Saturday 28 February 2004

Mariah Carey takes a chill pill

She'd barely been here, yet American pop diva Mariah Carey confessed "she was loving every bit of it". It's her first visit to the sun-soaked Emirate and letting her hair down and kicking up the sands is something she's set her heart on, now that her Charmbracelet tour has concluded with the Dubai gig at the Media City late last night.

"I love Middle Eastern cuisine," the number one female artist who has over a 150 million CDs sold worldwide to-date, told a group of media people during a brief pre-concert meet. Dressed in a skimpy brown singlet and snug jeans, her crimped golden-brown locks framing her delicate face, a translucent brush of make-up on and a chunky ring flashing from her finger, she arrived fashionably late with an entourage of publicists, bodyguards and the organisers who'd insisted "no political questions and nothing personal" from the local media that had gathered at the Royal Mirage to meet the star.

Mariah, soft-spoken, almost shy, looked refreshingly healthy - a far cry from the bulimic brigade of contemporary celebs. The much written about star has reportedly got "a heart of gold" and she loves to help in charitable causes. She spends her free time either sleeping or playing with her brood of dogs and loves to cook up some pasta impromptu or just take a roller coaster ride when she's on a high. Then of course, she's got her first love - writing lyrics and bringing them to life.

"I have a personal attachment to all the songs I write, but people really love Hero and Butterfly," said the star who reportedly loves charms and wears them for luck and love. "I forgot to put on my Charmbracelet today. It's lying upstairs," she laughed when asked about it. The sold-out concert that had Khaleej Times as a media sponsor, was Mariah's second show in the Middle East - the first was in Beirut just two days earlier.

It was a sort of coup for organisers, Mirage Promotion who managed to confirm her to do the swansong of the global tour which kicked off in Osaka in June. Dubai was the last stop. "And post concert, Mariah's looking to cool heels in the Emirate without having to catch flights, rehearse and globetrot," City Times was told.

A child-star, Mariah worked her way up since the age of four when her mother first realised her talent. An unstable childhood, a struggling career and much heartbreak later, she says, she's finally, living her dream. And helping others live theirs. The magnanimous crooner works with four charities worldwide and sponsors children to have dream vacations, to travel and realise those ambitions which only money can fulfill.

There was a lot more one could really ask the pop princess sitting so close yet so distanced. How does she identify with the culture here and how well does she identify with people in this part of the world? How much creativity in expression does she allow herself as an artist and just what price she has paid for fame? Well, maybe another time, another day with Mariah Carey.

(Khaleej Times Online)



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