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The following interview appeared in theYemen Times, September, 1994.
Yemeni music has undergone several majortransformations - in content, tune, tools used, and even language. Given the evolution and the limited research done, little can bepinned down to give a definition and identity to Yemeni music. Yet,there are some music giants who can serve as important referencepoints. Iskander Thabet, 70, is one of them.
Mr. Thabet comesfrom a Sheikh Othman(Adeni) family that is attached to music. His father and elderbrother were both singers. He himself began singing at the age often. This year, he marks the passage of half a century of singing. During this time, he has entertained generations who have fondmemories of him. But even more, his enthusiastic and emotionalanti-Imam and anti-colonial rule songs became a moral boosting factorin the fight for freedom (in the South). He is indeed a monument inmodern Yemeni music history.
Yahya Yusef Al-Hodeidi of the Yemen Timesinterviewed him to mark his fiftieth year of singing, and filed thefollowing report:
Q: Could you tell us a little bit ofyour beginnings as a singer?
A: I am lucky because my father and elderbrother were singers. Thus I got an early start. I started playingthe ood at the age of ten. It was all in the family. At 16, in1940, I travelled to Cairo and joined Halwan High School on ascholarship from the Arab Reform Club. I continued my education atthe Arts College (University of Cairo), followed by specializedstudies at the Arab High Musical Institute. I presented my firstreal song through Radio Sawt Al-'Arab (Voice of the Arabs) in Cairoin 1954. This station beams its programs to all over the Arab World;thus our people in Yemen used to follow it. I remained in Cairoimproving my performance before I returned to the homeland in1961.
Q: You made a real contribution todrumming up support for the revolutionaries against the Imamic regime(in the North) and British rule (in the South). Could you share withus more details?
A: First, let me say that I was an activemember in the Yemeni Union - the body which brought together therevolutionaries - in Cairo. The martyr Muhammed Mahmud Zubayri wasour leader. Second, with respect to my enthusiastic songs, Ipresented many pieces. I can list some of the more famous ones:
"Al-Yaman" is one of the early songsglorifying the nation and lamenting its sad conditions. "Oh Tyrant,Why All This Oppression" was another song which really irritated theImam. He instructed his ambassador in Cairo to protest to theEgyptian authorities and asked them not to air that song. "AThousand Salutes to My Nation and Soldiers" was a song addressed tomen and women fighting for the independence of the southern part ofthe homeland. It was banned during British rule of Aden. "OTraveller from the Shores of the Nile to Wadi Tuban" is anotheranti-colonial song which became very popular with thepublic.
I presented many other songs which psychedup the public and fighters and gave them a moral boost. I think thatmy songs, as well as those of others, have played a crucial role inrallying the people around the cause of the nation.
Q: Your songs have been, by and large,classified as part of the Adeni School. Could you explain to us thevarious schools of music in the country?
A: It is hard to speak of schools of musicin Yemen, but we can speak of colors or shades in the rhythm. Inthis way, we can speak of the Adeni color, the Hadrami color, theSan'ani color, the Tihama color, the Lahji color, etc. Some of thesehave certain special features. For example, the…an'¡n£ songs tend to be classical. But let me pointout that as the level of communication and contact has increased,these colors are increasingly being fused into a new product that wecal call Yemeni music. This fusion process is being done by theyoung artists.
Q: Speaking about the new breed ofsingers, let me ask your opinion on the modern song?
A: I am afraid I do not think highly ofthe very modern songs. I think the basic aesthetic value of the songis lost in favor of the rhythm. The new songs focus on the rhythmsthat make for physical action or movement, which they call dancing. The beauty of the words, the metaphor, the lyric, the dreams, thelongings, etc., are lost. All you have is drum-beat that triggersbody movement. Often the words are very cheap, and sometimesoutright carnal. The modern songs have lost the sublime aspects ofthis art.
Q: What are the problems that you facedin your artistic life?
A: I did not suffer from any problemswhich singled me out specifically, but I can speak of the problemsthat artists often meet. I can mention, to start with, the absenceof the highly backward nature of the organizations responsible forinteracting with singers. The radio and TV stations, the Ministry ofInformation, etc., do not have sufficient appreciation for artists. In the West or even East, for example, singers and artists areidolized. Here in Yemen, to record one song, you are made to waitaround for hours. This happens all the time. Another thing tomention is the market. We do not have a large enough market, tostart with. But even this small market is subject to illegalrecording and piracy of rights. Thus, the revenue one gets is asmall fraction of the income.
Q Speaking about piracy, many Yemenisingers complain that many of their sings are being stolen by theArab Gulf singers. Could you elaborate on that?
A: This is true. There are many Yemenisongs that are taken over by Gulf singers. And since they havebetter access to a more powerful media, the Yemeni songs areidentified with the Gulf singers. I personally have lost songs thisway, and I can easily prove that. Other colleagues have also losttheir songs to Gulf singers. We do not have the mechanism torectify this problem. The government is not interested, and there isno syndicate or other body to stop this piracy. If there is somebodythat is interested, I can right away give a long list of stolensongs.
Q: What was your feeling during thelast war in Yemen?
A: I was saddened, of course. It is sadthat our nation should fight with itself. I dream of a strong,unified, and prosperous Yemen. I do not understand why we shouldfight among ourselves. I am happy that the agony was short-lived,and that the unity of the country has been preserved. I pray that wewill deal with the aftermath of the war in a civilized way thatreflects the wisdom and good nature with which our forebears havebeen famous.
I think the unification of Yemen is not onlya local achievement, it is also an Arab and Islamic pride. That iswhy safeguarding it is of paramount importance to us, the Arabs andMuslims.
Q: I heard you were sick. What are youmedical treatment plans?
A: Yes, I suffer from a health problem. Ihave been advised to travel abroad for medical treatment. I haveapproached President 'Ali 'Abd Allah Salih (through Mr. 'Abd al-Aziz'Abd al-Ghani) on this matter. He has graciously helped with a cashdonation of YR 150,000 as well as tickets for my travel. I wouldlike to use this occasion to thank the president for his positiveresponse to my appeal.
Q: Any last comments?
A: I would like to thank the Yemen Timesfor what it writes. This paper covers various aspects of Yemeni life- not just the politics. I read the paper regularly, and I am oftenpleasantly surprised with the articles. And since this issue of thepaper is going to come out on September 26th, I would like to use theoccasion to convey my warm felicitations to our people on theanniversary of the Revolution. I wish many happy returns toall.
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