It’s time to dust off your dancing shoes…

Soul music fans, you are in for a treat. For one night only, The Irish Village is bringing four massive artists of the genre together on stage in Dubai for the first time.

Taking place on Thursday 5 October at the popular Garhoud watering hole, Soul Jam Dubai is a one-off mini music festival promising a fun night of dancing, funky tunes and fun times.

Headlining the night is American R&B and Soul legend Alexander O’Neal – his biggest claim to fame being the 1987 single “Criticize” which rocketed to the number four spot on the UK singles chart upon release, cementing him as a household name.


O’Neal had the distinct honour of being signed to Warner Bros. in 1981 by none other than Prince, and was the original singer of band The Time, before leaving and being replaced by Morris Day.

He’ll be joined by British singer, actor and presenter, Mica Paris who first hit the scene in 1988 with her platinum-selling debut album So Good. Fans will be rearing to see her perform her classic groover “My One Temptation”.


Fun fact: Alexander O’Neal and Mica Paris recorded a song together in 2008 titled “Secret Lovers”. Could we be in store for a duet performance from pair? Here’s hoping.


Next up is UK soul man Omar, who music aficionados will recognise as the father of neo soul. His debut single “There’s Nothing Like This” reached number 14 on the UK Singles Charts in 1991 and he’s since gone on to work with the likes of Stevie Wonder, releasing his eighth studio album Love In Beats earlier this year.


Rounding out this stellar lineup is none other than ’80s soul diva Jaki Graham. The three-time Grammy-nominated singer had a massive hit in 1985 alongside David Graham “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love”.


Although we’re slightly more partial to her 1994 cover of Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody” that helped fill countless dance floors in the ’90s.


With a massive calendar of concerts lined up for the latter half of the year, Soul Jam Dubai is offering up a strong case to get down to the Irish Village and get your groove on.

Tickets are Dhs175 and are available via theirishvillage.com

– For more about Dubai straight to your newsfeed, follow us on Facebook.

Images: Getty