Gabba Barra
Verse
The recycling of our personalities
Begins from a moment of recovery.
No going back after our doors are opened
Break them down for eternity.
Chorus
“Sufi Islam we don’t want it.
Throw them out, from their arms and legs.
Throw them out, from their legs and arms.”
We cut the breath of the Arabian Peninsula
Verse II
The pressure of the world mounted up on us
The natives of this land beat the shit out of us
The pressure of the world broke our hands
Arrows deepening in our bodies
Chorus
Verse III
“We don’t want to return their salam.
Pleasantries wasted on dead hearts.
Man, don’t tell us about their philosophies.
Throw them out of the country right away!”
Chorus
گبَّة بَرَّة
V
إعادة تكوين شخصياتنا
تبدأ من لحظة إنتعاشها
لا عودة بعد فتح ابوابنا
تكسير فيها للنهاية
CH
إسلام الصوفي مانابي
گطوهم برّة ريل او إيد
گطوهم برة إيد او ريل
عيدوا التاريخ من جديد
VII
ضغط الدنيا گام علينا
آل الديرة غسلوا شراعنا
ضغط الدنيا كسّر إيدنا
أسهم تتعمق في أجسامنا
CH
إسلام الصوفي مانابي
گطوهم برّة ريل او إيد
گطوهم برة إيد او ريل
گطعنا نفس الخليج
VIII
ما ودنى نرد على سلامهم
مجاملات على قلب ميت
لا تحكيلنا عن فلسفاتهم
حذف برة الديرة ريل او إيد
CH
إسلام الصوفي مانابي
گطوهم برّة ريل او إيد
گطوهم برة إيد او ريل
قطعنا نفس الخليج
Music & Lyrics
Chapter 2
Sink your teeth into Kuwaisiana’s Chapter 2 release, a 5-track exploration of Khaleeji and Arab-American identity. Working in Arabic and English, Kuwaisiana is a full-bodied band producing a danceable, dynamic sound that draws on world music and indie rock. Led by Kuwaiti singer-songwriter +Aziz, the 6-piece blends funk, rock, ska with New Orleanian jazz, adding a unique twist to what Indie Arab Rock can sound like.
Born out of +Aziz’s desire to explore parallels between American and Khaleeji cultures, Chapter 2 is the band’s followup EP to Chapter 1, which was released through Universal Music MENA. This 22-minute EP deepens the band’s exploration of the day-to-day experiences of Arab-American youth and the evolving viewpoints of Khaleejis living in the Arabian Peninsula. It will be self-released on Bandcamp and then published to streaming platforms.
Lyrically, +Aziz explores the cultures he knows so well through his metaphor-rich lyrics, which sustain a tension between conversational and a more evocative, poetic perspective. Kuwaisiana is making progress at a time when so much of the world is in flux. Give the EP a listen!
Chapter 3
This EP was recorded at Marigny Studios in New Orleans (2021) right before +Aziz’s relocation The 25-minute EP presents a full-bodied sound, mixing funk, rock, ska with New Orleanian jazz, adding a unique twist to what Indie Arab Rock can sound like. As the pandemic wore us all down, the band leader relocated to Seattle to push forward with his vision.
Chapter 1
“Kuwaisiana’s, Chapter 1, is an awesomely interesting release by an equally intriguing band from New Orleans with bridges to Kuwait who combine the vernacular of topics between there and the US southern region. They cross bread everything from Cajun to Pop music in their combination of styles that never leave out the two areas in which they’re grounded, yet they have a universal appeal in the process. Chapter 1 wins on that premise alone.” James McQuiston, Editor at NeuFutur
“Drawing fitfully from their surrounds, the septet’s sonics are bolstered by bursts of brass and the lilt of (apparently synthesized) accordion, conjuring a rootsy, Cajun vibe around +Aziz’s raw, DIY-rock approach. At the best moments, a barn-storming, street-party abandon overcomes these slightly flat, self-produced recordings… But there is a potent spice found amid this audio stew. Split into two “sides” — the first in Arabic, the second English — the lyrics on “Chapter 1” carry subtle weight as a reflection on the modern Arab experience.” Martin Wingham, Arab News
“Given the current banal state of popular music, an album and a band like Kuwaisiana are just the tonic that is needed… So here’s to Kuwaisiana for treading new ground and charting a new path. In a musical landscape that sometimes feels too cookie-cutter and too safe, Kuwaisiana are paving new ground, and hot damn, it is awe-inspiring.” Greg Robson, Step Inside This House