There was a touching moment during Coldplay's Glastonbury festival headlining set on Saturday when frontman Chris Martin went over to the band's special guest, singer and pianist Victoria Canal.
As Martin peered over Canal's piano, they both delivered the key lyric to the song Paradise: “And so lying underneath those stormy skies. She'd say, 'Oh, I know the sun is meant to rise.”
That sense of resilience encapsulates Canal's burgeoning career.
But who is she?
The acclaimed Spanish-American singer-songwriter's cosmopolitan journey to the Glastonbury stage included a stint living and studying in Dubai. Born in Munich, Germany to an American mother and Spanish father, Canal's childhood followed their adventurous spirit with a childhood spent in various countries, including China, Japan, Spain and the UAE.
Canal was born with one fully functioning arm due to amniotic band syndrome having restricted blood-supply to the other in the womb.
A precocious talent, she began playing the piano at the age of six and spent part of her teenage years studying at Gems Education World Academy in Dubai and summer holidays in the US after receiving a scholarship with Berklee College of Music.
When The National interviewed her as a 15-year-old in 2013, Canal already had songs featured on broadcaster MBC and was playing occasional UAE gigs in cafes. She also spoke of her resolve, allowing her to play the piano with both hands.
“When I started having piano lessons, my teacher taught me how to play left-handed and had planned my future around left-handed pieces,” she said. “I’m very grateful my mum encouraged me to use both hands instead, because when I eventually did, it worked to my advantage.”
Canal also spoke of tackling perceptions about her physical condition.
“Little kids always ask: ‘What happened to your arm?’” she said. “I just explained that it happened at birth. Most adults are polite and respectful. If they ask, I’m perfectly fine with that. When I tell them, they say: ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ and I’ll say: ‘There’s no reason to be sorry, I’m perfectly fine and don’t feel any different.’”
Canal studied jazz at the prestigious L’Aula de Musica Moderna I Jazz del Conservatori del Liceu in Barcelona before returning to the US to record her 2016 debut EP Into the Pull.
It was US singer-songwriter Michael Franti who gave her a big break, inviting Canal to a recording session after discovering her on Instagram.
That collaboration led to joining Franti as guest performer on his 2019 US tour and provided further inspiration for her 2020 follow-up EP Victoria.
One standout track from the release is the critically-acclaimed Drama. It combines Canal’s sophisticated arrangement with her keen ear for hooks and playful wordplay as heard in the chorus: “You are clinical, cynical, don’t leave room for nobody else.”
Social media did its magic when Martin heard her work online in 2021 and before long she was signed to Coldplay's label Parlophone Records.
“She has the gift of song,” Martin told The New Yorker last year as part of a profile of Canal. “I don’t know where that comes from, or how you’d even define it, but songs come through her like they do for some people … Then, on top of that, she’s so emotionally open.”
That industry boost allowed Canal to open for Irish singer Hozier on his 2023 UK tour and the growing buzz surrounding that year’s double single Shape/ She Walks In and this year's Black Swan earned her two Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.
With such trajectory and goodwill, it was no surprise Martin invited her to perform Paradise at Glastonbury, seeing Canal leave the festival with a new legion of fans awaiting her debut album, which is currently in the works.
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Read more about the coronavirus
The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
