Bahrain

With the Middle Eastern Gulf quickly being overrun by the pop sounds of Muhammad Abdu, Ahlam, the Miami Band, & others, it is sometimes easy to forget about the traditional roots of Arabian music.

Sawt, a form of musical poetry (accompanied by oud), is part of the major heritage for all the Gulf states, & no man did more to preserve or popularize it than the late Muhammad bin Faris of Bahrain, after whom this particular ensemble is named. Although neither bin Faris himself nor his disciple, Dahi bin Walid, actually appear on this recording, the ensemble does a superb job of carrying on their legacy.

This particular recording is an excellent example of authentic Arabian music, performed by an ensemble of traditional musicians. The recording itself is a bit short, consisting of only six songs coming in at just over 53 minutes, but the sound & quality of the recording is excellent.

Three singer-oudists perform on this CD, accompanied by violin, qanun, hand-clapping, & chorus, which all creates the authentic sound. This is an excellent example of the sawt you could expect to hear not only in Bahrain but also neighboring countries like Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, or the UAE. As is typical with Arabic music, most all the songs deal with love, loss, & longing.

This is another excellent release from the Institut du Monde Arabe. As is typical with their releases, this includes extensive liner notes in French & English, giving translations of the poems (though no Arabic transliteration, sadly) as well as an extensive background on Muhammad bin Faris, the genre of sawt, & the musical history of Bahrain. Very nice for those who are academically inclined, but even if not, this is one of the best commercially available recordings of the traditional music of the Gulf region out there. I strongly recommend anyone who loves Arabic poetry & music (especially the more old-fashioned stuff) check this CD out. The Institut du Monde Arabe has also released a couple other recordings covering the region, including a volume on the sawt of Kuwait, which may be of further interest.

 Ensemble Muhammad BinFaris – The Sawt of Bahtain, Institut de Monde Arabe. 2004.

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Tracklist –

Yushawwiquinî Barqun (A Flash Awakens Desire)

Dam'î Jarâ Bi-L-Khudud (Tears Have Flowed Down My Cheeks)

Qâla Ibn Al-Ashraf (The Ashraf's Son Said)

Nâsî Wa Lâ Yadri (Neglectful Without Knowing It)

Wâburuhi Min Al-Ghîd (Upon My Soul)

Mâ Li-Ghusn Al-Dhahab (What's the Matter With the Slender Branch)

Enjoy this gem,

NØ

Qatar

Re-uploaded by request 2/24/2023.

 

Although this music was recorded in Doha, Qatar, it’s really a bunch of Iraqi expats hangin’ out in Qatar. But what the hell. I’m trying here.

Music Of Islam (Celestial Harmonies Series): The Music of Islam, Volume Four embraces some of the most beautiful  Islamic music from Qatar, featuring the oud & various percussion instruments, performed by Iraqi master musicians who keep their music traditions alive in Doha.

This is an invigorating set of music recorded by oud master Mohammed Saleh Abd Al-Saheb Lelo & percussionist Haitham Hasan. Exploring the various modes ("maqam") & rhythmic meters ("wazn") of Arabic music, the two move from brisk, aggressive tempos to unmetered solo pieces, like the beautiful, virtuosic oud solo that begins "Ya Gariya Khabirini," where the distinctive grainy, penetrating tone of the oud is suddenly joined by a propulsive four-beat feel from Hasan, who overdubbed tabla, kasur, tar, & other drums to create the layered bed of rhythm that makes this album so remarkable, if somewhat unorthodox.

Part Four of a 17-CD collection of Islamic music from Celestial Harmonies…all, like this one, boasting excellent liner notes, top-notch sound, & in-depth background information.

 Various - Music of the Arabian Peninsula: Doha, Qatar, Celestial Harmonies 13143-2, 1997. 

Tracklist -

Quam Na Dimi

Ish Lonak Ini

Taqsim 1

Ya Gariya Khabirini

Al Hajr

Marou Alyaa El-Helwen

Taqsim 2

Bead Konto

Lama BadaYatasana

Taqsim 3

Ya Helo Ya Abu El-Sedara

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The music of Qatar is traditionally based on Bedouin poetry, singing, & dancing. Most Qataris listen to Khaliji music which is derived from this style of the traditional Bedouin music. Khaliji music dominates the airwaves in the capital Doha as well as most of the rest of the country. The music is basically accompanied by the oud, the rebaba, & the Arabian flute, with an array of percussion instruments, including al-ras (a large drum whose leather is heated by an open fire), tambourine, & cymbals, along with numerous small drums.

