Soul man

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Dubai-based band Abri's blend of soul, jazz and R&B has rocked the crowds in the UAE and the UK. Melissa Sleiman meets vocalist Hamdan Al-Abri.

I'm a bit shocked when I first meet Hamdan Al-Abri. I hardly recognise him when he walks through the door of Fudruckers, and I can't stop staring at him when we're sitting. His Bob Marley-look has been replaced by a neat Mohawk and he's shaved off all of his facial hair.

"I was expecting a Jamaican-looking guy," I blurt out, much to the amusement of Al-Abri. The 27-year-old is wearing a yellow t-shirt with Jimi Hendrix printed on it, a green jacket and there are Converse sneakers under his jeans.

"I get bored sometimes," he says, almost apologetically. "I just like being comfortable. The only thing I'm conscious about is my skinny jeans - I love those."

Abri's frontman is incredibly easygoing. The group is due to release its second album early this year and Al-Abri is confident that it will take over the world. It sounds pretty ambitious, but perhaps that's necessary when trying to break through in music while based in Dubai.

"The music industry in Dubai is still growing," says Al-Abri. "You need a license from the government whenever you want to perform somewhere. Open mic or jam sessions with other musicians are not possible. They'll give you a fine of 10,000 dirhams if you don't get permission."

Al-Abri is hoping to gain popularity in Europe, the US and Asia. They probably needn't worry about their appeal to broader audiences - the band was nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award 2008.

The diverse variety of musical styles and the mixture of personal backgrounds within the band appears to be the magic formula. Keyboardist Julian Symes and drummer Andre Atherly were raised in London, while bassist Rami Lakkis and Hamdan Al-Abri were born and raised in Dubai.

Al-Abri has been singing since he was in high school. "When I was in tenth grade, someone heard me singing to myself in the classroom. So I joined the music club and we did a lot of shows in school." Years later, he met Symes through a mutual friend and presented him with his demo tape. They founded the band together.

He's a fan of various music genres. "I am in love with Sam Cooke's music and singing," he tells me, while munching on a veggie burger. "I'm also into Radiohead, David Bowie, Iggy Pop. I'd love to share the stage sometime with M.I.A or The Roots."

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