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  • Sound judgement: The best Arab alternative albums of 2024 


Sound judgement: The best Arab alternative albums of 2024 

Snakeskin. (Photo credit: Rachel Tabet)
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Updated 27 December 2024
Bojan Preradovic
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Sound judgement: The best Arab alternative albums of 2024 

  • Bojan Preradovic’s pick of records released by indie artists from the Arab world this year 
Updated 27 December 2024
Bojan Preradovic

Tayar  

‘Kol Shi Sar’  

Tayar consists of Amman-based songwriters Ahmad Farah and Bader Helalat, who is also a producer and filmmaker. Since 2020, the pair have released a string of singles and EPs, often using their music as a means of processing life in a region immersed in grave injustice and trauma. Their first LP is a genre-defying record that oscillates effortlessly between indie rock, earworm electronica, and delectable, quartertone-laced neo-psychedelia. Between gorgeous, piano-driven interludes, Farah and Helalat snake their way through a sonic canvas of exquisite vocal harmonies, irresistibly danceable beats, synth-soaked laments, and lusciously arranged instrumentals narrated by the likes of double bass, oud, and trumpet.  

Fulana  

‘ground:from — Chapter One’ 

Vancouver-born, Jeddah-raised artist Nadine Lingawi’s evolution as a songwriter since signing with Saudi Arabia’s Wall of Sound in 2020 has been remarkable, culminating in this month’s ‘ground:from,’ an enlightened exploration of brooding indie pop and instantly iconic electronica. Collaborating with Abdulmajeed Alwazna and Husam Al-Sayed — Saudi duo Input/Output — Lingawi employs her lyrical prowess to convey deep, existential ruminations on themes such as death and rebirth. While watery, delay-drenched guitars drive tracks such as opener ‘the burn’ and ‘decompose’, and memorable synth melodies are an indelible feature of ‘letter #9’ and ‘marigold’, it’s Lingawi’s soulful vocal delivery and tasteful harmonies that power the album’s allure. An immensely talented up-and-comer to watch out for. 

Tamara Qaddoumi  

‘Sorry Signal’ 

The Kuwaiti-born singer-songwriter moves on from her dalliance with trip-hop into the glacial embrace of profound, reliably infectious cold pop. “Sorry Signal” sees Qaddoumi bristle with brilliance, as she reflects on lost innocence and the insidious, shape-shifting nature of grief. From the crystalline harmonies elegantly wrapped around disquieting introspections of “Cold In The Mourning” to the heaving torrents of synths and rhythmic beats of the title track, Qaddoumi weaves the threads of seemingly insurmountable desolation into a compellingly hopeful requiem that looks to a brighter tomorrow.  

Hello Psychaleppo  

‘Cipher’ 

The Syrian producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Samer Eldahr has audaciously pushed the boundaries of the very foundation of traditional Arabic music for the past decade. With his third LP, he has fully alchemized his own brand of electro-tarab, sharpening any rough edges into a well-rounded, unmistakably unique sound. The album features illustrious guest appearances, including former Mashrou’ Leila frontman Hamed Sinno, and DJ, producer, and singer Anas Maghrebi (formerly of Khebez Dawle), whose vocals grace the feverish beats and synths of the album opener, “Katha Altawq.” “Cipher” is a towering addition to Hello Psychaleppo’s already impressive catalogue.  

Snakeskin  

‘They Kept Our Photographs’ 

Julia Sabra — frontwoman of Lebanese dream-pop outfit Postcards — has a long history with producer Fadi Tabbal — who has shepherded countless indie artists in his Beirut-based Tunefork Studios. Their sophomore album as Snakeskin perfects the distinctive formula of Sabra’s ethereal, instantly recognizable vocals and Tabbal’s visionary production and electronic experimentation. The pair are at their most imperious on tracks like “Bodies,” which rattles off a machine-gun beat as a scene-setter for Sabra, who vocalizes with both fragility and poise to the aqueous, hypnotic soundscapes of synths engineered by Tabbal. This is a mournful, beautiful record, to be listened to with headphones in the twilight of a dying day, or just before the dawn of a new one. 

Garwasha  

‘Garwasha’ 

Saudi Arabia isn’t known for its jazz, but Riyadh-based, alternative fusion band Garwasha aim to change that with their debut album — a dexterous combo of jazz, rock, and experimental instrumentation, with nods to elements of traditional Arabic music. The LP is brimming with musicianship, as the four-piece storm through vibrant, frequently playful tracks. The eight-minute “Consolacao” is a mélange of jazzy progressions, funky breakdowns, and showcases of virtuosity. Meanwhile, song titles such as “Dancing Delicately Along the Dichotomies of Reverse Orientalism” follow a curious naming convention often deployed by post-rock bands that, like Garwasha, communicate their message effectively solely through the strength of their music.  

