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Beating the Drums About Traditional Arabic Music

SHARJAH — Dumbuk…dumbak… the beats of the darbuka, locally known as Al Raas, filled the evening air at Sharjah Museum recently as Saeed Mubarak Ali Alhaddad went full blast with his forceful performance.

“The technique in the Al Ayala chant imitates military life. It starts slowly with the key players standing in a semi-circle with the Thakmira, Al Raas and Al Tar drums. It then gradually picks up tempo, but never goes too fast,” said Alhaddad, senior researcher at the UAE Department of Culture and Information, Government of Sharjah.

A group of spectators, including Americans, Europeans and Arabs, at the Sharjah Heritage Museum intently followed every rhythm, trying to understand the origins of the purist form of music.

Alhaddad then broke into what-he-called ‘ahal’, a typical style of Arabic singing. “Notice the stops,” he said. “Music that is rooted in our tradition has certain interruptions, there are mixings in parts of the songs and it does not necessarily flow in one way,” he added. The ‘ahal’ is sung without music but has a rhythm backed by
towering vocals.

It’s not just the music, the postures and techniques dictate the music style.

“Technique is very important in our music. Players of Al Ayala are led by the Thakmira drummer. All players act like falcons looking for prey and must display strong characters,”
explained Alhaddad.

Striking a conversation on whether Muslims are allowed to play or listen to music, Alhaddad was quick to disagree but displayed a sense of disappointment at the deteriorating art of music and its tilt towards commercialisation.

“When you hear the modern music of the youth …you hear it once and that’s it. Those who are singing now know nothing about music and the lyrics are also not proper. Modern singers have not been able to adopt traditional Gulf music,” he said.

Dr L. Dwight Dickerson, associate professor of the Visual and Performing Arts Programme at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) said the incapability of modern music to incorporate purist music has led to it being denied in the Arab world.

“There are two types of music, commercial and purist. Some musicians only make music for money while, on the other end, purists are totally into their music. If music is made with this in mind it is allowed in the Muslim world,” he said highlighting the works of famous Egyptian singer
Umm Kulthum.

Dickerson said that when he began his music classes at AUS, he faced resistance initially from Muslims who consider it prohibited.

Alhaddad said religion does not forbid music completely. “If ‘mosiki’ (music) moves towards cheap things then we say it is ‘haram’ (forbidden),” said the musician, who has written two books on traditional local music.

Paul Crompton, a student who attended the workshop was surprised with the use of music in Arab culture. “It was enlightening that music is not just a sound. It has a practical use, like in the military, and to express solidarity,” he said.

Emirati Khalfan Al Suwaidi said traditional Arabic music is pleasing to hear but, “I still prefer playing modern instruments like the guitar.”


afshan@khaleejtimes.com