Music of Jordan

The traditional music of Jordan has a long history. Rural zajal songs, with improvised poetry played with a mijwiz, tablah, arghul, oud, rabab and reed pipe ensemble accompanying is popular. The transition of old cultural music into hit pop songs known worldwide Recently, Jordan has seen the rise of several prominent DJs and popstars.

Shababa, mijwiz and yarghul

Traditional Jordanian musical instruments

Jordanian music has a lot of diversity and a range of components that makes it a well known and popular art. Over the centuries music has evolved and so did its instruments. Jordanian music comes with variety of instruments.

Hani Mitwasi

Generally there are two types of Jordanian music, all of which have unique platform and various tracks. The cheer/fun/happy cultural songs and strong meaning patriotic songs. Over the years, New varietys of singers and composers have emerged to become very popular and well known.


Jordan’s music is a particularly fascinating insight, the music formed from the strong bedouin and sub Arabian area. It is full of diversity and variety of elements which creates a unique platform. Jordanian bands and artists are taking a blend of Arab-western electronic pop to the world stage, Over the years, a New variety of singers and composers have emerged to become very popular and well known. Over the past decades artist such as Aziz Maraka, Zade Dirani and many more had a huge impact overall. The musician and composer Sameer Baghdadi, the Bedouin singer Omar Al-Abdallat (known for his patriotic song "Hashemi, Hashemi"), Diana Karazon (winner of the Arab version of Pop Idol), Toni Qattan and singer Hani Mitwasi (the winner of the Jordan Awards 2010)[1] are perhaps Jordan's biggest stars.[2] Other well-known Jordanian musicians are Qamar Badwan, who won the golden prize in the 2000 Cairo Song Festival, percussionist Hani Naser, and the pianist, and composer Khalid Asad.

A new age group called Rum has gained regional and international popularity since its inception in 1998. Rum is considered the most successful Jordanian musical group, and has gained a wide range of fans from all over the world. Rum has performed in Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Palestine, Turkey, Kazakhstan, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and the United States. A very important factor that contributed to Rum group's huge success is the fact that the group performs original compositions by Tareq al Nasser (the composer, founder and leader of the group), many of which were composed for Arabic TV drama series that gained wide popularity in the Arab world, including the TV drama series Nihayat Rajol Shuja, Al Jawareh and Al Kawaser, Al Malek Farouq, Yawmeyyat Mudeer Amm, and many others. The group performs instrumentals, songs, and rearranged Jordanian folklore. Rum group has represented Jordan in many international events, including at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., in March 2009 as part of the "Arabesque .. Arts of the Arab world" festival in the United States.

In Amman, the capital of Jordan, there has been a movement of alternative music in the last two decades. Rock bands that mix western and eastern influences are becoming more popular. Rock and underground bands in the late 1990s and early 2000 such as Ethereal, sign of thyme and others were known for mixing oriental with rock or jazz music.

The alternative Jordanian music scene flourished with bands such as JadaL (2003), Autostrad (band) (2007), Akher Zapheer (2007), El Morabba3(2008), Aziz Maraka, Yazan Haifawi and others reaching regional success and international recognition.

Arabic hip hop and Arabic rap artists in Jordan have added to the musical scene. These artists includes names like El Far3i, Amer Al Taher, U-Seff Qasrawi, Khotta Ba, Torabyeh, Arab Mc's and Al Hevy.

Jordan also has an underground heavy metal scene with bands such as Tyrant Throne (death metal), Relics of Martyrs (thrash/death metal), Chalice of Doom (doom/death metal), Bilocate (doom/death metal), Esodic (thrash/death metal), Eternal Insomnia (melodic death metal), and Ajdath, who currently reside in Poland. Other bands, like Augury (black metal) and Darkcide (doom/death metal) had to stop due to lack of support or to band members leaving the country.

Some of the most important musicians in Jordan are the Faqir family, which extends back for more than 100 years. Jordan's western radio station, Play 99.6, works towards exposing new local artists, including many western pop singers such as Humam Ammari, Al'a Ayyoub, and Walid Karadsheh. And of various industries and music genres, the number of female musicians and composers of Jordanian nationality is growing. Some to mention are: Ghiya Rushidat, Hana Malhas, Ruba Saqr, Sahar Khalifeh, Suad Lakišić Bushnaq, and Zeina Azouqah.

The thriving indie rock scene was achieved thanks to artists such as Kais Khoury, Ibrahim Baggili, Hani Mitwasi and Yousef Kawar, as well as the Cowboys from Jordan, a band managed by Yousef Kawar. Other notable genres in Jordan are hip hop; which was popularized through DJ Shadia (Shadia Bseiso) through her regional radio show The 5th Element, the only show in the Middle East to broadcast in three countries every week (Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) from 2005 to 2008. DJ Shadia had previously opened for global stars such as Akon, 50 Cent, Sean Paul and Massari. Other popular hip hop artists include Last Standing Poet and MC Niz-r.

As of recent times, Jordan's electronic music scene is rising rapidly among the Jordanian youth, and house music has become a staple in the musical tastes in Jordan. Many raves and underground techno gatherings occur, and electronic music is currently reaching number one status among music genres in Jordan.

A classical composer Zade Dirani, an internationally known composer and pianist, releasing his newest album named Mediterrani.

See also

References
  1. Jordan Awards 2010
  2. Badley and al Jundi, pg. 392
  • Badley, Bill, and Zein al Jundi. "Europe Meets Asia". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp 391–395. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0
  • "Jordan: Arts and Literature". Cultural Profiles Project. Retrieved September 9, 2005.
  • "Tuning in". Al-Ahram Weekly. Archived from the original on October 25, 2005. Retrieved September 9, 2005.
  • "Jordan Talents". Play 99.6. Archived from the original on 2008-06-02.
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