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Bruno Mars to perform today in UAE, here's 10 things to know about the Grammy winner

Here are 10 bits of trivia about the golden voiced superstar who plays du Arena today

1. Among his favourite singers are Elvis Presley, Prince, Jimi Hendrix and Amy Winehouse. He grew up impersonating Presley. Bruno's uncle was also an Elvis impersonator, and he encouraged a three-year-old Bruno to perform on stage. At six, he appeared for around a minute in the cult classic film Honeymoon in Vegas, playing the world's littlest Elvis impersonator. How cute is that?
2. Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars feat. Mark Ronson topped Billboard's list of Top 10 Charting Songs of The Decade. The foot-tapping, infectious tune has been described as a funk-pop, soul, boogie, disco-pop, Minneapolis sound track, with a light EDM influence. It surely gets us grooving every time we hear it!
3. Bruno was accused by an activist back in 2018 of being a 'culture vulture' profiting off of traditionally black music. However, black celebs didn't hesitate to come to his defense. R&B singer Charlie Wilson, one of the black artists Mars was accused of copying, praised the musician in a Twitter message and credited him with helping to "bring back that classic New Jack / R&B sound to the masses when it was left for dead years ago and hard for artists to get that sound back on mainstream radar."
4. Bruno's last studio album, 24K Magic, was released in 2016. We hope we get a new one in 2020, from one of our favourite artists of all time! 
5. One of Bruno's most popular songs is Just The Way You Are, whose video features Peruvian born Australian actress Nathalie Kelley. Did you know the pretty star went to the same school as Nicole Kidman and starred in Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift? When we first watched the video we thought she and Bruno made a cute couple! However, in real life, Bruno's partner is model Jessica Caban, who he has been dating since 2011.
6. Bruno recorded one of his first songs when he was just 4. Titled 'I love you, mom,' his dad helped him write it and he gave it to her on cassette. With lyrics like 'My mommy helps me with my voice, 'cause a superstar singer is my first choice,' the song is absolutely adorable.
7. Bruno's debut album, 2010's Doo-wops & Hooligans spawned the bestselling single Just The Way You Are, which won him a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. In a review, Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone wrote, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans proves that Mars is a natural - a lavishly gifted melodist and an engaging singer."
8. It's no surprise Bruno is such a good showman. His dad, Peter Gene Hernandez Sr., was a percussionist from Brooklyn who moved to Hawaii in the Seventies. When he started playing drums at a revue at the Hilton in Waikiki, he met Bruno's mom, Bernadette, a Philippines born hula dancer and singer. They had a family band, till Bruno's parents divorced when he was 11 or 12.
9. As per an article in Screen Rant on Friday, Uptown Funk is the fourth most watched video of the decade, with 3.75 billion views and counting on YouTube. The number one spot belongs to (no surprise here), Despacito.
10. Bruno possesses a three-octave tenor vocal range. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times commented that he is one of the most "versatile and accessible singers in pop, with a light, soul-influenced voice that's an easy fit in a range of styles, a universal donor." Other artists in the three-octave tenor vocal range include Rihanna, JC Chasez and Kelly Clarkson.
enid@khaleejtimes.com