A love letter to an ancient tradition

Before oil dominated the Gulf, the pearl diving industry was the cornerstone of the region's economies. By the early 20th century, it employed an estimated 80% of the United Arab Emirates working population, from the ship builders to the divers themselves and the various enterprises associated with the practice. 

Ghazi and Boom.Diwan’s collaboration with Arturo O'Farrill, “Live in the Khaleej!”, is an album full of unexpected delights, offering an introduction to a musical history unique to the Gulf States—and particularly Kuwait. 

In a 2021 article for Gulf News, Ghazi Faisal Al-Mulaifi—bandleader of Boom.Diwan, applied ethnomusicologist and professor at NYU Abu Dhabi—delves into the darker side of the pearl industry. Most men who worked aboard the diving ships were effectively enslaved: indentured labourers working to repay debts incurred by themselves or their families. They endured horrendous conditions. Some enslaved workers came from Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, other Gulf States and even as far as India and Pakistan.

These men turned to music for solace. Fijiri—a broad term for Arab sea music sung while rowing, setting sails or hauling anchor—formed the foundation of their sound, but it took on a life of its own in this environment. With so many cultures represented among the crews, a new type of music began to take shape. 

Typically, fijiri featured a lead singer known as a nahaam, supported by a chorus who also provided percussion—either small drums or hand claps. Boat owners would often hire a nahaam themselves; they were usually among the highest-paid crew members, charged with encouraging the men to sing. 

Some songs drew inspiration from Sufi chants in praise of God (dhikr), while others—known as bahri—were prayers for safety and survival. These were arduous journeys, with no guarantee that any ship would return safely. As well as songs to help the men find the rhythm to do a specific job, they were also prayers and comforts against fear. 

Blending Kuwaiti traditions with American jazz

Kuwaitis don't call it pearl diving music, Al-Mulaifi says. Instead, they refer to it as Funoon Albahar (sea arts). Al-Mulaifi, a musician with a background in American jazz, was not only born in Kuwait, his grandfather was a pearl diver. In 2014, he returned to Kuwait from studying in the US and became involved in Kuwait City's diwaniyahs (music salons) and spent a week on board a modern pearl diving ship, reconnecting with his family history. 

It was during this time that he met the percussionists who would become members of Boom.Diwan. He also joined the Mayouf Mejally Ensemble, whose members first suggested he incorporate jazz into Funoon Albahar. 

Al-Mulaifi was probably the perfect person to bring this project to life. In the chapter he wrote on pearl diving music for the book “Music in Arabia” he discusses the history and structure of the music in detail, as well as the efforts of contemporary musicians to keep the tradition alive. In recent years, public rehearsal and performance spaces have opened up in Kuwait to engage a new generation of practitioners, including those with no direct connection to the pearl diving industry.

One of Boom.Diwan’s central challenges was blending a primarily vocal, percussive tradition with jazz. Al-Mulaifi cites Jimi Hendrix and John Coltrane as key influences, while his collaborator on “Live in the Khaleej!”, Arturoo O'Farrill, is a pianist with roots in Cuban jazz. At first glance, neither of those musical backgrounds seem particularly fitting for the challenge, and simplicity, of Funoon Albahar. 

Ghazi and O’Farrill look beyond recreating the source material, but seek to create a new story, combining styles to create something that respects all their histories. The album's first track, "Blue", opens with percussion. Its intricate rhythm becomes clearer as it’s joined by O’Farrill’s piano and then the rest of the band. No matter what flights of fancy the musicians engage in —Ghazi’s guitar solos or O’Farrill’s piano runs—the percussion remains steady and anchoring, evolving into the core that holds the music together. 

“Live in the Khaleej!” is a love letter to an ancient tradition. Like Funoon Albahar itself, it brings together sounds from around the world to create something vibrant and exciting.