Kuwaiti artist musically brings West and East together through a New Orleans lens to produce a phenomenal world music recor.
Perhaps this was never a question on anyone’s mind, but we have an answer to it thanks to +Aziz’s latest musical project, Kuwaisiana.
The initial thought of having a very Kuwaiti sounding singer, singing about “very Khaleeji” things against the backdrop of a brass band with a hint of gypsy jazz is certainly one of intrigue.
Kuwaisiana (an obvious blend of the two words that +Aziz draws inspiration from) is fascinating take on the West meets East culture, in terms of having Arabic lyrics sung over distinctly New Orleans sounds, from the sax and trumpet peppered across the songs, to the hand-percussion and bluesy guitars.
Fascinating take on the West meets East culture, in terms of having Arabic lyrics sung over distinctly New Orleans sounds.
The music perhaps doesn’t offer anything extraordinary (especially if you’re familiar with the genre), it’s the lyrical content that makes this a worthwhile examination. More notably in songs such as ‘Gabba Barra’ which paints a visceral image of the “us versus them” mentality that permeates within Khaleeji cultures.
Other songs that are highlights on the 9-track album is ‘Murra’ and ‘Gashxi’ that features the brilliant line “Songs that distance us from our evil selves / a culture that protects us from America’s guilts”
The album does feature a few English songs as well. Overall, it’s certainly a good addition in the World Music front that aims to bring together Middle Eastern and New Orleans heritages.
Rating: 3/5
Thank you so much for the in-depth listening and your review - will keep working on the music to bring something extraordinary to the genre in the near future!