Music of Saudi Arabia
Encyclopedia
The music
of Saudi Arabia
includes both Western and traditional music. Like many of its Persian Gulf
neighbors, khaleeji
folk traditions are popular styles. The most distinguished musician in recent Saudi history is Tariq Abdulhakeem, who composed hundreds of famous Saudi songs for himself as well as for other singers. Saraj Omar has become a very prominent composer after composing the music for the Saudi national anthem. In 1999, the 1st Arab Pioneers Festival, which was held in Cairo under the patronage of the Arab League
, honored four of the lead composers in Saudi Arabia: Tariq Abdulhakeem, Ghazi Ali, Mohammed Al-Senan, and Muhammad Shafique Chughtai. Mohammed Al-Senan is the first Arab composer who won the 1st Place World Wide Award in the first Children International Nile Song Festival which was held in Cairo in September 1998, for his song "I Love You Mom".
Later musicians include the pan-Arab star Mohamed Abdu, Saudi Arabia's first pop star, and the late Talal Maddah
, known as the "Sound of the Earth", who died in August 2000 while singing in the summer festival on the stage of Al-Muftaha Theatre in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. Of the same generation was the 'ud
virtuoso Abadi al Johar, and lately Abdul-Majeed Abdullah came strongly to the scene.
Saudi traditional music is quite limited, however. The migratory lifestyle of the bedouin militated against carrying excess baggage, including musical instruments. Simple rhythms, with the beat counted by clapping or striking together everyday implements formed the basis of the music. Instruments like the double-reeded ney
or the stringed rababa were sometimes used, after being obtained in cosmopolitan cities such as Basrah, Baghdad, and Jeddah.
Music, however, is considered "sinful" by some Muslims. This is based, in part, on certain ahadith which speak negatively of non-percussion musical instruments and the idea that music and art are distractions from God. Particularly in the early days of the current Saudi state, religious authorities were quick to repress music other than the rhythmic percussion that still dominates contemporary Saudi music. The advent of radios, tape and CD players in the country saw the attendant growth of shops supporting them. Most cities of any size now have crowded music shops. With the coming of satellite TV, music video stations, ranging from MTV (Europe and Lebanon versions), VH1, and assorted European and Arabic music channels are very popular.
Samri
is a popular traditional music and dance.
Rock and metal artists from Saudi Arabia:
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
includes both Western and traditional music. Like many of its Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
neighbors, khaleeji
Khaleeji
Khaleeji , Arabic for "of the gulf", can refer to:* Gulf Arabic, a dialect of the Arabic language spoken around the shores of the Persian Gulf.* Anything associated with the Arab states of the Persian Gulf...
folk traditions are popular styles. The most distinguished musician in recent Saudi history is Tariq Abdulhakeem, who composed hundreds of famous Saudi songs for himself as well as for other singers. Saraj Omar has become a very prominent composer after composing the music for the Saudi national anthem. In 1999, the 1st Arab Pioneers Festival, which was held in Cairo under the patronage of the Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
, honored four of the lead composers in Saudi Arabia: Tariq Abdulhakeem, Ghazi Ali, Mohammed Al-Senan, and Muhammad Shafique Chughtai. Mohammed Al-Senan is the first Arab composer who won the 1st Place World Wide Award in the first Children International Nile Song Festival which was held in Cairo in September 1998, for his song "I Love You Mom".
Later musicians include the pan-Arab star Mohamed Abdu, Saudi Arabia's first pop star, and the late Talal Maddah
Talal Maddah
Talal Maddah was a well-known Saudi musician and composer. He was named Maddah after his mother's family. His fans coined him the nickname the Earth's voice , and he is also known as "The Golden Throat"...
, known as the "Sound of the Earth", who died in August 2000 while singing in the summer festival on the stage of Al-Muftaha Theatre in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. Of the same generation was the 'ud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
virtuoso Abadi al Johar, and lately Abdul-Majeed Abdullah came strongly to the scene.
Saudi traditional music is quite limited, however. The migratory lifestyle of the bedouin militated against carrying excess baggage, including musical instruments. Simple rhythms, with the beat counted by clapping or striking together everyday implements formed the basis of the music. Instruments like the double-reeded ney
Ney
The ney is an end-blown flute that figures prominently in Middle Eastern music. In some of these musical traditions, it is the only wind instrument used. It is a very ancient instrument, with depictions of ney players appearing in wall paintings in the Egyptian pyramids and actual neys being found...
or the stringed rababa were sometimes used, after being obtained in cosmopolitan cities such as Basrah, Baghdad, and Jeddah.
Music, however, is considered "sinful" by some Muslims. This is based, in part, on certain ahadith which speak negatively of non-percussion musical instruments and the idea that music and art are distractions from God. Particularly in the early days of the current Saudi state, religious authorities were quick to repress music other than the rhythmic percussion that still dominates contemporary Saudi music. The advent of radios, tape and CD players in the country saw the attendant growth of shops supporting them. Most cities of any size now have crowded music shops. With the coming of satellite TV, music video stations, ranging from MTV (Europe and Lebanon versions), VH1, and assorted European and Arabic music channels are very popular.
Samri
Samri
Samri is the name of a folkloric music and dance native to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It involves singing poetry while the daff drum is being played. Two rows of men, seated on the knees sway to the rhythm....
is a popular traditional music and dance.
Rock and metal artists from Saudi Arabia:
- The AccoLadeThe AccoLade (band)The AccoLade is the first all-girl alternative rock band from Saudi Arabia. The band consists of four college students of King Abdulaziz University...
- Al-Namrood
- Breeze of the Dying
- Creative Waste
- Crescent Light
- Cribcaged
- Deathless Anguish
- Disturb the Balance
- Final Serenade
- Flesh Laceration
- Forgotten
- Grieving Age
- Hed2Ground
- Immortal Pain
- Inversion
- Mephisophilus
- Myth
- Octum
- Outlive
- PhiViper
- Premonition
- Rivers Running Red
- Sandstoned (disbanded)
- Sound of Ruby
- The Empty Quarter
- Wry Wreathe
- Wasted Land