Ali Abdel Sattar was born in Qatar. His love for singing led him to participate in the Gulf singing sessions when he was twenty years old. His real beginning in the world of art was with the hit song "Ya 3alam Ouhibouh". From that point on Ali Abdel Sattar began to attract the attention of larger & larger audiences.

He is one of the most respected Qatari musicians. Fans, music critics, & journalists have nicknamed him ‘The Emir of the Qatari Song’. He has performed in live concerts & participated in festivals throughout the Arab world. He was honored in 1999 by the Arab University as one of the pioneers of Arabic modern music. The lyrics of many of Sattars greatest hits were written by Khaled Abdurahman, himself a musical legend.

 Ali Abdel Sattar – The Best of…, RotanaAudio, 1990-2000. 

Tracklist –

Mahllaha

Yetimah

Adai Aleik Belhob

D’e Alayam Tf’el Ma Tsha’

Ya Nas Ahba

Soukar Zeyada

El Qalb

Ya Dar

Sevgilim

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This goes out especially to critic Hammer from evil Western Satan worshipper Natas Nothin’. Naser Mestarihi is a Doha, Qatar based musician, singer, & songwriter who prides himself in creating music that is true to the roots of good old rock’n’roll. On his latest effort 1987 just released this June, he expands that dedication into a fully fledged affair.

Naser Mestarihi was born on October 14, 1987 in Doha, Qatar. He is a guitarist who has been on the Qatari music scene since the age of 15. Naser is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist (guitars, bass, vocal, & drums) singer-songwriter who is the first rock musician to ever formally release a rock album out of Qatar. Naser has been playing live shows professionally with several bands since 2004. Naser began his solo career in 2007. Given the musical climate of the fundamentalist Middle East for non-Arabic music, he hasn't performed many shows. He has performed a few shows in the United Arab Emirates as a solo artist & as a session musician for other bands. He began recording his debut studio album in December 2009, the eponymous Naser Mestarihi EP.

Here is a track from his latest release.

 Naser Mestarihi – Exodus Highway from 1987, 2013.

Rock evil,

NØ

United Arab Emirates

Re-uploaded by request 2/28/2023

 

Fayez Al Saeed is a prominent singer from the United Arab Emirates. He was born on October 4th, 1974. He was studying literature & singing at weddings & ceremonies when he was noticed by the composer Moussa Mohamed. Moussa believed that Fayez had a rare talent & helped him get his start in music.

In 1996, Fayez collaborated with some of the most well known names in the Arab music world, like Cheikh Mohamed Ben Rashed Al Maktoum & Khaled Abdul Rahman for the release of his first album entitled Mashakel. This first album was a huge success. Its success led to many concerts all around the Arab world. 

 

Fayez's strong voice helped him receive an award from the Emirati Youth & Sports Ministry for a song by the Lebanese cultural icon Wadiah Al Safi. Using his skills he had honed studying literature, in 2000 Fayez composed the song "Ghayart Rayi" for the famous singer Rim El Mahmoudi. That same year, he participated, along with Hussain Al Jassmi & Samar, in the production of an operetta paying tribute to people of Palestine. Fayez has since composed a song for the disabled & another one dedicated to mothers in collaboration with the singer Rim El Mahmoudi. In 2008, he recorded his second album Sharid which was also a huge success. 2009 saw the release of the opus Raw’a. Sarokh is his latest outing. 

 

 Fayez Al Saeed – Sarokh, 2012.

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Tracklist –

Alaemara

Bent El Lazina

El Saraha

Sarokh

Hallo Aeny

Samany Soutak

Fas Malh

Regly Ala Reglak

Barra Barra

Heeh

Lam Lam

Daq Hewa

Maqamat

La Barek

Many Fady

60 Geneh

Mafeny Ella Elkher

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Ahlam Ali Al Shamsi (أحلام علي الشامسي‎) was born in Abu Dhabi in 1968. She is professionally known as Ahlam (أحلام‎). Her father is Ali Bin Hazim Al Shamsi (from Dubai, UAE) & her mother is Fawzia Hazeem (from Bahrain).

