The music of
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
is based on sea folk poetry, song and dance. Traditional dances in Doha are performed on Friday afternoons; one such dance is the
Ardah
Ardah ( ar, العرضة / ALA-LC: ''al-‘arḍah'') is a type of folkloric group dance in the Arabian Peninsula. The dance is performed with two rows of men opposite of one another, each of whom may or may not be wielding a sword or cane, and i ...
, a stylized martial dance performed by two rows of dancers who are accompanied by an array of
percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
s, including
al-ras (a large drum whose leather is heated by an open fire),
tambourine
The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...
s and
cymbal
A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...
s with small drums. Other folk instruments include the
oud
, image=File:oud2.jpg
, image_capt=Syrian oud made by Abdo Nahat in 1921
, background=
, classification=
* String instruments
*Necked bowl lutes
, hornbostel_sachs=321.321-6
, hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded with a plectrum
, ...
and
rebaba
The ''rebab'' ( ar, wikt:ربابة, ربابة, ''rabāba'', variously spelled ''rebap'', ''rubob'', ''rebeb'', ''rababa'', ''rabeba'', ''robab'', ''rubab'', ''rebob'', etc) is the name of several related string instruments that independen ...
, both
string instrument
String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner.
Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the ...
s, as well as the
ney
The ''ney'' ( fa, Ney/نی, ar, Al-Nāy/الناي), is an end-blown flute that figures prominently in Persian music and Arabic music. In some of these musical traditions, it is the only wind instrument used. The ney has been played continually ...
.
Male-only folk music
Sea music
![Arab pearl divers in the Persian Gulf](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Arab_pearl_divers_in_the_Persian_Gulf.jpg)
Work songs relating to the sea are the most recurrent type of folk music, particularly songs pertaining to
pearl hunting
Pearl hunting, also known as pearling, is the activity of recovering pearls from wild molluscs, usually oysters or mussels, in the sea or freshwater. Pearl hunting was prevalent in the Persian Gulf region and Japan for thousands of years. On the ...
.
Each song, varying in rhythm, would narrate a different activity of the pearling trip, including spreading the sails, diving, and rowing the ships. Collective singing was an integral part of each pearling trip, and each ship had a designated singer, known locally as ''al naham''. Singing was used to encourage crew members to work harder during the pearling drip, in addition to providing entertainment while they were resting.
Dance
Ardah
Ardah ( ar, العرضة / ALA-LC: ''al-‘arḍah'') is a type of folkloric group dance in the Arabian Peninsula. The dance is performed with two rows of men opposite of one another, each of whom may or may not be wielding a sword or cane, and i ...
, a folkloric dance, is still practiced in Qatar. The dance is performed with two rows of men opposite of one another, each of whom may or may not be wielding a sword, and is accompanied by drums and spoken poetry.
The two main types of ardah in the Persian Gulf states are land ardah (''ardah barriyya'') and sea ardah (''ardah bahri''). Qatar's ardah is a mixture of the two. In some performances, men wear land ardah attire at a beach setting and are supported by sea band drumming.
Male-only folk music
women primarily sang work songs associated with daily activities such as wheat grinding and cooking. The songs were performed collectively in small groups and varied in specificity - some pertained to general themes, whereas others were related to specific processes.
Men would also sing when returning pearl ships were sighted.
After a sighting was made, they would gather around the seashore where they would clap and sing about the hardships of pearl diving.
[Abu Saud, p. 147]
Dance
Public performances by women were practiced only on two annual occasions. The first was , which involved women and girls of all social classes gathering in a secluded area where they would sing and dance in embroidered clothes. This was usually done in the weeks preceding
Eid al-Fitr
, nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast
, observedby = Muslims
, type = Islamic
, longtype = Islamic
, significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan
, dat ...
and
Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's co ...
.
It was one of the most popular musical practices among Qatari women in previous decades. Each moradah would begin with a prayer to
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
. After this, the women would praise tribal leaders and elders, repeating each verse twice before a new verse was introduced. It was performed with two rows of women opposite of each other with the lead singers at the far ends, thus forming a three-sided rectangle. Moradah's dance consisted of all the women in each row swaying their bodies and moving their arms up and down while their hands were interlaced.
