Raa id

يا وْلِدي وايد احرجتنا | شاط ابروحك اشمعنا
صاج مِن قال إنت او حظك | لانت صاحي وا لا بوعيك

ليش لي الحينك مو فاهم | اسلوبك چذي ما ينفع
علج بحلوج الأوادم | أغسل شرّك و قوم إهيَع
ركز شوي ـ خلك معاي اركد

و إذا كنت تبي مصلحتك | حبي لا تغامر اب نفسك لو لك نية
روح علم نفسك يا ابن الحلال, خلك عالأصول…

ندري انك بايعها | أولوياتك عافسها
لا تضيع بالموجة | كل المِصايب لابسها

شغلك كله خشّاشي | شوفلك صِرفة اتحرّك
مشيش ربعك عالماشي | يا حبي لا تحرقنا كبرعقلك

و إذا كنت تبي تستعبط | روح راجع نفسك ‏استح على وجهك
ركز شوي ـ خلك معانا | لا تضيع بالفوضة
و إذا كنت تبي مصلحتك | راجع نفسك – استح على دمّك
روح علم نفسك هدّي شوي | لا تضيع بالموجة… بالفوضة

رن رن رن جرس البيت | كأنه إسعاف بقلبي | شرطة واقفين عند الباب | يبوني بكِلمة راس
رن رن رن جرس البيت | كأنه شوكة برقبتي | شرطة ناطريني عند الباب

Can I overcome myself? Time to break out of this shell.
Piece by piece, I’ll make myself – dressed up with nowhere to go

لا انت فاهم ولا بوعيك | شكلك مشيش كل ربعك
مرة وحدة بهدلتنا | اسلوبك چذي ما ينفع

بغمضة عين ترى بهدلتنا | يا ابني وايد احرجتنا
واگف جدام المرايا | شايف نفسك عالفاضي

Can I overcome myself? Make the most of what is left.
Back on top, then down again – Find the path out of my head.

Fire up the floodlights, end of the line.

رائد

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