Music and dance have long been a popular way of celebrating traditional occasions in Abu Dhabi, such as weddings, victory celebrations and pearling expeditions. It’s believed that a professional singer called a nahaán would travel on pearling dhows to keep the divers entertained – the singer would start a song, and the divers would join in while working. Musical instruments such as the doumbek (a percussion instrument made of ceramic and goatskin) or the oud (a traditional stringed instrument still played quite widely today) would often accompany the song.

 

[Originally published in Abu Dhabi Week vol 2 issue 26]