Rhythm and blues singer Craig David took Klub 360’s crowd on a soulful journey back in time as he packed the house with screaming fans.
< The song writer, decked to-the-nines in a black suit and tie, played a remarkable DJ set featuring a mixture of old-school hip hop and his top hits ... making a great addition to the Formula One party weekend. While some were getting dressed up for Coral Bay’s fancy Fashion TV gig featuring DJ Judge Jules, fire dancers and LED lit space men on stilts, other race fanatics were at Klub 360 at the Elite Hotel Crystal Hotel in Juffair excited to watch David turn up the heat. When the British hit-maker appeared at the DJ booth it took all of security’s might to keep fans from rushing the stage. It was a manic sight. According to David, having first performed in Bahrain in 2003, he was thrilled to be back. He promised the audience that this performance was going to be special like the sets he plays in Los Angeles, US. Glamorous women shrieked in delight every time the star spoke and their partners could be easily spotted rolling their eyes in irritation. But when the music started, everyone got in the party mood and began to jump and sway. The dance floor was nearly impossible to get on to and many were left to dance near their reserved tables or in any corner they could find. David hit the musical jackpot in 1999 with his single Re-Rewind and when he played it, the crowd went insane ... myself included. Personally, I loved his take on the upbeat jam as he slowed it down in a more soulful way. When he sang his other two hits Fill Me In, which reached number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and 7 Days which also hit the Top 10 in the US, the crowd went wild, singing along to the catchy lyrics and drowning him out at times. But David didn’t just play his fans’ favourites, he also entertained them with other popular hip hop and R&B songs, remixing them live for the audiences’ pleasure. Aside from the beats, David united everyone with his clear passion for music which shined brightly, matching the amazing lighting effects in the club. It was wonderful to see him perform as he had a bad spell for a while as a result of a British TV programme making fun of him. The mud stuck but his career is now back-on-track in a big way. In 2013, he inked a megabucks publishing deal with Universal in the US and launched a growing national radio show. Ahead of the release of his new album, he’s just completed a sold-out world tour, taking in Australia, the Far East, Europe and the Middle East. So for those that made it, they will never forget seeing the star back on form. As for any detractors out there ... you can’t keep a good man down.p>Mai Al Khatib-Camille
