Salem al-Allan (1914 – 25 September 1981) was a popular

Fijiri ''Fidjeri'' (Arabic: الفجيري; sometimes spelled ''fijri'' or ''fidjeri'') is the specific repertoire of vocal music sung by the pearl divers of Eastern Arabia's coastal Gulf states, especially Bahrain and Kuwait. A lead singer is backed u ...

singer from

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

. He was born in Galali, a village in

Muharraq Governorate The Muharraq Governorate ( ar, محافظة المحرق, Muḥāfaẓat al-Muḥarraq) is one of the four governorates of Bahrain. It is now co-extensive with the municipality of Al Muharraq and with Muharraq Island together with outlyin ...

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Biography

Allan was born in the village of Galali in

in 1914, the second son of his father Niham and a mother from the same neighborhood and brother of the eldest, Ashour. Educated in local schools, he lost his father at the age of four when the latter died before receiving the advance (“tasqam”) paid to prepare the family for his departure to go

pearl hunting Pearl hunting, also known as pearling, is the activity of recovering pearls from wild molluscs, usually oysters or mussels, in the sea or freshwater. Pearl hunting was prevalent in the Persian Gulf region and Japan for thousands of years. On th ...

. The captain (“nokhatha”), an influential figure in nearby

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

, demanded Ashour and Salem go in their father's place, and after a few months in his aunt's custody he returned to the hard life of a pearl diver. He recorded many broadcasts for

Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC) is a public broadcaster in Bahrain with headquarters in Manama. The BRTC is owned by the government of Bahrain, and under the control of the Information Affairs Authority. History BRTC was set up i ...

as part of an initiative by Undersecretary of Information to preserve folk art. He also often recorded and broadcast in Qatar and

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the no ...

. In 1975, he acted in the play توب توب يا بحر (“Top Top Ya Bar”) with the Al-Jazirah Theatre, written by Rashid al-Ma’awda and directed by

Saad al-Jazzaf Saad or Sa'ad may also refer to: * Saad (name), people carrying the name or surname * Sa'ad, a kibbutz in the Negev desert in Israel * Saad Esporte Clube, a Brazilian football club * Saad SC, an Iraqi football club * Saad Specialist Hospital, in K ...

. In 1978, he traveled with the Bahrain National Heritage Center to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

to record a special cylinder of Fijiri songs for

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

. He sang with Ahmed Jassim Boutabnieh at an evening gala praised in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

newspapers including the well-illustrated feature in

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, where vocal coaches marveled at his technique. The Heritage Center, then led by Al-Ma’awda and Ahmed al-Fardan, brought him with their touring delegation to such venues as the International Festival of Carthage in

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

and others in France,

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, and Australia. His art was also honored by the Kuwait Minister of Information. In retirement, he stayed at retreats such as the Marzouq bin Aman House in his native Galali (now named after him), the Hamad bin Hussein House in Kuwait, and the Mubarak bin Saeed House in Qatar. He died at the age of 67 on September 25, 1981.

Discography

* Bahrain: Fidjeri-Songs Of The Pearl Divers - Dar Jnah Men's Choir

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allan 1914 births 1981 deaths 20th-century Bahraini male singers