A Bahraini-British musician is set to release her fourth studio album inspired by Bahrain’s rich pearling and cultural history.
Yasmine ‘Yazz’ Ahmed, aged 41, will be releasing ‘A Paradise In The Hold’ on February 28, drawing from an eclectic range of influences including her childhood growing up in the kingdom, the Epic of Gilgamesh and the pearl diving songs.
“The music on this album is inspired by the folk music of Bahrain, in which the work songs of the pearl divers, and their songs of yearning and loneliness, are contrasted with the celebratory music of the traditional women’s drumming groups which perform at weddings and festivals,” the London-based psychedelic jazz musician told the GDN.
“The album also tells stories of sirens, deities, a runaway bride and thoughts from my own daydreams and musings on my far away childhood home.
“It is a record of how my identity has been evolving.”
The album, which will be performed live for the first time on March 29 at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, features 10 tracks and is 70 minutes long.
Ahead of the album release, the titular track A Paradise In The Hold was released as a single towards the end of 2024, Into The Night began streaming on January 14 and She Stands On By The Shore will drop on Tuesday.
Other tracks include Mermaids’ Tears, Her Light, Al Naddaha (the name of an Egyptian siren and water Jinni who lures men in the Nile), Dancing Barefoot, Though My Eyes Go To Sleep, My Heart Does Not Forget You, To The Lonely Sea and Waiting for the Dawn.
“You could say that the individual pieces are mini-stories, or you could liken them to a series of impressionist paintings hanging in a gallery, each one complete in itself, but its significance is enhanced by its proximity to the paintings around it,” Ms Ahmed added.
A special cream vinyl edition of the album
“Each composition tells its own story, but to pick a memorable moment in the album, the first piece that pops up in my mind is Mermaids’ Tears. The composition plays on the legend that pearls are formed from the tears of mermaids.
“I invented a narrative in which a hopeful pearl fisher, searching for these precious jewels, is becalmed far out to sea in his dhow. A seductive siren swims and dances in the water, drawing him deep into the bottomless sea to reveal her iridescent tears, but is this really a dream?
“I originally composed it for a female voice, with lyrics inspired by the stylistic writings of the great poet Rumi.
“However, on the album, the song becomes a duet which introduces the elegant voice of Randolph Matthews, answered by Brigitte Beraha, playing the part of the mermaid and seemingly channelling a mythical dolphin-esque language of the sirens in her improvisations.”
The album’s opening track, She Stands On The Shore, is inspired by The Epic of Gilgamesh and the story behind it speaks of Siduri, a wise woman who lives on an island at the edge of the sea, which Ms Ahmed imagined to be Bahrain, the island of two seas.
While much of the album was recorded in the UK, Into The Night, a celebratory song of independence, also features members of Ms Ahmed’s family, recorded at their home in Bahrain, providing the party hubbub and the joyful ululations.
“The drum ensemble in this composition was performed entirely by Corrina Silvester, with multi-tracked layers of percussion and clapping, and is perhaps the most purely Bahraini piece on the album,” she added.
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Compared to her previous work, the most striking difference in her fourth studio album is the use of voices and song forms, as well as her exploration into the use of pre-recorded sounds to create textures and grooves interwoven into the written music.
The music on the album was recorded in collaboration with a number of musical ensembles, some of whom Ms Ahmed has known for 16 years. She highlighted the contributions of the two sound engineers, Tom Jenkins and Robin Morrison, as well as producer and partner, Noel Langley.
The artwork has been created by Sophie Bass.
“I would also like to mention my dear friend and drummer, Martin France, who sadly passed away in September 2024,” she added.
“He taught me so much over the years. His words of wisdom, sense of humour and deep commitment to my music will never be forgotten. I feel very close to him when listening to this album and also become quite tearful at times.”
Ms Ahmed’s foray into blending Arabic scales and rhythms with jazz began in her early 20s, drawing on her time growing up in Bahrain before she moved to South London.
“Life was very different there and I had to adjust to a new culture,” she explained.
“I didn’t feel as if I belonged, so much so, I hid my identity for most of my childhood and into my teens.
“It wasn’t until I reached my early 20s that I became more aware of my identity and started to embrace my mixed heritage. I became curious about the music I had left behind and began to regret that I had not been taught to speak Arabic.
“I felt detached. However, once I started to explore Arabic scales and rhythms, fusing them with elements of jazz, I began to feel whole.”
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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