May 5
Ismaeel Dawas Band and “The Songs of Pearl Divers: Stories of Life at Sea”
Come experience the Ismaeel Dawas band perform several genres of music from Bahrain and the Arabian Gulf, including songs that recall the history of pearl diving and highlight the hardships endured by diving crews during their months at sea. The band consists of a network of families who practice musical traditions, some ritualistic in nature and others associated with work, ceremonies, events, and entertainment that speak to Afro-diasporic ways of knowing and being.
The Ismaeel Dawas Band’s Spring 2023 residency offers an opportunity for the Carleton community to experience what students who participate in the Africa-Arabia Program experience on the island of Bahrain and at sea in the Gulf. Audiences interested in music, art, Arabic language and literature, environment-human relations, Africana Studies, colonialism, or history will find the artistry of Ismaeel Dawas to be a deeply moving and enriching experience. Ismael Dawas will perform fijiri, music inscribed in UNESCO’s protected heritage list and that commemorates the hardships of pearl diving following the return of boat crews after a long voyage.
Sponsors of event include the Mellon New Directions Grant, Office of the Provost and Dean of the College, Weitz Center for Creativity, Music Department, Africana Studies, Middle Eastern Languages, Off Campus Studies, Africa-Arabia OCS Program
from Africana Studies