For the most part, the practice was abandoned during the 1950s,
though it is still sometimes practiced at the end of weddings.
There have been efforts by Qatar's ministry of culture to reintegrate the practice in Qatari society.
The second occasion of collective public singing, known as , was performed exclusively at weddings. There were two main instruments used during a performance: , a type of
tambourine
The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...
and ''al tabl'', a longitudinal drum. Thematically, songs are cheerful as they rejoice the marriage which is taking place.
[Abu Saud, p. 149.] The lyrics are derived from verse, a type of
Arabic poetry
Arabic poetry ( ar, الشعر العربي ''ash-shi‘ru al-‘Arabīyyu'') is the earliest form of Arabic literature. Present knowledge of poetry in Arabic dates from the 6th century, but oral poetry is believed to predate that.
Arabic poetry ...
and were generally symbiotic in nature. is still practiced by some classes of Qatari society.
Folk instruments
![QatariMusicPerformanceKatara](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/QatariMusicPerformanceKatara.jpg)
Percussion instruments are most popular in Qatari folk music. ''Galahs'', a tall clay jar, was commonly used as a musical instrument by pearl fishermen. Tin drinking cups known as ''tus'' or ''tasat'' were also used, usually in conjunction with a ''tabl'', a longitudinal drum beaten with a stick.
Contemporary music
Local music artists are subject to many barriers in Qatar, such as lack of awareness, high prices of recording studios and a deficiency of agents.
Music institutions
In August 1980, the Ministry of Information established a subsidiary organization to serve as a music academy, referring to it as "the Institute". An academy building was provided to the institute by the government and it began classes on 1 October 1980 with an initial capacity for 20 aspiring musicians.
Qatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development ( ar, مؤسسة قطر) is a state-led non-profit organization in Qatar, founded in 1995 by then-emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife Moza bint Nasser. Qatar Founda ...
was responsible for commissioning the Qatar Music Academy in
Katara Cultural Village
Katara Mosque
Katara Cultural Village, also called Katara, is a cultural and commercial complex in Doha, Qatar, located on the eastern coast between West Bay and the Pearl.
It was soft-opened in October 2010 during the Doha Tribeca Film Fest ...
in January 2011. Although the academy's primary focal point is providing musical education for children and teenagers from 5 to 18 years old, it also provides education for individuals not falling within that age bracket through its 'music for all' program.
Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra
The
Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, was founded in 2007 by Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, the then Emir of Qatar's consort. The orchestra performs both Wester ...
was formed in 2007 at the behest of
Qatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development ( ar, مؤسسة قطر) is a state-led non-profit organization in Qatar, founded in 1995 by then-emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife Moza bint Nasser. Qatar Founda ...
with an initial budget of $14 million.
Recording companies
The first Qatari record label was established in January, 2015 by
Dana Al Fardan
Dana Al Fardan (born 29 July 1985), is a self-taught Qatari composer and songwriter. Born and raised in Doha, al Fardan is known for being the first female Qatari contemporary composer, singer and songwriter, for being Qatar’s first female to si ...
as ''DNA Records''.
Arabic/gulf music
Many contemporary Qatari singers perform what is popularly known as ''
khaliji'' ('gulf') music. Notable male artists in this genre include
Fahad Al Kubaisi, the first artist out of the
Arab states of the Persian Gulf
The Arab states of the Persian Gulf refers to a group of Arab states which border the Persian Gulf. There are seven member states of the Arab League in the region: Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. ...
to be nominated for a
Grammy award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
, Essa Al Kubaisi, Ali Abdul Sattar, and Bader Al Rayes.
Metal/rock
Naser Mestarihi
Naser Mestarihi (Arabic: ناصر شاهر صالح المستريحي; born 14 October 1987) is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (guitars, bass and vocals) based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Mestarihi is the first rock musician ...
, a
Qatari
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sha ...
born Jordanian-Pakistani singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist became the first rock/metal musician to release an album out of Qatar. He was also a member of Qatar's first ever metal band Asgard Legionnaires.
References
Further reading
* Bahrain and Qatar, being next to each other, in the past exchanged musicians continuously.
External links
Youtube clip of The Ghalali traditional music and dance group performing a Fijiri song in a village near Muharraq, Bahrain, October 7 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Music Of Qatar