View source for Fijiri

{{Short description|East Arabian repertoire}}
{{no footnotes|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Fijiri / fijri / fidjeri / fjiri
| native_name       = الفجيري
| image             = Waterclothes.jpg
| caption           = A piece of clothing used by [[Kuwait]]i divers searching for [[pearl]]s
| stylistic_origins = [[Music of Kuwait|Kuwaiti]] and [[Music of Bahrain|Bahraini]] music
| cultural_origins  =
| instruments       = [[Vocal music|Human voice]]
| derivatives       = 
| subgenres         = 
| fusiongenres      = 
| regional_scenes   = 
| local_scenes      =
| other_topics      = 
}}
{{Infobox intangible heritage
| Image       =
| Caption     = 
| ICH         = Fjiri
| State Party = Bahrain
| ID          = 01747
| Region      = AST
| Year        = 2021
| Session     = 16th
| List        = Representative
}}

'''''Fijiri''''' ([[Arabic]]: '''الفجيري'''; sometimes spelled '''''fijri''''', '''''fidjeri''''', or '''''fjiri''''') is the specific repertoire of [[vocal music]] sung by the [[pearl divers]] of Eastern Arabia's [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf|coastal Gulf states]], especially [[Bahrain]] and [[Kuwait]]. A lead singer is backed up by a [[choir|chorus]] of accompanying singers and clapping. The accompanying instruments to a ''fidjeri'' ensemble are a small double-sided hand-[[drum]], known as the ''[[mirwas|mirwās]]'' ({{langx|ar|المرواس}}) and the ''jāhlah'' ({{langx|ar|الجاهلة}}), a clay pot played with both hands.

There are eight genres of fijiri: Sanginni (sung on the beach, not on the boat), Bahri, Adsani, Mkholfi, Haddadi, Hasawi, Zumayya, and Dan, the last two actually being subgenres of Hasawi and Mkholfi respectively. Bahri and Adsani are the two main genres. Pearl diver singers are referred to in Arabic as ''nahham'' ({{langx|ar|نهام}}).

[[Salem Allan]] and Ahmad Butabbaniya are two of the most well-known fijiri singers from Bahrain.

==See also==
* [[Music of Bahrain]]
* [[Music of Kuwait]]
* [[Culture of Eastern Arabia]]
* [[Sawt (music)]]
* [[Liwa (music)]]
* [[Pearl diving]]

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |ref=none|title=Fidjeri:Songs of the Bahrain Pearl Divers (CD)|author=Various artists|year=2000|publisher=UNESCO|id=[https://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00000AU93 ASIN B00000AU93]}}
*{{cite book |ref=none|title=Music in Bahrain|author=Rovsing Olsen, Poul|year=2002|publisher=David Brown Book Company|isbn=87-88415-19-8}}
*{{cite book |ref=none|title=A Musical Anthology of the Arabian Peninsula, Volume 2 - Music of the Pearl Divers (CD)|author=Various artists|year=1995|publisher=Gallo|id=[https://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000004A2D ASIN B000004A2D]}}
*{{cite book |ref=none|title=The Rhythms of the Pearl Diver Music in Qatar|author=Kerbage, Toufic |year=1982|publisher=Culture & Art Directorate Ministry of Information Doha Qatar}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx_2Ye00-kA Youtube clip of The Ghalali traditional music and dance group performing a Fijiri song in a village near Muharraq, Bahrain, October 7 2009]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051023104806/http://www.zeryab.com/e/Salem_Al_Allan_Bahri.htm Audio samples of Salem Allan and Ahmad Butabbanya on Zeryab.com]

[[Category:Music of Bahrain]]
[[Category:Arabic music]]
[[Category:Music of Kuwait]]
[[Category:Arab culture]]
[[Category:Pearls]]
[[Category:Music of the United Arab Emirates]]

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