Mohammed Adbu is deservedly one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest stars.
Popular both on the Arabian peninsula and internationally, Abdu blends Gulf music (khaleej) and contemporary Egyptian-style in his own personal style of Arab-fusion. His most respected work, “Aba’ad” (part of which we sing in class as “Layla,”), is an epic love song that maintains its intensity for over twenty minutes. Watch Mohammed Abdu and his totally awesome band perform live.
Tag Archives | Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Official Favorite
Tariq Abdul-Hakeem was a Saudi singer extraordinaire….
Public musicians of Saudi Arabia – all of whom are men – generally perform in what is called the khaleeji (Gulf) folk tradition. The most famous khaleeji performer of his era was Tariq Abdul-Hakeem, a well-known composer who wrote hundreds of songs, including the Saudi national anthem, for himself, for the Saudi military, and for other popular vocalists. In this video, enjoy Tariq’s music and a grand Saudi band.
Drumming With a Daff is A-Okay
If you’re a Saudi musician the daff drum will be your best friend.
Being a musician in Saudi Arabia is tricky business. Because Islam is so elemental to public culture in Saudi Arabia, and because some of the more fundamentalist (and outspoken) Muslim clerics consider must to be “haraam” (forbidden/sacred) the Saudi state has historically adopted a firm stance against all but the most traditional or devotional music. The playing of any instrument beyond the voice (and the beat of the small “daff drum,” as long as it doesn’t have metal or jingles, though only on carefully prescribed occasions…like making this video…?) is particularly questionable.
Singing Our Way Through Saudi Arabia
This week we’re going to travel to one of the most overtly religious, most centrally controlled, most anti-American and simultaneously most pro-American nations in the world…Saudi Arabia. This desert nation on the Arabian peninsula was one of the poorest countries on the planet until the discovery of oil within its borders in 1938. Since then Saudis have found wealth beyond their wildest dreams–well, at least some Saudis have–and the nation has become one of the key players in the world economy and global politics. At the same time it’s also the birthplace of the Muslims’ Prophet Mohammad, Islam’s spiritual home, and one of the few nations whose legal system runs on traditional Islamic laws. Westerners, especially Western women, may not find traveling in Saudi Arabia easy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go there…at least in song!
