Danish singer-songwriter and former Abu Dhabi resident Malo is building a steady reputation in her homeland with tracks such as Soul on Fire and I Think We're Getting Old praised for its blend of soul and indie sounds. With her new single Kiki Dots set for release, she talks to us about her approach to song-writing and country legend Willie Nelson as her songwriting inspiration.
The first album I bought was: 2Pac – All Eyes On Me. I was about 15 years old, and we were living in Mozambique at the time, but then my parents sent me home to Denmark to go to boarding school. They said they wanted me to discover my Danish roots, because I had grown up living overseas.
But I think the real reason was that I had started to discover boys instead, and I guess I was a bit of a wild child back then. Well, some things never change. Anyway, I was in that teenage rebellious stage at the time and really did not want to move to Denmark. So I would bump 2Pac, thinking I was really cool. My second album was probably Snoop Dogg – Doggystyle or Outkast - Atliens. I was really into rap at the time. Still am, actually, but my taste in music has broadened quite a bit since then.
Funny enough though, the first song I ever wrote was a rap song. It was during a summer I spent hanging out with other musicians in Christiania in Copenhagen. It’s a very free-spirited kind of place, a place where everything goes and where you can let your creative juices flow. And yeah, that’s how I started writing songs. Nowadays I don’t write rap at all, but I sure am happy that it inspired me to go on this musical journey.
My first gig was in Dubai! Well that's the first place I ever sang my own songs in front of an audience. It was a singer/songwriting event at The Fridge in Al Quoz about five years ago. I went up and sang three songs, just me and a guitar player. I was so nervous, but it went really well.
But the first time I ever got paid to sing was when I was 13 years old. I was one of the Queen of Denmark’s (Queen Margrethe II) choir girls, which was a huge honour. I sang for her every Sunday in her church called Fredensborg Slotskirke.
That was cool because we had formal singing training lessons on Fridays, so I learned how to use my voice at a pretty young age. I can kind of use it in an operatic way, but I don’t really express that in my songs at the moment. Maybe in the future. But the best part about that gig was going to the local corner store at the train station on my way home and buying candy with the money I had made. I looked forward to that all week.
One of my favourite musicians is Willie Nelson. I love his voice is so sweet, and he's so badass at the same time. No one sounds like Willie. I saw him live in Birmingham, Alabama, a couple of years ago. He is so damn cool and writes fantastic songs.
I really enjoy old school country, outlaw style - like Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams. I guess I kind of like outlaw music in general. I was never into boy bands and stuff growing up. Too soft for me.
A song I wish I wrote is the Willie Nelson song Crazy. It was made famous by Patsy Cline, and I love her version. But it was actually Willie who wrote it, and I didn't know that for many years, even though it was my favourite song. It's definitely my go-to song at the karaoke bars.
My songs are awesome! To be honest, I don't know how to classify my music, but I guess it lies in the realm of indie pop. Some have called it organic pop, although there are electronic elements to some of the songs. My lyrics are very honest, and I do touch on taboo topics at times.
I think my style is different and refreshing, not really like anything else. But you tell me! I love creating melodies, and I think they tend to stick in your head once you hear them. My next single Kiki Dots is coming out on December 29 and its extremely catchy.
It builds really slowly, and I almost dare to bet with you that at the end of the song you’ll hit replay, because it’s so strangely addictive. I co-wrote it with Greg Schutte, who’s a fantastic producer and drummer in from Minneapolis in the US. Funny enough, he was just on tour with Ryan Bingham and Willie Nelson. I love how everything in life is connected somehow. Especially when you send out a certain kind of energy.
To learn more about Malo, visit her Facebook and Spotify page.
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Gulf Under 19s
Pools
A – Dubai College, Deira International School, Al Ain Amblers, Warriors
B – Dubai English Speaking College, Repton Royals, Jumeirah College, Gems World Academy
C – British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Yasmina Academy
D – Dubai Exiles, Jumeirah English Speaking School, English College, Bahrain Colts
Recent winners
2018 – Dubai College
2017 – British School Al Khubairat
2016 – Dubai English Speaking School
2015 – Al Ain Amblers
2014 – Dubai College
PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
