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Sawt (music)

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Mirwas drum

Sawt (Arabic: صوت / ALA-LC: Ṣawt; literally "voice"; also spelled sout or sowt) is a kind of popular music found in Kuwait and Bahrain.

History

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It is said that sawt was established in Kuwait by the poet, composer, singer and oud player Abdallah al-Faraj (1836-1901/1903).[1][2] The Bahraini historian Mubārak al-'Ammārī believes that sawt was known in Kuwait before 1766, and in Bahrain since 1783.[2] Saleh and Daoud Al-Kuwaity were widely considered among one of its earliest pioneers.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Description

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Sawt is a complex form of urban music, originally performed on the 'ud (plucked lute) and mirwas (a drum), with a violin later supplementing the arrangement.

Two men perform the dance, which is called "Zaffan". Al-Sout is performed only at night gatherings of men. It is called "Samra" (nightly chat).

Sawt also contains a special type of clapping called sherbaka, which means "intertwined," and is usually performed by spectators only on Arabic and Levantine scales.[8] The poetry used in sawt is usually classical Arabic poetry, or khamini poetry, which is similar to mushah, but with scales characteristic of ancient Yemeni poets and their local language.[9][10] Most Arabic and Levantine sawts end with a fragment called Tawshih, which is the beginning of the end of the sawt and can be lyrical or musical only.[11][12][13] Tawshih also contains improvised rhythms, and some end it with a specific melody to finish the sawt.

Some sources indicate that the history of the art of sawt began before the advent of Abdullah al-Faraj, and that it is related to the sound singing that was prevalent in the Abbasid era, as Ahmed Ali notes in his book Music and Singing in Kuwait. As for Mubarak al-Omari, in his book "Muhammad bin Faris: The Most Famous Sawt Singer in the Persian Gulf", points out that sawt arrived in Bahrain from Kuwait in 1766.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b Rolf Killius (2017). "The Cradle of Arabic Sawt Music: The Early Musician Generations in Kuwait". Qatar National Library.
  2. ^ a b c Ahmad Ali AlSalhi (2021). "ṢAUT IN BAHRAIN AND KUWAIT: History and Creativity in Concept and Practice" (PDF). Royal Holloway, University of London.
  3. ^ "The Sawt in Kowait". Arab Sounds. 2021.
  4. ^ Jean Lambert (2020). "THE YEMENI SOURCES OF POETRY AND MUSIC IN THE SAWT OF THE GULF: THE ROLE OF THE ARABIAN DIASPORA IN INDIA". HAL (open archive).
  5. ^ Jean Lambert (2016). "Thinking Historically, Being Present: Kuwait, Summer 2016". University of California, Los Angeles.
  6. ^ Urkevich, Lisa (2008). "Crossing Paths in the Middle East: Cultural Struggles of Jewish-Kuwaiti Musicians in the 20th Century". American Historical Association.
  7. ^ "The Jews of Arabia". BBC News. 13 December 2014. Kuwaiti musicians Daoud Al-Kuwaiti (oud) and his brother Saleh (violin).
  8. ^ "Sing, Play and Be Merry: The Unique Ṣawt Music of the Arabian Peninsula". www.qdl.qa. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  9. ^ "The Sawt in Kowait". www.arabosounds.com. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  10. ^ "Classical poetry in Persian literature". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  11. ^ "The Sawt in the Arabian Gulf, Durūb al-Nagham". www.amar-foundation.org. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  12. ^ "Sawt: Urban Music of the Gulf, Bridging East and West". playaling.com. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  13. ^ "Tariqah wa Sawt fi al Wusta". www.goethe.de. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  14. ^ "The Yemeni Sources of Poetry and Music in the Sawt of the Gulf: The Role of the Arabian Diaspora in India". shs.hal.science. Retrieved 2025-01-25.

Further reading

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  • Muhammad Bin Faris Ensemble (2004). Sawt of Bahrein. Institut Du Monde Arabe. ASIN B00025DQEU.
  • Al-Umayri Ensemble (2004). The Sawt in Kuwait. Institut Du Monde Arabe. ASIN B00027X3RI.
  • Rovsing Olsen, Poul (2002). Music in Bahrain. David Brown Book Company. ISBN 87-88415-19-8.
  • Various artists (1995). A Musical Anthology of the Arabian Peninsula, Volume 3 - Sowt, Music from the City. Gallo. ASIN B000004A2E.

See also

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