Skip to main content

Bahrain: Fidjeri: Songs of the Pearl Divers

Various Artists
Bahrain: Fidjeri: Songs of the Pearl Divers The island nation of Bahrain, literally meaning “two seas,” sits along the western edge of the Persian Gulf. Prior to the discovery of oil there in 1932, ninety percent of the country’s population worked in jobs relating to the sea: as shipbuilders, sailors, fishermen, and pearl divers. The pearl divers are known for practicing what is considered the Bahrain’s most original and characteristic musical genre, fidjeri, or “sea music.” These songs, consisting of an all-male chorus and solo singer with minimal percussion, often accompanied specific and common actions, like rowing, setting sails, and pulling up the anchor. The liner notes, written by Habib Hassan Touma (d. 1998), a Palestinian composer, ethnomusicologist, and Arabian music expert, include the mythological origin story of fidjeri and further musical context.

Track Listing

icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
101
Men's choir from the Dar Al Jinaa, Muharraq
05:08
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
102
Men's choir from the Dar Al Jinaa, Muharraq
09:04
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
103
Men's choir from the Dar Al Jinaa, Muharraq
10:35
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
104
Men's choir from the Dar Al Jinaa, Muharraq
11:10
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
105
Men's choir from the Dar Al Jinaa, Muharraq
04:44
icon-circle-play svg-new-pause-button
106
Men's choir from the Dar Al Jinaa, Muharraq
11:59