Seera  

‘Al Mojallad Al Awal’ 

All-female Saudi foursome Seera’s debut LP is an amalgam of psychedelic and indie rock that employs nuances of traditional Arabic music, stylishly ornamented by cathartic guitar parts, keyboard passages reminiscent of The Doors and the artistic exuberance of the late Sixties, and tinges of everything from blues to electronica. With an anonymous drummer who goes only by ‘Thing’ and wears a mask symbolizing Saudi heritage, Seera’s rise embodies the ongoing cultural change within the Kingdom, the blossoming spirit of creative freedom, and female empowerment.  

New book explores 12 masterpieces of Islamic manuscript art across centuries

Updated 18 sec ago
Iain Akerman
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New book explores 12 masterpieces of Islamic manuscript art across centuries

  • William Greenwood discusses his new book on a dozen masterful Islamic manuscripts 
Updated 18 sec ago
Iain Akerman

DUBAI: A new book exploring 12 extraordinary Islamic manuscripts has been published with the intention of making these richly illustrated masterpieces accessible to all. 

“Illuminated: Art, Knowledge, and Wonder in Twelve Islamic Manuscripts,” published by Empty Quarter Press, showcases a dozen of the finest manuscripts ever produced, including the medieval Arab classics “Maqamat al-Hariri,” “Kalila wa Dimna,” “Aja’ib Al-Makhluqat Wa Ghara’ib Al-Mawjudat,” and “Kitab Al-Diryaq,” as well as spectacular works spanning the 13th to 17th century Timurid, Safavid, and Mughal worlds.  

Its author, William Greenwood, is a specialist in Islamic art and culture. The featured manuscripts were valued as both vessels of knowledge and as artistic products in their own right. From medical treatises and celestial charts to epic poetry and fables, each manuscript reflects the diverse traditions of Islamic intellectual and artistic life. 

'Maqamat Al Hariri' (circa 1236-37). (Supplied)

For Greenwood, who has worked as a curator for more than 10 years, most recently at Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, the featured manuscripts are important for several reasons. Firstly, they are incredible works of art. Secondly, each is “a snapshot of the time when it was made, in terms of the artistic styles and content, but also the historical context.” 

The first chapter of “Kitab al-Diryaq,” for example, has been attributed to mid-13th-century Mosul, and “is very much about glorifying the ruler,” Greenwood says. “Kitab Suwar al-Kawakib al-Thabita,” copied in 15th-century Samarkand, speaks to the flourishing of science during the Timurid Renaissance, while the Hamzanama, from 16th-century India, marks the beginning of a distinctively Mughal style of painting. 

“The third reason is that, as beautiful as the paintings and illumination are, these are almost always intended to enliven texts which in themselves are wonderful – whether they are national epics like the “Shahnameh,” encyclopaedic works like “Aja’ib al-Makhluqat,” or demonstrations of virtuoso linguistic skill like “The Maqamat of Al-Hariri.” 

For Greenwood, who has worked as a curator for more than 10 years, most recently at Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, the featured manuscripts are important for several reasons. (Supplied)

Lastly, he says, they are “remarkable testaments to a multicultural and cosmopolitan Islamic world, absorbing, refining, and rethinking everything from Indian fables and classical astronomy into a coherent and distinctively ‘Islamic’ whole.”  

Greenwood’s interest in illuminated manuscripts was initially sparked by a mid-14th-century Mamluk copy of “Sulwan al-Muta’ fi ‘Udwan al-Atba’,” which he encountered while working at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha.  

“It’s the only illustrated medieval copy of this text and was probably made for a royal patron,” explains Greenwood, who has also worked at the British Museum in London. “The mix of Byzantine, Persian, and Chinese elements within the painting appealed to my interest in cross-cultural encounters. The text itself is part of the ‘mirrors for princes’ genre, which is supposed to provide guidance for rulers; this was a very important type of writing, which is represented in ‘Illuminated’ by an early 14th-century Mamluk copy of ‘Kalila wa Dimna.’”  

'Kalila wa Dimna' (circa 1310). (Supplied)

However, it was not a single discovery or experience that prompted him to write the book, but rather a growing realization that, although the general public engages with illustrated and illuminated Islamic manuscripts, there were few general works on the topic.   

“There are lots of very detailed publications which deal either with specific manuscripts or particular design elements across them, but not much for an interested but non-academic audience. It was also quite exciting to think about having paintings from these very different manuscripts together in one publication. Here you can follow the evolution of styles and ideas from the 13th through to the 17th century, which is helpful for non-specialists.” 

The end result is a richly illustrated book written for a wide audience. Both a celebration of the artistic traditions of the Islamic book and an invitation to uncover its beauty and treasures, “Illuminated” brings together Islamic art, scholarship, and storytelling in an accessible and engaging form. 

“I hope that being able to see these works together in one publication will open readers’ eyes to how wonderful they are,” says Greenwood. “This is really intended for everyone, and if it sparks wider interest in the manuscripts featured, then that in itself brings a unique value. All of these works deal with learning and imparting wisdom in some way, and if this book can help to spread that a little further, then it has done its job.” 

Topics: Illuminated William Greenwood

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