An immersive ritual of music rooted in Khaleeji pearl diving traditions meeting South African jazz: Online Concert and Artist Talk.

For this performance, Boom.Diwan will collaborate with and feature special guest pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, the first-ever South African musician signed to the legendary Blue Note Records. The two are composing a suite that will be performed as an immersive ritual of music, the visual, and dance that takes into account ideas about the self, the community, and the spiritual in the face of modernity. The music touches on ideas of cosmopolitanism, community, dialogue, and healing.

Founded by applied ethnomusicologist Ghazi Al-Mulaifi, Boom.Diwan is a collaborative global jazz ensemble that revives the cosmopolitan tradition of the Kuwaiti pearl diving music of the Indian Ocean trade. With influences spanning Zanzibar to Calicut, improvisation, fluidity, and dialogue are at the center of Boom.Diwan. At its core, Boom.Diwan is comprised of Al-Mulaifi on vocals, percussion, and electric guitar and members of the Mayouf Mejally Ensemble, who are the among the oldest and most widely respected pearl-diving music ensembles in Kuwait and the GCC. For this performance, they will be joined by Steven Bedford (NOON) on electric bass, and Claude Cozens on drum kit. Improvisation and cross-cultural collaborations are the foundation of Boom.Diwan’s mission.

This residency is presented with support from the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

Boom.Diwan performs at Mother of the Nation Festival in Abu Dhabi

A world premiere commissioned by The Arts Center, featuring Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (USA, Cuba) with guests: Yazz Ahmed (Bahrain, UK), Boom.Diwan (Kuwait), Malika Zarra (Morocco, France), Emirati oudist (TBA).

Afro-Latin jazz innovator Arturo O’Farrill leads a musical exploration of the Arab, Moorish, and North African roots of Afro Latin and Afro Cuban music and the seafaring music of the Arabian Gulf, featuring the Grammy-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and a broad range of khaleeji special guests. Inspired by Ned Sublette’s work tracing this connection between the Arabic and the Afro Cuban music as it travels via the Strait of Gibraltar and Andalucia. The usage of microtonal variation in Middle Eastern song and similar practice in the Blues and Afro folkloric chants is created with the invited guests, as they also explore the relationship of Khaleeji and Cuban music with seafaring culture.

Boom.Diwan's Dubai debut at THE FRIDGE

Poets and musicians celebrate the UAE’s cultural diversity and explore their heritages. Celebrate the Year of Zayed & UAE National Day with a beautiful evening under the stars. Nabati and spoken word poets, musicians, and storytellers celebrate the cultural diversity of the place we call home, the UAE. As part of UAE National Day, Hekayah | The Story is free and open to all; note that online ticket registration is required.

Emirati spoken word poet and artist, Afra Atiq, hosts the evening along with 10 exceptionally talented artists whose work speaks to heritage and identity. See the artist lineup below. Bring your family and friends, relax on the majlis or seats, and enjoy an evening rich in talent and heritage.

The lineup for the 4th annual Hekayah is:

Aathma Nirmala Dious – Spoken Word Poetry – UAE Amal Ali Al Sayegh – Nabati Poetry – UAE Boom.Diwan – Khaleeji Seafaring Music meets Jazz – Kuwait Danabelle Gutierrez – Spoken Word Poetry – Philippines, Cairo, Vienna, Muscat Farah Chamma – Spoken Word Poetry – Palestine Gaar Adams – Creative Nonfiction, Literary Reportage – USA Maha Jamil – Theater, Poetry, Prose – Pakistan Omar Al Marzouqi – Minimalist Pianist – UAE Samar Abdel Jaber and Nicole Callihan – Poetry – Palestine and USA Shamma Al Bastaki – Spoken Word Poetry – UAE The lineup of performers was selected through a collaborative process curated by: Shamma al Bastaki, Bill Bragin, Zari Jafri, Dorian Paul Rogers, and Deborah Lindsay Williams.