ONE DAY TO THE SHOW!

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It's not too often we get performers of this calibre in these parts - Dubai Festival City isn't even finished and it's already base to Miss Dion on this much-anticipated visit. Can't say it's not actually a bit weird to see a 200 million album selling superstar sitting in a chair by a window with a 50 foot crane just outside. Do the army of construction workers dressed in neon yellow, digging holes around the creek down there, know a legend is in their wake?

Celine's all set to perform at the Four Seasons Golf Club, Dubai Festival City on Wednesday night. As she sits before us in the tiny press room at the new InterCon (her chosen residence while in town) she looks completely radiant in a sweeping, baby pink chiffon gown. She's trim, tanned and surprisingly tiny in person. Here's hoping a sandstorm doesn't blow her away.

She beams across the room as she's asked about her first impressions of Dubai.

"For us to be in Dubai is quite exciting, it's the place of the future!" she says, enthusiastically.

"We arrived late last night and it was cloudy. We were ready to see it all but nature said you're gonna have to wait till tomorrow. It all looks so exciting so far though, the hotel is beautiful... To be here is a dream come true!"

Oh wow, we're thinking. She totally LOVES Dubai! Hurrah - go on Celine, tell the world!

And then she adds... "I haven't even been outside yet"

Right then.

She's extremely enthusiastic though, and can't stop looking at her hubby, who is also her manager -Rene Angelil. On how she made that oh-so-controversial mix of business and pleasure work for her, Celine gets serious:

"Some people think working with family might get you into trouble, but he's the boss in showbiz and I'm the boss at home!"

A quick peek at Renee who's sitting quietly in the corner sees him nodding his head... so cute!

"You have to be willing to accept the manager who sees you the right way. Otherwise you can't be an artist. My family and entourage are my inspiration."

In fact, throughout the Q&A, Celine speaks mostly about her family. Did you know she's brought her mum along for the ride? The lucky lady's been everywhere with her (and apparently can't wait to go shopping).

"I'm travelling with mum who's 80, and my son who is 7. It's extraordinary, because I don't travel just to sing, I travel to see the world with my mum and family."

When asked about her hubby's Lebanese roots, and whether she'd ever go there, Celine nods a definite yes.

"When you marry someone, it's spectacular to visit their past and share their future, so I would love to visit Lebanon. I'm trying to cook (the food) as well as I can - I'm not that bad right?"

Renee doesn't answer this one.

Celine's just finished the biggest South African sell-out tour of all time, and a five year stint at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. When asked about leaving the show and taking off around the world, she smiles:

"This is a new feeling to me... (In Vegas) I felt as though I was away from showbiz and the industry. It gave us stability as a family, too. He (her son) was a year and a half when we moved there, so as a mother as well as an artist it has been spectacular!

Now though I'm travelling again, instead of the fans coming to me. It's exciting because even though I've done it many times before, it's been such a long time that it feels fresh."

She seems really excited about her new album ‘Taking Chances' - the tracks from which she'll be singing at the show on Wednesday, as well as her old stuff.

"I'm trying a new edgy approach, a bit more rock. I can't not sing ballads though, it's part of me...

Maturity is a wonderful thing. I love that people think I'm sounding younger - it makes me feel good! I'm enjoying my singing now more than ever before. I think before I had to think about pleasing people."

Now of course, it's everyone else who seems to want to please her!

So... we're dying to know how she keeps so trim and slim. She's 40 years old and seriously looks fantastic! Celine sort of shrugs:

"I don't have to worry about my weight so much - the problem is usually not losing weight, but how to keep it on, it's how I'm made."

On motherhood, a contented smiles stretches across her well-bronzed face. How do you cope with it all, someone asks:

"I cope like other mothers!" she says. "There are challenges. If I thought that before I had a child my life was extraordinary, it's even more so now! My main role in life is a mother, it's what makes me feel the best and the most proud, and because I'm extremely privileged to be a mother, when I go on stage I can fulfil other dreams."

Celine has a lot of profound statements up her sleeves, actually. But this seems to make a lot of sense...

"It starts in your dreams, "It starts at home, it starts with your family. If you're unhappy, how can you spread music and love and passion? It's important that my soul, my heart and feelings are well balanced in order to go and be happy as an artist!"

On clothes she gets an even bigger glint in her eyes. What does she do with all those amazing outfits?

"I have 8 sisters, they love me!" she laughs.

"Some of the clothing I wear for events,... we keep them, and once in a while we do auctions for charities, usually children's."

So what else can we expect from her show on Wednesday, except a lot of lighters in the air once ‘that Titanic song' gets going?

"Expect lots of fun", she says. "Lots of dancers, and new songs from my ‘Taking Chances' album... and I've never had a chance to sing my previous repertoire here, so I'll be doing some of those too". (Bring on Beauty and the Beast!)

Celine also let on how much she'd love to do a duet with an Arab artist, but hadn't been approached yet. Anyone got any ideas, or fancies volunteering? Better get the karaoke sets out and start practicing!

"Shame I'm only here for three days", she says, as she shakes the hand of the mall manager who presents her with a gift before she's swept away in a crowd of flashbulbs. "You should see the damage I can do!"

Judging by her gorgeous dress, which almost certainly didn't come cheap, perhaps we're actually quite glad she might not find the time to clear the Mall of Emirates...


Tickets to Celine Dion's Taking Chances concert are still available at showbizme.com, and from the concierge at the Box Office.

Do not miss this fabulous woman and her even more fabulous lungpower in action!

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