Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Grand Prix festival headliner, Armando Christian Pérez, better known by his stage name Pitbull, captivated the crowd with his rapid-fire rhymes, killer beats and on-stage charisma ... proving to music lovers why he truly is Mr ‘positive’ Worldwide.
The 34-year-old Cuban/American star is a singer with swagger, known for his chart-topping hits, clever collaborations and high-voltage sounds and certainly lived up to the billing.
While he has shared success with hit-makers such as Jennifer Lopez, Usher, Christina Aguilera, Chris Brown, Kesha and Shakira, his fashionable attire, cheeky grin and non-stop energy is what makes him a solo force to reckon with.
Saturday started off as any regular Formula One affair at the Sakhir venue does. When BIC officials suggested that he would start the show at 7.30pm straight after Qualifying many thought ‘Bahrain time’ surely.
Sitting with friends sharing a cup of coffee, we laughed at the foolish people moving to secure a good spot at the front of the stage and when the time rolled up we didn’t even bother leaving our seats at the back. All of a sudden, stage lights went off and lasers shot up into the sky. We exchanged stunned looks. “Could it be? Are they actually on time?” one of my friends asked in disbelief.
Loud, booming music blasted from the cleverly-positioned speakers around the stage and the Miami artist started the show on time and in style. We quickly joined the masses, weaving our way through the crowd.
Luckily, we found a great location facing a monitor and were also close enough to watch him perform on stage. Decked out in an all-black sharp suit and shades, the star directed the fervent crowd into an absolute frenzy. Smart phones shot up to the sky, lighting up the BIC and flashing away as people recorded or snapped up shots of the man in motion.
Fathers had their tiny toddlers on their shoulders wiggling away and smaller groups formed with break-dancers popping and locking to songs like Fireball, DJ Got Us Falling in Love and Timber.
Pitbull’s magnetic personality shined through as he interacted with the crowd and danced alongside his impressive band. But what truly stole the show and took the audience by surprise were his beautiful Bond-esque dancers that managed enough outfit changes to secure a place on any international Fashion Week catwalk.
These sassy femme fatales kept all eyes focussed on them in booty shorts, shaggy skirts and halter tops as they moved across the platform. The BIC was buzzing with energy. Thousands of screaming fans threw their hands up in the air in unison and jumped along with the bubbly babes and radical rapper.
In between songs, Pitball continually shouted out to Bahrain, reminding the audience that music is a universal language, that F1 is a wonderful experience as well as promoting the message of positivity. He even brought the Miami-party vibe to the BIC, showing salsa lovers on the island what real merengue and bachata (styles of Dominican dances) really look like.
The audience couldn’t get enough of the man with a thousand beats who kept us on our feet. When the song I Know You Want Me came on the crowd went crazy counting with him in Spanish and when his country-inspired Timber began to play people almost formed line-dancing groups to mimic the cowgirls on stage.
Clever use of video technology added to the experience. Pitbull ended on a high note singing two of his hottest collaborations with soulful singer Ne-Yo, Give Me Everything and his latest release Time of Our Lives. Streamers exploded into the air covering the crowd as the show came to its conclusion.
Needless to say, there was nothing Pit-iful about this performance and it just makes you wonder why there aren’t more music shows staged at this tremendous venue throughout the year.
– Mai Al Khatib-Camille
