Keighley's leading dance promoter Saby is heading across the Atlantic for a series of gigs in New York and California.

The former Greenhead School student, real-name Sabir Hussain, hopes to get a grant from Yorkshire Arts to help fund his appearances at top clubs in the States.

The 23-year-old entrepreneur has already staged a dance event at leading London nightclub the Ministry of Sound.

In three years he has progressed from afternoon shows for Asian youngsters in Keighley to sell-out gigs at major venues across the North and Midlands.

Saby, of Belgrave Road, will spend a fortnight in the USA this month playing Asian, hip-hop and dance music at Manhattan clubs including Speeed, Cream and Club 911. Then he will fly across the country to California to play venues in San Jose, San Francisco and Oakwood for the Sun City production company.

Saby hopes to show off the talent that has seen him cross over into the UK mainstream with events attracting both Asian and white clubbers.

He hopes to act as a role model to young people in Keighley and match the success of Asian performers such as Talvin Singh, Cornershop and Asian Dub Foundation.

Saby says: "You need to be very strong emotionally and physically to be successful. There is a lot of hard work and competition involved.

"More and more unemployed Asians are coming off the streets, getting out of crime and into entertainment and winning major awards."

Saby is also creating a website for his production company Goodfellas which will sell clothes as well as his promo remix records. His "day job" is running his family's BAC Clothing store in Cavendish Street.

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