charitable move – the artist is also currently working in partnership with the Give1Project and ADS Global Corporation SA on the ‘Akon Lighting Africa Project’, which aims to bring electricity to one million households in Africa by the end of 2014.

September 24
Cavalli Club, Fairmont Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, September 24, 9.30pm, Dhs300. Tel: (04) 3325555. cavalliclubdubai.com