Merlina – on another mission

We hardly see singer Merlina Fernando do her thing, in the local scene, and that’s because all her assignments are overseas.For quite a while, she and her husband, Suresh Joseph, did the duo scene, in the Maldives, where their music was appreciated very much by the guests who patronised the resort Merlina and Suresh were featured.

They were back home for a short break before zooming their way to Dubai and are now seen in action at the Fortune Karama Hotel, from 10 pm onwards.They are not doing this scene as a duo but as a four-piece band – Merlina & Mission – with a female vocalist, from the Philippines, included in the lineup.

The band setup is not new to Merlina as she did operate as Merlina & Mission on quite a few occasions.In fact, Merlina & Mission were last seen, in Dubai, in 2019, before the pandemic cropped up.Says Merlina: “So, after a great time in the Maldives, as a duo, we are now in Dubai as Merlina & Mission.

“We love touring as a band and it’s nice to be back in Dubai, because Dubai is my second home and we’ve got a huge fan base, over here”.

I’m told that the venue, Fortune Karama Hotel, is packed, during the weekends, with music lovers eager to see Merlina & Mission in action.

“Our guests include British, Indians, Nepalese, Sri Lankans, Arab, Pakistanis, Filipinos, and Russians, and we are also getting to see our old fans coming back, just to listen to our music. And we have got a whole lot of new friends, as well”.

Merlina added that they have got to select songs that will keep the mixed crowd entertained.

“My band is very much updated with new music, and the old evergreen hits, and we play all the popular dance songs, pop and rock ‘n roll”.

Merlina celebrated her birthday, just recently, in Dubai, and she says it turned out to be one of the best birthday celebrations she has ever had…with surprises galore!

Merlina and husband Suresh