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