Ahlam lived the early part of her childhood in Bahrain, then returned to the UAE, where she completed high school & Islamic studies at the University of Dubai. Ahlam started her singing career when she was a little child. As is the custom, she used to sing in school plays & national ceremonies. Through this she was noticed by the Kuwaiti music composer, Anwar Abdullah. 

 

 

This union led Ahlam to sign a contract with Funoon Al Emarat, a local Gulf-Music production company. Anwar Abdullah also assisted her with the release of her debut self-titled album (Ahlam 95). Today Ahlam is considered among the most famous female singers in the Gulf. She is one of the most famous, wealthiest Arab singers. In 2003, she married Qatari rally car racer Mubarak Alhajiri. 

 

 Ahlam - Ahsan (أحسن‎), Alam El Phan, 2003. 

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Tracklist -

Ahsan

Allah Ei’ein Qolubhum

Leih Mitdhayiq

A'alashanak

Ya Wahishna

Bab el-Leil

La Ti’eid

La Taqoul

Lak ‘Ouyuni

Tagheir el-Waqit

Sikutak

Qdeema

Enjoy,

NØ

Oman

Re-uploaded by request 2/28/2023.

Salem Al Aremy is a singer from Oman. 

He has been singing & playing the oud since he was twelve years old. He began singing songs by the legendary Mohamed Abdu (he has been described as ‘The Artist of Arabs”). In fact, Salem has been nicknamed the Junior Mohamed Abdu.

 SalemAl Aremy – Bakhfi Jarhouhi, 2010. 

Tracklist -

Ala El-Donia El-Salam

Bakhifee Jarhouhi

Kalo Lee Khala

Malak Tari

Min Been Kol Al-Mowaeed

Tobaa

Wainak Min Al-Youm

Ya Zehab

Enjoy,

NØ

Yemen

Once again I am posting some field recordings. This is a selection of various traditional Yemeni music. There are many traditional songs here that date back at least to the 14^th Century. They are called homayni, which is poetry set to music. The first song, “Sanaa S'éville” is a perfect example. Sanaan singing is the most well known of the homayni styles.

The primary instuments here are the oud, the mizamâr (double-reeded clarinet) & various percussions: sahn; tâsa; marfa; & tabla are some. These metal percussion, played by both women & men, is one of the key elements of the Yemeni traditional music.

Various – Yemen: Music ofthe High Plateaus (اليمن - الموسيقى من الهضاب العالية),

Moyen Orient - Playa Sound Collection, 1997.

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Tracklist –

Sanaa S'éville

Ya Man Laqi Qalbi

Danse Bar'a de la Région de Manakha

Ya Muqimin Fi Sanaa

Danse Le'ba

Ya Gamar

Danse Bar'a de la Région d'Amran

Sara L-Leyl

Danse de Mariage

Raka Taruban

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Arwa ( أروى ) is a Yemeni artist, born Iman Salem Oumairan in Kuwait, in 1979. Her father is Yemeni, her mother is Egyptian. As a young girl she moved with her family to Egypt where she attended primary & high school. After graduation, she enrolled in the Cairo Architecture College, with the goal of fulfilling the family dream of having an architect among them.

Since she was young, Arwa was a passionate artist. She performed the songs of the Yemeni Icon Abu Bakr Salem. She used to participate, as a singer, in all school & social ceremonies. When she grew up, her talent was discovered at the university by the artist Youcef Mhanna, who encouraged her & even helped her in starting her career. He was the one behind her first appearance in Orbit Festival. She sang “Kama Erricha” & “Touboul Elmekalla” by Abu Bakr Salem, still her favorite artist.

Arwa is always looking for inspiration in the heritage of traditional songs of her ancestral city Hadramaut. Throughout her career, she has released four albums: Aktar Men Rouhi in 1999; Enta Aarefni in 2006; Einikk in 2007; & this album, Ghasseb Aannak in 2009. I think this music is Yemeni disco.

Arwa – Ghasseb Aannak, 2009.

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Tracklist –

Yom Wahed

Hasess Biya

Ya Ghafel

El Qssa Betoul

Safer W Khallana

Ghasseb Aannak

Jitak

Teloumouni

Mkhabbi Aalaya

Temerni

Aala Keyfak

Banat El Nass

Ben Salem

Sawad El Eyn

Enjoy,

NØ

Saudi Arabia

Waed is a Saudi musician & entertainer. Her real name is Hanan Bakr Younes (حنان بكر يونس). Her professional name Waed means ‘promise’ in Arabic. Her father Bakr Younes was one of the Saudi Broadcasting Channel founders. At the age of 7, Waed's appeared on TV where she sang on a children's program, her sisters (she has five & one brother) were the announcers.

