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Last Night, O Saud (Al​-​Baariha, ya Saud)

from Why Do I Love Her? by Reem Kelani

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about

This song is from Kuwait, the land of my formative years, and a country whose rich musical heritage remains an essential part of my personal and collective soundscape.

When I was a child, I took it for granted that a Gulf Arab Muslim country would have female singers, even bandleaders. These women were a key part of the renaissance which characterized the Kuwaiti cultural scene in the 1960s and 1970s.

This song was made famous by two such prominent artists: Aysha Al-Marta (1934-1978/9), to whom it is dedicated, and Laila Abdul-Aziz (b. 1947). Al-Marta was a repository of indigenous song-forms, and she was such a cultural icon that a national day of mourning was declared when she died. Abdul-Aziz is considered to be the first female composer from the Gulf region, and she has worked with lyricists and singers from across the Arab world.

Kuwaiti poet Abdul-Aziz Al-Basri wrote the poem in order to convey to his close friend Saud Al-‘Ajami the way he felt about his beloved. Such words of passion; the verse concerning the cleavage of his beloved has since been dropped from more recent renditions. It is also customary in traditional Arab love songs and poetry to refer to the female beloved in the masculine form, as in this song.

This is part of the samri repertoire, a traditional song-form and dance from Kuwait and the Gulf region; it originated in Najd in the centre of the Arabian Peninsula. Although a genre traditionally associated with male singers, Kuwaiti female singers have pioneered this art form and helped to popularise it.

In this style of samri, the fourth beat of the 4-beat cycle is the primary beat, thus creating this impulsive yet precise groove.

credits

from Why Do I Love Her?, track released November 30, 2018
Lyrics & music: Abdul-Aziz Al-Basri (1915-2005)
Arr. Reem Kelani (MCPS)

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Reem Kelani London, UK

Reem Kelani is an independent artist. Please buy Reem’s music & support her work.
Get your copy of Reem's 2022 EP release "The Singer Said: Bird of Dawn". Reem's amazing booklet comes with the download!

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