Emirati singer Alira stuns crowd at Philippine I-Day event in Dubai

Emirati hitmaker Alira shocked the audience in Dubai with his rendition of popular Filipino songs at the Philippine Independence Day celebration at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The Take Flight singer launched into a medley of beloved Filipino and English love songs, including Dadalhin and I Don't Want to Miss a Thing. He sang in his trademark countertenor voice.

Amid cheers from the crowd at the end of his performance, Alira returned on stage as the audience demanded an encore. He obliged with a stunning rendition of the love song Bakit Nga Ba Mahal Kita.

Alira ended the show with a heartwarming rendition of Isang Lahi, a song that calls for love and unity across all races.

Before leaving the stage, Alira called on everyone to unite. "Now, more than ever, we have to come together and make our world a better place," he said.

It is the first time that a Philippine Independence Day event in Dubai featured an Emirati singer. This year's Philippine Independence Day event was also graced by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Co-Existence.

Alira captured the hearts of Filipinos and multinational fans when he made his debut in December at a concert in Dubai with Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, and pop stars Yeng Constantino and KZ Tandingan.

Although a full-blooded Emirati, Alira is able to sing flawlessly in Filipino. He also sings in Hindi, Chinese, Japanese and English, to name a few, not just his own native Arabic. He has wowed multinational fans with his versatility in singing in various languages in his trademark countertenor voice. His debut song, Take Flight, became a dance craze on TikTok.

At the Middle East Film and Comic Con in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, Alira sang a medley of popular anime songs in Japanese, English and Arabic, delighting many fans.