The story of one of pop's greatest singers is about to hit the big screen.
I Wanna Dance with Somebody, which has its global premier on Monday, retraces Whitney Houston's journey from shy gospel singer to one of the most successful pop stars of all time.
The film, with English actress Naomi Ackie playing Houston, will also explore her fall from grace, exacerbated by her tumultuous personal life and spiralling substance abuse.
What is not lost amid the drama is the power of Houston’s songs, ranging from achingly romantic ballads to inspirational anthems and energetic pop.
Here are 10 songs that show why she was described as the voice of her generation.
1. Hold Me (1984)
While short of the vocal fireworks synonymous with her later releases, the duet with soul singer Teddy Pendergrass is a tender ballad introducing Houston to the US RnB market.
While she would go on to transcend the genre, Hold Me is still cherished by fans and became a popular wedding song in the US.
2. You Give Good Love (1985)
Houston shines on her own here, her first US chart topping single.
The mid-tempo piece laid some of the foundation for Houston's sound, which often has her clear and controlled voice sailing over sweeping arrangements and pristine production.
While the approach was not as forward thinking, it is this elegant conservatism that allowed Houston to reach a wide audience.
3. Saving All My Love for You (1984)
An underappreciated talent of Houston's was her mastery of song interpretation.
Originally recorded in 1978 as a duet by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr, the new take by Houston is more ornate and features one of her purest vocal performances.
Houston reportedly admitted that the emotionally fractious lyrics of Saving All My Love for You belied her own experiences with tumultuous relationships.
4. How Will I Know (1985)
By the time the dance-ready single was out, Houston's eponymous debut album was well on its way to selling 25 million copies.
How Will I Know was a creative breakthrough for Houston and proves she was equally adept at singing high tempo pop tracks as ballads.
Backed by barrelling drums and a screaming sax solo, the song remains a vibrant reflection of its time.
5. Greatest Love of All (1986)
It takes something special to make an already recognised song your own.
Houston achieved that with her version of the 1977 George Benson hit and transformed it into an epic inspirational ballad.
While the structure of the expansive ballad is similar to the original, Houston's version injects the kind of soul and passion developed during her earlier years as a gospel singer.
Her performance is a masterclass in vocalism for its power, control, diction and crispness.
Greatest Love of All was the last single of Houston's game-changing debut album and topped the US charts for three weeks.
6. I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) (1987)
By the time Houston released her second album, Whitney, in 1987, she was considered an equal to pop stars Prince and Michael Jackson.
With both artists releasing seminal albums that year (Sign o' the Times and Bad, respectively), Houston also made an impression with the chart-conquering Whitney.
Featuring glossy and exuberant synths and throbbing basslines, the blockbuster single I Wanna Dance with Somebody became a summer anthem and made its mark internationally by topping the charts across Europe.
It also cemented Houston's status as a new queen of pop.
7. One Moment in Time (1988)
Arguably the greatest Olympic anthem.
Released for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Houston beautifully summons the majesty of the event with a luscious vocal that swells to cinematic proportions in the crescendo.
The song went on to resonate beyond the event, with Houston performing it again as part of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
8. I Will Always Love You (1992)
The idea to cover Dolly Parton's 1974 song as part of the film soundtrack for The Bodyguard came during a moment of bother.
Houston was frustrated that the original choice, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, by Jimmy Ruffin, was being used for the drama Fried Green Tomatoes and record label head Clive Davis was impressing upon her the need for a big song to carry The Bodyguard.
Then co-star Kevin Costner suggested I Will Always Love You and the rest is history.
In the Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody, she says she is attracted to songs that envelop the listener.
I Will Always Love You, with its heft and Houston’s bravura performance, is the epitome of that approach.
9. Exhale (Shoop Shoop) (1995)
While Houston is often associated with epic vocal performances, she also found success when dialling it down.
As the lead single from the Waiting to Exhale film soundtrack and produced by Babyface, Exhale (Shoop Shoop) is a sensual RnB jam in which Houston sounds relaxed in a low-key gem.
10. I Didn't Know My Own Strength (2009)
I Didn't Know My Own Strength is a classic Houston ballad that alludes to her troubled family relationships and her battle with substance abuse.
While the latter, sadly, left its mark on her once-immaculate voice, the power of the song lies in the resilience etched in those weathered vocals.
The fact she succumbed to her struggles three years later makes it a harrowing listen today.
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Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Background: Chemical Weapons
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SRI LANKA SQUAD
Upul Tharanga (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella
Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana
Chamara Kapugedara, Thisara Perera, Seekuge Prasanna
Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera
Vishwa Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine 2.4L four-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.4L/100km
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
