Omar Kamal is paying tribute to Frank Sinatra with his latest cover.
Launched as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival, Kamal's sumptuous version of 1955 song In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning, has arrived on YouTube with an accompanying music video.
The new release, shortened to In the Wee Small Hours, also offers a preview of both his coming EP Late Nights with Omar Kamal and world tour, which will include a performance at New York City's Jazz at Lincoln Centre.
Both projects are supported by the Abu Dhabi Festival, with the EP release and tour dates to be announced soon.
For Kamal, dubbed the "Palestinian Frank Sinatra", the classic sees him going back to his roots.
"This is where it all started," he said.
“The exclusive and solitary world of jazz ballads allows you to dig deep into the hidden corners of the soul and come out with expressions in the form of music and song”.
The new work is also a return to Kamal's established sound.
In 2019, he released experimental second album Show Me The Light, which saw him ditch the crooner image and explore a variety of styles including Arabic folk, Mediterranean balladry and even prog-rock.
The adventurous move paid off, with Kamal performing a sold-out show at Dubai Opera that same year.
From Palestine to Hollywood
From humble beginnings, Kamal’s career continues to soar.
Growing up in Nablus in the midst of the Second Intifada, Kamal was 8 when he took up piano at home as a form of respite.
Encouraged by his music-loving parents and early obsession with Sinatra, Kamal eventually relocated to Cardiff, Wales, where, as well as obtaining an engineering degree, he performed regularly with a number of jazz groups across the UK.
His live shows, in addition to a string of YouTube recordings of regional classics, such as Fairuz's and the patriotic anthem Mawtini, as well as jazz numbers by Dean Martin and Sinatra's track What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life?, eventually garnered the attention of Dubai-headquartered music label Sony Music Middle East, which signed him.
The Hollywood ending came with Kamal recording his 2017 debut album Serenade in Capitol Studios, Los Angeles. The same studio in which Sinatra recorded more than a dozen of his seminal albums, including 1954's Songs for Young Lovers.
"(I have) a kind of obsession about Frank Sinatra and studied the way he sang," he told The National in 2018. "It also made me move away from classical towards jazz and swing. It did kind of start with him."
Considering the nocturnal theme of the EP, Kamal couldn't have picked a better lead single than In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.
Late night inspiration
Composed by David Mann with lyrics by Bob Hilliard, the duo came up with the torch song during a late night writing session in 1955.
The pining lyrics, which centre on a late night brooding over a former lover, suited Sinatra well.
At the time, he was recovering from a string of failed relationships and wanted to produce an album documenting the tumultuous time.
The song went on to open his 1955 album In the Wee Small Hours, a masterful collection of love laments, which were seen as a career leap for Sinatra and one of the first true concept albums in pop music.
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Al Montaqem, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m | Winner: Daber W’Rsan, Connor Beasley, Jaci Wickham
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m | Winner: Bainoona, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: AF Makerah, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 | Winner: AF Motaghatres, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,600m | Winner: Tafakhor, Ronan Whelan, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Palestine and Israel - live updates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
