How entrepreneurs are shedding light on Bahrain's underground music scene

Tiny Bahrain has been making a lot of noise lately. The island kingdom in the Persian Gulf, with its liberal policies toward entertainment (at least compared to its strict neighbors) and diverse populace, has long been a regional focal point for musicians from all genres. But over the past few years, entrepreneurial Bahrainis have launched a crop of new performance spaces, as well as artist collectives and record labels with built-in support tools that have pushed the underground music scene toward more records, more performances, and more public renown in and out of the region.

According to Esra’a al Shafei, the Bahraini founder of regional music streaming site Mideast Tunes, “a few years ago we had about 10 Bahraini bands on Mideast Tunes, and now we have 35.” The scene is gathering momentum exponentially, she reported: “the increasing number of gigs and performances definitely has inspired the movement to grow with newer bands, [more musicians], more advanced skills among musicians…. the range of genres has also shifted” and expanded.

“Music goes deep into Bahrain’s history – it’s in people’s blood,” said Anke Brandt, project manager of the Malja community creative space sponsored by Red Bull, one of the new spaces driving the music scene’s development. “The main thing now is giving artists the tools and the knowledge to develop their skills,” added Malja’s music curator Sarah Nabil.

Traditional Bahraini music culture

While more young Bahrainis are seeing music as a viable career option now than ever before, music has been a significant part of the Bahraini cultural identity for centuries. “A lot of people in Bahrain are generally interested in music,” said Bahraini music producer and ethnomusicologist Hasan Hujairi over Skype, “because many Bahrainis travel and spent time abroad. We also have a lot of expats and foreigners” from the Gulf and further afield, who have historically brought – and continue to bring – their own traditions to the island kingdom.

Original article by Stephanie d’Arc Taylor

Continue reading at Wamda:

How entrepreneurs are shedding light on Bahrain’s underground music scene