She had always loved music & after getting a taste of performing at such an early age, she knew what she wanted for her future…to be a great singer. To her good fortune, she had the talent to pursue her dream.

In 2001, she released her first album Jonoun. She won a Grammy at the Arabic Song Festival held in Beirut for the title track. She is a wonderfully grounded, passionate, & has an amazing sense of humor. In 2003 Waed released her second album Wejhat Nazar. The songs are song in Khaliji (also called Gulf Arabic, a dialect of the Arabic language spoken around the shores of the Persian Gulf), Egyptian, & Lebanese.

This is her third album, Ya Ahlahom, from 2007. Guest artists on the album include some of the best in the Gulf: Tarek Abou Jaoudeh; Hadi Charara; Riyad El Hamshari; Nicolas Saade Nakhle; & Ramy Ayach. This album once again has a great blend of Arabic musical styles of Lebanese pop, Khaliji ballads, & Egyptian tunes all on one colorful release.

 Waed - Ya Ahlahom, 2007. 

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Tracklist -

Inta Hayati

Mani Le'ba

Ra'shet Albi

Hallaftak

Ala Min

Ya Ahlahom

Traktak

Ma Teftekersh

Sanam Jaamed

Eb'ed Anni

Inta

Khan

Enjoy,

NØ

Jordan

In 1997, the Jordanian government labeled all metal groups as Satanic. They have arrested dozens of band members. Between 2002 & 2005, the handful of stores that sold heavy metal music closed down or changed their line of business. Conservatives says Jordanians who play heavy metal (or other western music) raise alarms about what they call a lost Arab identity. Many of the Jordanian people see someone with long hair, they automatically think that they worship the devil. The Muslim fundamentalists view metal music as a reflection of the state of  the cultural vacuum in which Arab youth live. So here is some devilish Jordanian metal.

 

Exile was founded by guitarist Nader Natsheh in 2008, when he brought the other members together to jam, things clicked, & they decided to form a band. Nader & Hasan Al Dalleh were friends. They had jammed before, but wanted to get more serious. Then they met Mahmoud Tayyem, a drummer who was also interested in the same musical style. They continued playing together & recorded this demo album in Tayyem's basement with SymphoQueen Production. The demo is entitled Death Thrashers Rising which is a name that depicts their passion to old school 80s thrash metal. The band was supposed to perform at the first Pyramids Metal Festival in Egypt as an opening act for the British legends Napalm Death, but the organizers of the event postponed the event due to the situation in Egypt (Arab Spring).

Although they formed in 2008, it was February 2011 before they played their first live gig because of the government oppression of metal music. They played at Do Rock, in Istanbul, Turkey. Recently they played a gig in Jordan, their first live show in their own country. Metal music is not allowed, but sometimes the authorities allow it for unknown reason.

On Dead Thrashers Rising, Exile are: Nader Natsheh – vocals & guitar; Hasan Al Dalleh – bass; & Mahmoud Tayyem – drums.

 Exile – Dead Thrashers Rising 4-song demo, Symphoqueen, 2010.

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Tracklist –

Intro – Ignorant is What You Are

Dead Thrashers Rising

Killing

Living

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Forgive Me is basically the solo project of Lozmodial aka Lord Azmo & some friends from Amman, Jordan. Their music has been called depressive black metal. The lyrics are not the typical devil worshipping, anti-religious lyrics of black metal, but the riffs are, but the speed is faster, more reminiscent of doom metal. Lozmodial is a prolific musician. He has had other projects; a doom metal project called Lord Azmo; a melodic black death metal project called lost lust; & his main project Forgive Me. The name Forgive Me is taken from singer Dalida (Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti)’s suicide note: "La vie m'est insupportable... Pardonnez-moi." ("Life has become unbearable…forgive me").

On Last Drop of Life, Forgive Me are: Lozmodial aka Lord Azmo – vocals & all instruments (except second guitar); Divine Mo’rabe – second guitar; & Rami Manson – agonized screams. This s the first Depressive Black Metal full-length album from the Arabian countries.

