How Ahmed Bukhatir found inspiration for his latest Ramadan nasheed amid the pandemic

His tune 'Fee Ramadan' asks listeners to take stock of their spiritual health

Ahmed Bukhatir is one of the Arab world's most successful nasheed singers. Courtesy: Ahmed Bukhatir

Ahmed Bukhatir was feeling uninspired.

Normally in the days leading up to the holy month, the Emirati singer would be deep into the production of his latest nasheed – an Islamic devotional song – highlighting the key values of Ramadan.

This year however, with the global pandemic leaving him in self-isolation, he couldn’t muster the initial enthusiasm to hit the home studio.

"I just wasn't feeling it, to be honest," he tells The National from his residence in Sharjah. "With what is happening today I just didn't know where to really begin. The idea for this latest nasheed only came two days before Ramadan began."

Released on Friday, April 24, the first day of the holy month, Fee Ramadan (In Ramadan) is a trademark Bukhatir nasheed. True to the genre, the production is minimal but filled with full atmospheric effects, while Bukhatir's quavering voice remains in fine form.

A back to basics approach

The difference between this nasheed and his previous seasonal offerings is the inward nature of the lyrics. Where last year's Ramadan single, Can You Forgive Me, urged people to mend broken ties, Fee Ramadan asks Muslims to take this opportunity at home to take stock and reflect on the state of their spiritual health.

Bukhatir says the concept was spurred by a particular video sent to him by fan on his social media account.

“It was a video of an old sheikh reciting the Quran in a very sad way and that particularly touched my heart,” he says. “It summed up what many people feel about Ramadan, that it is an important chance for forgiveness, repentance and to read the Quran. And with everything that is going on, this is an ideal time to do a nasheed about getting back to basics when it comes to our faith.”

Composed and recorded in the span of a day, Fee Ramadan was released with a lyrics video complete with Hindi translation. Bukhatir says this was down to the overall vibe of the nasheed, which takes its melodic cues from South-East Asia. Indeed, some of Bukhatir's elongated vocals recall qawwali music, a form of Sufi-inspired devotional music practiced widely in India and Pakistan.

The challenge of modern nasheeds

Another intriguing aspect of the nasheed is its economy. At just over two minutes it is one of Bukhatir’s shorter compositions. It is a sign of the times, he says. Like most forms of popular music, the nasheed genre is not immune to the shorter attention spans of its listeners.

This presents a particular challenge for Bukhatir. Throughout the 20 years of his career, his nasheeds were characterised by their expansive production and evocative lyrics, which detail everything from snippets of Islam’s history to modern concerns such as the struggles of Palestinians and some of the nuances of the Islamic faith.

“When I started my career, there was a lot of importance placed on the lyrics. The nasheeds at that time were concerned in imparting a lesson or a story,” Bukhatir says. “But now people are in a quicker time zone, they just want to get the gist of the message and move on. So when I talk to poets who write for me, I tell them to keep it simple and full of understanding. It is not as easy as it looks.”

Despite international acclaim, he says the nasheed industry has some way to grow.

While the genre has received a welcome boost through social media and streaming platforms, Bukhatir said it is up to the artists themselves to creatively push for the music to reach its potential.

At present, he laments the lack of innovative sounds coming out of the scene.

“The nasheed is suffering at the moment,” he says. “And that is linked to the state of popular music at present. Right now all we are interested is listening to a bunch of beats and singing any lyrics and some melodies.”

That said, Bukhatir is content to play the long game. Music tastes change in cycles, and the nasheed genre will regain its lustre soon enough.

He adds: “Once people grow older and this phase of music changes, I think people will get back to listening to more nasheeds.”