UAE Heritage: Music
The UAE has different styles of music and dance that reflect the old traditions of the land, and has kept them alive despite its rapid transformation to modernity.
Many mundane tasks had their own songs and specif rhythms to foster teamwork. For instance, one singer called the Nahham would accompany every boat that left foe pearl diving expeditions, and his only job was to sing as the divers went about their hard chores.
Style: Sawt in Arabic: صوت
Meaning voice in Arabic, Sawt is the most urban form of Gulf music and is similar to the blues. Accompanied by the oud, and more recently augmented by the violin, the genre incorporates Arab classical music with traditional poetry. Songs are often book-ended, with spoken verses.
Performed in the modern majlis, this music involves everyone present in singing, clapping, and sometimes dancing.
