Sting, Santana Amongst Others at 14th Dubai Jazz Festival; Interview with CEO, Chillout Productions

by  Rachael Rajan Entertainment | January 19, 2016 | News

The 14th edition of the Dubai Jazz Festival is all set to take place at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre, Dubai from February 24 to 26. A property of Chillout Productions, the festival will feature three days of live jazz performances. Artists and bands at the upcoming edition will include Scott Bradley’s Postmodern Jukebox, James and Toto on Day 1. Day 2 will see David Gray, and Chris Botti featuring Sting perform, while the lineup for Day 3 includes La Bomba De Tiempo and later in the night, Santana.

Since its inception in 2003, The Dubai Jazz Festival has consistently showcased excellent musicians including Grammy-award winning artists, acclaimed performers and groups, and jazz legends.

Going over how the idea of the Dubai Jazz Festival was born, Anthony Younes, CEO, Chillout Productions said, “It all started with the vision of establishing a multi-day festival featuring more than one artist and promoting my favourite genre of music, Jazz! It was in 2002 when Chillout Productions was established, a company devoted to setting up festivals and events with the tradition of initiating new and exciting concepts to make the live entertainment experience even more stimulating for fans.”

While the music naturally remains central to the programme, interesting artistic and lifestyle components add to the offerings at the festival and to the overall vibe. Elaborating on this, Younes said, “We did not want to limit its content and structure to the commonly known concerts. Rather, we wanted to continuously enhance it by adding creative activities to its bills. Our theme, ‘A Unique Take on Music, Art and Lifestyle’ summarizes what the festival promises to the audience – a combination of multi-artistic elements. Every year, our sponsors and partners come up with innovative set ups and events to make sure that the fans are enjoying even before the artists take the stage. Outstanding musicians, great performances, good food, exquisite paintings, fine art, handmade jewelleries and more – these you can all expect from the festival.”

Artisans who will be showcased at the festival include Carrie Wareham, Wael Hamadeh, Jocelyn Lewisham, Marlene Nasra, Usama Afnan, Helen Antoniades, Gail Reid, Lynda Marion Jewellery, Jacqueline Wood, The White Petals, Maxim Kochereshchenka, and Athina.

With the large numbers attending, The Dubai Jazz Festival offers a great opportunity for brands to seamlessly connect with their audiences.

The presenting partner for this year’s event is Lincoln. Other sponsors and partners include Bank of Sharjah, radio 2, MasterCard, Al Bustan Rotana, anghami, osn, Gulf News, What’s On, Hype, Emirates, Harlequin, Artes, SES, SAE Institute, CapitalD, City 7 Dubai, Media Specs, explorer, infopod, Jacobsons, kippreport.com, Capital Business, Eye on Dubai, and Lifestyle.

Discussing sponsorship opportunities at the festival, Younes said, “For partners and sponsors, they all know that international events like the Dubai Jazz Festival offer valuable exposure and positive association with the brand. They use the passion for music to establish a deeper connection to the people, and their investment adds value to the event that they support. Moreover, we have already built the awareness and trust among our local and national audiences, and sponsorship, in effect, is integrated at every level.”

Despite Jazz not being mainstream, the Dubai Jazz Festival has been greatly successful at every level – whether it be reaching a growing audience, getting sponsors and partners on boards or becoming a part of the city’s culture. Talking about how the festival came to occupy this place on the Dubai calendar for both residents and tourists, Younes said, “UAE and especially Dubai is known for its wide variety of cultures and large-scale events. Among these events is the Dubai Jazz Festival that definitely managed to stand out. Drawing in over 430,000 music fans since 2003, I think we have done well in introducing jazz to Dubai.”