The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair concluded with the release of books focusing on UAE and Iraqi music history.
Launched over the closing weekend of the event, which ended on Sunday, the Arabic non-fiction works explore the depth of Emirati folk music and Iraq’s contribution to classical Arabic music.
One of the titles chronicles the 60-year-old story of the Abu Dhabi Police Band.
Written by Ahmed Al Saadawi, The Music of the Abu Dhabi Police Band features interviews with former members and pays tribute to one of the UAE's earliest music ensembles.
Also out is Popular Songs for Children and Women in the United Arab Emirates, in which Fatima Hamad Al Mazrouei looks at the intimate role Emirati folk songs played in the UAE's formative years.
Another release is Ibrahim Jumaa: The Etheric Melody of the Sea by Ibrahim Al Hashemi.
The biography traces the life of the pioneering Emirati and Gulf music composer Ibrahim Al Jumma, whose career was honoured as part of the Sharjah International Heritage Forum last year.
In Iraqi Musical Heritage and Civilisational Communication, author Muhammad Hussein Kamer details the evolution of traditional Iraqi music, from key instruments to musical modes.
Published by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, these new titles are part of a planned 14-part book set called Pioneers Among Us.
Announced during the Frankfurt International Book Fair in October, the series celebrates the depth and diversity of music from the Arab world.
The first book released as part of the series was Umm Kulthum: Poetry and Singing at the Cairo International Book Fair in January.
A refreshing, and at times revelatory, biography of the famed Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, author Ahmed Youssef Ali examined her hefty song catalogue and traced some of their influences back to 10th and 19th-century classic Arabic and religious poems.
Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre acting executive director Saeed Al Tunaiji hopes Pioneers Among Us will inspire a new generation of artists by providing them context and knowledge on the masters of the past.
“I would say that this is the first time that detailed histories and studies into the genres will be published in a general book format,” he told The National.
“While they are written by experts, it is done in a way that is very accessible.
“These books can be appreciated by music lovers and those who have an appreciation and interest in the UAE and surrounding region."
He also confirmed that English translations of selected books are also in the works.
