Culture of Kuwait

An outline of the culture of Kuwait:

Tabla player Ustad Munawar Khan at the 8th International Music Festival in Kuwait

Theatre

Kuwait is known for its home-grown tradition of theatre. Kuwait is the only country in the Gulf with a theatrical tradition. The theatrical movement in Kuwait constitutes a major part of the country's cultural life. Theatre activities are still popular today. Theatrical activities in Kuwait began in the 1920s when the first spoken dramas were released.

Arts

Kuwait has the oldest modern arts movement in the Arabian Peninsula. Beginning in 1936, Kuwait was the first Gulf country to grant scholarships in the arts. The Kuwaiti artist Mojeb al-Dousari was the earliest recognized visual artist in the Gulf region. He is regarded as the founder of portrait art in the region. In 1943, al-Dousari launched Kuwait's first art gallery.

Kuwait is home to more than 20 art galleries. The Sultan Gallery was the first art gallery in the Gulf region. Khalifa Al-Qattan was the first Kuwaiti artist to hold a single artist art exhibition in Kuwait. He founded a new art theory in the early 1960s known as "circulism".

Soap operas

Kuwaiti soap operas (المسلسلات الكويتية) are the among the most-watched soap operas in the Arab world. Although usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect, some Kuwaiti soap operas have been shown with success as far away as Tunisia.

Music

See also: Music of Kuwait

Traditional Kuwaiti music is derived from the country's seafaring heritage. Kuwait is regionally known as the center for "sawt", a bluesy style of music made popular in the 1970s.

Kuwait's maritime tradition is known for songs called "Fidjeri". "Fidjeri" is a musical repertoire performed traditionally by pearl divers. "Liwa" is a type of music and dance performed mainly by Kuwaitis of East African ancestry. "Al Arda Al Bahariya" is a well-known Kuwaiti sailor song, as are the "al-Nahma", a class of songs that accompanied many sailing activities.

Contemporary

Kuwait was the pioneer of contemporary music in the Gulf. Kuwaitis were the first commercial recording artists in the Gulf. Abdallah Al Rowaished, Nawal El Kuwaiti, Abdul Kareem Abdul-Qader and Nabeel Shoail are the most prominent modern performers.

Kuwait has a reputation for being the central music influence of the GCC countries. Over the last decade of satellite TV stations, there has been a stream of Kuwaiti musicians that have been successful in reaching other Arab countries.

Gargee'an

See also: Gargee'an

Qarqe'an is an annual celebration, observed in Kuwait, that takes place on the 15th night of Sha'ban and on the 15th night of Ramadan. Gergee'an is marked with children dressing in traditional attire and going door-to-door to receive sweets from neighbours, whilst also singing traditional songs. The tradition has existed for hundreds of years and deeply rooted in Kuwaiti culture.

Although the celebration of Qarqe'an shares superficial similarities with the Halloween custom of trick-or-treating, practiced in some western countries, Qarqe'an has no connection with horror and no associated origin with Halloween.

Cuisine

See also: Cuisine of Kuwait

Seafood has been the mainstay of Kuwaiti cuisine for centuries.

Museums

Main article: List of museums in Kuwait

Kuwait has less than thirty museums.

Dewaniya

The Dewaniya has existed in Kuwait since time immemorial. In the old city of Kuwait it was the reception area where a man received his business colleagues and male guests. Today the term refers both to a reception hall and the gathering held in it, and visiting or hosting a dewaniya is an indispensable feature of a Kuwaiti man’s social life. Dewaniya became a fundamental part of Kuwaiti life. Hence, it has become a mark in their traditional daily life.

See also

• Music of Kuwait
• Kuwaiti cuisine
• Culture of Eastern Arabia