A David Guetta performance at Louvre Abu Dhabi is a perfect fit, says the French dance music star.
More than Gallic pride, he describes the opportunity to play amid the stunning Saadiyat Island museum as neatly dovetailing with his goal of taking electronic music to the masses.
“My whole career really is about using music to bring different people and cultures together,” he tells The National at Riyadh’s Soundstorm music festival on Saturday.
“And I have been doing this particularly in the Middle East. I spend a lot of time in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and I have seen how the region’s dance music scene evolved with people putting their cultures into it. It is a great thing to see and I am just proud to be part of what is going on.”
While the gig will be streamed on New Year's Eve, it was pre-recorded earlier this month, says Guetta’s manager Jean-Guillaume Charvet.
This was done so they could visually infuse Louvre Abu Dhabi, in addition to adding some of the key artworks from the museum to Guetta’s performance. Expect to see Piet Mondrian’s Composition with Blue, Red, Yellow and Black, August Rodin’s The Walking Man, On a Column and Katsushika Hokusai's Under the Wave off Kanagawa, among other works.
The concert will be streamed from Guetta’s social media channels, including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, from midnight GST on January 1.
Ahead of the event, here is what you need to know about the show:
1. A picturesque production
For the performance, Guetta is on a floating stage backed by an evocative light show and it includes projections of masterpieces from Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection.
There are 20-metre-high flames shooting into the night sky in sync with the DJ’s set.
“This is not a Guetta [gig] with Louvre Abu Dhabi as just the background,” says Charvet. “The museum is a major part of the show and everything has been designed to ensure that balance between music and art is there.
“That means a lot of work and organisation has been done beforehand and it’s not just about showing up to the museum and just playing.”
While not wanting to reveal too many technical aspects of the recording prior to the stream, Louvre Abu Dhabi director Manuel Rabate describes the production level as immense.
“It is huge and spectacular,” he tells The National. "In terms of scale and complexity it is very big and fantastic. While Guetta is only using one big stage there are a lot of cameras and visual effects.
“There are live drones capturing footage and at the same time the museum's artwork will be fully integrated into the show. There is that visual connection and overall narrative to the performance."
2. Music for the moment
Considering the setting and the occasion, the normal supply of festival hits won’t do. Charvet says that Guetta spent a lot of time crafting a set-list in tune with the celebratory vibes of New Year’s Eve and the majestic surroundings.
While Guetta performed a similar streamed concert for New Year’s Eve 2020 in the Louvre Museum in Paris, Charvet says the songs played in Abu Dhabi are directly inspired by the museum.
"It will be more reflective and artistic," he says. “The music played is more electronic and that's to give space for the architecture to shine in the show. The performance is less based on pure energy and more on sensibility and capturing every detail of the amazing museum in Abu Dhabi."
3. The research process
As part of the creative process, Guetta immersed himself into Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection as well as aspects of UAE culture. This included spending hours in the museum on a guided tour with Rabate earlier this month.
"What I found fascinating about Louvre Abu Dhabi was how they represent the various human civilisations by chronology in the same space, instead of separating them,” Guetta says.
"That to me is powerful because it ultimately shows that we are really not that different from each other and to me that is really the whole history of the world."
As someone who is used to leading high-profile delegations around the museum, what struck Rabate about Guetta and his crew was their indefatigable curiosity surrounding the Louvre Abu Dhabi collection.
“This was even before they arrived in Dubai where we shared a lot of correspondence and research about the history of the museum and its collection,” Rabate says.
“In the museum, David and his team were asking questions about the collection and what it meant. You can tell that they were taking it all in and using it in preparation for the show.”
Guetta also went on a low-key desert safari in Dubai. “We all sat there just sharing tea with our wonderful Emirati hosts and learning the history of the UAE and traditions,” Charvet says.
“They were really generous with us and we had a beautiful time sharing stories and experiences.”
4. Shining a spotlight on Louvre Abu Dhabi
Guetta follows international pop group Now United in performing streamed concerts from Louvre Abu Dhabi.
While the pandemic largely necessitated performances to be held without a live audience as a safety measure, Rabate says both events are part of a drive to promote the museum as a cultural and tourism destination.
“We have definitely been increasing its digital footprint and with the Now United show, and surely with David Guetta, it will also be huge for us in terms of visibility,” he says.
“What we are doing with these shows is creating desire and curiosity and, once it’s safe to do so, we can hopefully convert that knowledge into footfall.
“The world is still in shock with Covid-19 but we are showing that Abu Dhabi is a safe and vibrant city and we are still keeping the flame for culture alive.”
David Guetta at Louvre Abu Dhabi will stream online at midnight GST on January 1. More information is available at louvreabudhabi.ae
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Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Super Saturday race card
4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The Programme
Saturday, October 26: ‘The Time That Remains’ (2009) by Elia Suleiman
Saturday, November 2: ‘Beginners’ (2010) by Mike Mills
Saturday, November 16: ‘Finding Vivian Maier’ (2013) by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
Tuesday, November 26: ‘All the President’s Men’ (1976) by Alan J Pakula
Saturday, December 7: ‘Timbuktu’ (2014) by Abderrahmane Sissako
Saturday, December 21: ‘Rams’ (2015) by Grimur Hakonarson
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Leading all-time NBA scorers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
Continental champions
Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)
Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)
Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)
Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)
Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)
Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)
Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation
THE CARD
2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m
3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m
3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m
4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m
4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m
