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Sawt music: Echoes of pre-oil Kuwaiti society

By Khaled Al-Abdulhadi

Sawt music is a vital genre deeply connected to Kuwaiti cultural history, offering insight into life in pre-oil Kuwait. Today, the genre is preserved by heritage organizations such as the Kuwait Heritage Society, Kuwait Sea Sports Club and the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters.

Ethnomusicologist Rolf Killus notes that most agree the genre in its current form was established by poet, composer, singer and oud player Abdallah Al-Faraj, an heir to a wealthy merchant family that had emigrated to Bombay, though he was born and died in Kuwait. His prominent contemporaries included Ibrahim bin Yaqoub, as well as Khaled and Yousef Al-Bakr.

Killus writes, “Sawt was the art music of the first urban centers in the Gulf region. This pan-East-Arabic-Gulf genre was created in Kuwait, likely due to its position at the crossroads of cultural influences.”

According to Sarah Al-Zouman, bahri music is divided into work and celebratory songs. Work songs include “sangeen”, sung when sailors set the ship out to sea, and “yamaal”, with various versions performed when sailors row the vessel, trim the sail or pull the ship back to anchor. Celebratory music includes “al-uns”, derived from the Arabic word for “happiness”. Zouman writes: “Al-uns takes place when men return safely from sea. They gather for an evening of singing, playing instruments and dancing to celebrate their successful journey.”

Ahmad Al-Salhi describes sawt music as a broad range of styles, recognized by their social contexts, and influenced by nearby cultures. He notes that the Hadhar (urban dwellers) are associated with bahri music, while the Bedouins have rababa music, accompanied by poetry.

Salhi explains: “Maritime songs (bahri) are considered work songs; most tasks carried out on ships have their own melodies, movements and unique rhythms. Other professions like blacksmithing (hdada) and shipbuilding (qlafa) had their own associated songs, but these disappeared as the practice of these crafts diminished.” Musical gatherings, known as samras (from the root samar, meaning to enjoy the night with conversation or music), are often held on weekends at night. Notable Sawt music performers include Abdellatif Al-Kuwaiti, Ibrahim Al-Khashram, Hamad Khalifah, Salem Al-Fahaad and Dawoud and Saleh Al-Kuwaiti, among others.

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