The vibes of The Global Encounters Festival 2025 ♪♪♪
If the GSAF win was the spark, then the Global Encounters (GE) Festival 2025 in Dubai was a full-blown explosion.
Stepping onto that stage wasn’t just about playing a set; it was the culmination of years of practice, a regional title, and enough adrenaline to power the entire Burj Khalifa. To represent the GCC as the sole instrumentalist was a weight I felt in every beat—but once the lights hit, that weight turned into pure energy.
The Build-Up: A Week in the “Zone”
The week leading up to the performance was a blur of high-intensity rehearsals and sheer scale. Dubai didn’t hold back. With over 25,000 visitors flooding the venue and thousands more watching the livestream globally, the atmosphere was thick with creative electricity.
- The Grind: My days started and ended with drumsticks. We’re talking 8-hour sessions, perfecting every fill and ensuring the mix was crisp.
- The Vibes: Meeting artists from all over the world was a masterclass in itself. You’d hear a tabla in one room and group performances in the next.
- The Pressure: Knowing that thousands of eyes were on the livestream meant there was zero room for a dropped stick. My metronome and I became very, very close friends.
The Setlist: Precision, Power, and the “Shuffle”
When it was finally my time to take the GE stage, I wanted a setlist that showcased the range of what a drum kit can do. Here’s how it went down:
- “The Spirit of Radio” (Rush): You don’t cover Neil Peart unless you’re ready to work. Starting with this was a statement—technical, fast-paced, and full of those iconic 7/4 time signature shifts. It set the bar high and got the crowd’s attention immediately.
- “Fire” (Jimi Hendrix): I wanted to transition from precision to pure, raw power. This was for the “Mitch Mitchell” in me. It was loud, it was frantic, and by the end of the song, I’m pretty sure the front row could feel the heat.
- “Rosanna” (Toto): I ended with the ultimate drummer’s test—the Half-Time Shuffle. There is no feeling quite like locking into that “Purdie Shuffle” groove while looking out at a sea of thousands of people. It’s technical, it’s soulful, and it was the perfect “mic drop” (or stick drop) to end the night.
Reflection: The Heartbeat of the Journey
Looking back at that week in Dubai, I realize that music is the only language that doesn’t need a translator. Whether it was the person in the front row or someone watching on a screen in a different time zone, we were all vibrating on the same frequency.
Winning the GCC slot at GSAF was the door; the GE Festival was the room I was meant to play in. Thank you to everyone who followed this journey from the very first U-18 competition in 2023.
“We play the music, but the rhythm plays us.”
