Ghazi Al Mulaifi has been introducing Kuwaiti pearl diving music to a new generation through his jazz-fusion band Boom.Diwan. In addition to releasing Live in the Khaleej, a collaboration with Grammy Award-winning Afro-Cuban pianist Arturo O’Farrill, and leading the ensemble at European festivals and on stages including the Lincoln Centre in New York, Al Mulaifi is a musicologist at NYU Abu Dhabi, where he has spent years reviving and reimagining this cultural tradition.
We sat down with him and got him to answer our One Last Thing questionnaire.
What is your favourite time of day and why?
Three or four in the morning, when everybody’s asleep. It’s quiet, I can think and it feels peaceful.
What is your favourite restaurant in the world?
Raku in New York City. It doesn’t exist any more but it was a neighbourhood sushi spot where you always felt at home.
When was the first time you realised your parents were human?
I don’t know when the first time was.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A musician. I don’t want to grow up, really. I want to keep dreaming, my feet on the ground and my head in the clouds.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I’m a mean cook.
What is your favourite book?
The Path is the Goal. It’s based on Tibetan philosophy and says life’s journey is the goal, not the destination.
What type of music can’t you stand?
Anything shallow, anything cutesy and music that’s generally not good.
What puts you in a bad mood?
People not being kind. I take it personally, even if it has nothing to do with me.
What can you not live without?
Music and family.
Dream dinner guests?
Miles Davis and Ravel.
Sitting on the sofa or out with friends?
On the sofa. It’s impossible to get me out sometimes.
What smell takes you straight back to childhood?
The smells of my family and food.
What food takes you back to childhood?
Food from my family, for sure.
Which city do you love but would hate to live in?
New York City. I love it but it’s very difficult to live in.
Can you play a musical instrument?
I can kind of play guitar, kind of sing and kind of play percussion.
Have you ever been on a motorcycle?
Yes, I’ve owned motorcycles. At this point I’m not allowed to have one but they’re a beautiful symbol of freedom.
Any words to live by?
Don’t take it too seriously, just do your best.
Biggest pet peeve?
People being late and unprepared. That’s probably coming from a musical perspective.
Do you believe in aliens?
Yes. It’s self-centred to think we’re the only intelligent beings in the universe.
What is your favourite Arabic word?
Harta – it means being fed up or tired.
The most niche thing you watch on YouTube?
That Pedal Show. It’s a guitar show and I’ve watched it for years; the people there even know who I am.
How do you take your tea?
Arabic tea with sugar and saffron.
What makes you cry?
Beauty makes me cry. Nature makes me cry. Good music makes me cry. Watching my son grow up makes me cry.
What do social algorithms think you’re interested in?
On my personal account, mountains, snowboarding, cooking and humour.
TikTok or Instagram?
Instagram. I’m an old guy.
What is it about you that would surprise most people?
That I can be painfully shy. Those who know me, know me – but I’m profoundly private.
What was the last thing you did for the first time?
Exploring a new trail on a mountain I’ve been going to for 10 years.
As told to Saeed Saeed
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