The All Africa Festival in Dubai at the weekend showcased a raft of great talent over three days. Rising dancehall artist, singer and songwriter Shenseea is worth a special mention though.

Her headlining performance on Friday 22 October was powerful and super fun – testament to her growth as an artist. With the iconic Burj Khalifa as a backdrop and over 3,000 people in the crowd at Burj Park, Shenseea stole the show.


Previous artists didn’t make it easy for Shenseea. Hometown heroes Freek, Jaysus Zain, MKO and Sammy Young proved that the UAE is a hotbed of musical talent. And Zimbabwe’s Gemma captured hearts. But Shenseea lifted the vibe to the next level. Dressed in an eye-catching sheer shirt, leather pants and white Balenciaga boots, the Jamaican artist turned up the heat

Hyped up by the crowd’s energy, Shenseea worked her hits including Be Good, The Side Chick Song and Run Run – the audience singing with her word for word. Loving the crowd’s reaction, she hopped off the stage mid-performance into the media pit so she could engage with her fans at eye level.

Then Shenseea injected some extra off-the-cuff fun, calling for the crowd to find the best dancer. Spotting a Nigerian dancer who had performed earlier, the Billboard charting artist invited him on stage to teach her a few moves.

Much to the crowd’s delight, an impromptu dance lesson unfolded. The Kanye West collaborator proved she’s not just a great vocalist, picking up a few new dance moves within minutes.

Admitting she’s more known for her wordplay, she bust out an impromptu freestyle – and the crowd went absolutely wild. Shenseeas performance was sensational.She cemented her reputation as an artist on the rise.

She captivated the crowd. Here’s looking forward to more great music and future adrenaline-fuelled shows from this true star.

Written by: Albert C Carter and Delroy Constantine-Simms