VIDEOS: 'Harlem Shake' creator Baauer to perform at Dubai's My Music X festival
Love it or loathe it, ‘Harlem Shake’ is the current music phenomenon - and the man behind it wants UAE fans with the funkiest moves to shake it with him at a Dubai gig this month.
Organisers of the My Music X festival had announced that ‘Gangnam Style’ superstar PSY would headline their star-studded event.
However, earlier this month the South Korean rapper denied claims he was bringing his dance hit ‘Gangnam’, which has more than a billion views on YouTube, to the UAE.
That shook the My Music X team into action and yesterday they revealed ‘Harlem’ inventor Baauer would be bopping into Dubai for their three-day festival at Atlantis, The Palm.
His viral video has been re-created more than 12,000 times online and two versions have had more than 100 million views between them.
Shakers in the UAE must submit their own “funky” ‘Harlem Shake’ dance videos on the My Music X website for a chance to perform on stage wearing the ‘Harlem Shake’ helmet when Baauer hits the decks in front of festival goers on March 28.
A statement from festival organisers said: “The winner will meet Baauer, and perform their winning moves.”
That was music to the ears of UAE ‘Harlem Shake’ fans.
“I will definitely send in my video,” said Mudassir Syed, a 19-year-old student at the University of Wollongong in Dubai, who made his ‘Harlem Shake’ video mid-air.
“I was bored on a flight back to Dubai so I decided to film my own version on the plane,” Syed said, adding that he had to be quick so the cabin crew wouldn’t catch him at it.
Asked why he thought Harlem Shake fever has caught on, he said: “It’s just something everyone can do.”
Syed added: “They seem to find it fun because they can just be themselves.
“Not everyone can do ‘Gangnam Style’ but anyone can do the Shake.”
Dubai-based Light House Studio’s ‘Harlem Shake’ video has gathered almost 30,000 hits since it was uploaded on February 24. It features dhow workers performing a Shake while loading their boat.
The studio’s managing director Mohamed Kashif said: “We spoke to the workers and told them we were making a video for the internet. They were really excited to be on camera and had a lot fun doing it. It would be amazing if those guys got a chance to be on stage at a concert.”
The ‘Harlem Shake’ went viral across the globe in February when a YouTube video of the dance gained more than 300,000 views in 24 hours.
Dance fans who think they have a winning ‘Harlem Shake’ must upload their video to the My Music X website at mymusicx.com before March 24 and the winner will be revealed the next day.
megha@7days.ae
3 Comments
by dubaiexperiences
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 2:46PM
“I like this video!!!! As they say, awesome!!! :P
https://http://tinyurl.com/brd54nk”
by chalky6766
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 12:44PM
“Why do these terrible things take hold, it just shows a complete lack of individual imagination to then have to start jumping up and down like a lunatic only to be paraded on YT with all of the other lunatics. As for Gangnam, the only reason that became such a big deal was because the Koreans are not exactly known for their chart hits so something half decent comes along people take note, it is still however a ridiculous song and a ridiculous dance. We all await his next smash hit perhaps he just doesn't realise that their probably aint gonna be one! Life is fickle nowadays! Mr Gangnam so best you make the most of it!”
by Spencer Semple
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 12:17PM
“The Canadian University of Dubai video received over 100,000 views in the first week between YouTube and Facebook Mobile! I think it is the top Harlem Shake video in the UAE.”