 Forgive Me - Last Drop of Life, 2010. 

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Tracklist -

January : Entrance for the Ending

Funerals of Birth

The Old Railway

Into the Shroud

Life=Nightmare

Springtime Depression (Forgotten Tomb cover)

My Wrecked Branch

December : Last Smile of Leaving

I hope you don’t

Enjoy,

NØ

Palestine

Le Trio Joubran are three Palestinian brothers: Samir; Wissam; & Adnan Joubran.

Samir Joubran was born in 1973 in Nazareth, Palestine, from a family rich with musical tradition. He started playing music at the Nazareth Music Academy before moving to Cairo to enter the Mohamed Abdel Wahab Academy where he studied until 1995.

Once his harmonious & magical oud playing was recognized, it didn't take long before he gained widespread renown, first in the Middle-East, then the rest of the world. Samir played many festivals while composing film scores as well as music pieces for dance shows. He then encountered the great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish who led him to grasp the core of Arabic poetry.

Samir's first album Taqassim was released in 1996, followed by Sou' Fahm in 2001. In 2002, he formed a oud duo with younger brother Wissam. Wissam (born in 1983) had inherited from his father, a famous Lute maker, the passion of his trade. Wissam had already become a luthier of great craft & dexterity. He was the first lute maker from the Arab world to graduate from the Antonio Stradivarius Academy in Italy.

Together, the two of them recorded Tamaas/Daqui in 2003. Their third brother Adnan joined them in 2004, giving birth to Le Joubran Trio. It is as a trio that their music entered a new musical era. Adnan's talent added to his brothers' to reach an intense yet peaceful quality of incredible musical exchanges. The Joubran Brothers were brought up with a common love of music from an early age. Their music is not only an expression of their dreams, but it is also, from the first note to the last, an alchemy of spirit & sound, an ocean of sensuality & softness all entwined.

Majâz is the second release of Le Trio Joubran. Majâz means metaphor. A metaphor is an expression that tells us that one thing is the same as another otherwise unrelated object. Through their music on Majâz, the trio is musically carrying their listeners from one emotion to another emotion that is shown to be the same even if we thought it was unrelated. On this release the Brothers feature guest percussionist Yousef Hbeitsch.

 Le Trio Joubran  (الثلاثي ج) - Majâz  ( مجاز), Harmonia Mundi, 2007. 

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Tracklist -

Masar

Roubbama

Laytana

Tanasim 1

Majâz

Shajan

Tanasim 2

Sama-Sounounou

Min Zaman  

Tanasim 3

 Hawana

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Rim Banna is a Palestinian Singer, Lyricist, & composer from Nazareth, Palestine. She attended the High Institute of Music in Moscow studying music & singing, specializing in modern singing & conducting singing ensembles. She has released thirteen albums of her own work, has appeared on the compilation Songs Across Walls of Separation, & was chosen to represent Palestine by singing the song “Tomorrow” for a Quincy Jones compilation. Her eleventh release was 2007s Seasons of Violet, love songs from Palestine.

Her songs are inspired by the Palestinian people’s conscience & sentiments, from their culture, their history, & their folklore. They come from the nature around her & from the sound of the ancient Canaanite Hymns. They speak to the modern Palestinian people, with a message of hope, dignity, & freedom for a bright future. She is an artist & activist for modern Palestinian justice.

Appearing on Seasons of Violet are: Rim Banna – vocals; Eivind Aarseth – guitar; Leonid Alexeienko – acoustic guitar; David Wallumroed – piano & keyboards; Gjermund Silset – electric & upright bass; & Rune Arnesen – drums & percussion, with Siddhartha Krishna – backing vocals. 

 

 RimBanna – Seasons of Violet (ريم بنّا – مواسم البنفسج), Strange Ways Records Way 266, 2007.

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Track List -

The Hymn of the Sea (ترتيلة البحر)
The Night has Fallen Down (أمسى المسا)
The Light Gown of Soul (غلالة الروح)
Seasons of Violet (مواسم البنفسج)

The First Rain (المطر الأوّل )
Beit Allah (بيت اللّه )
I’ll Come to You Daisy Like (أجيئك أقحوان)
After You Left (من بَعدكَ )
The Dream (الحلم)
A Prayer (صلاة)
The Weeping of The Rose (بكاء الوردة)

Enjoy,
NØ