“I do it only for pleasure, not for money. When I see the family of the bride and the bridegroom happy, I feel happy. I have my own income, so money is not the main consideration,” says Abdul Aziz Bukhari, one of the famous Jasees, traditional singers found in Taif, Makkah, Jeddah, Madina and in the western region of Saudi Arabia. About the origin of the art, Bukhari says, “The art originated in the Hijaz area. When the Prophet, peace be upon him, migrated to Madina, the people in Madina received him with a traditional song, so this art form is an imitation of what the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, did at the beginning of prophethood.” Talking about the qualities needed to make a person a good singer, Bukhari says, ‘'Jasees should have a strong voice and choose nice and easy renditions that the audience will enjoy and will not find difficult to understand. Practicing this art needs a lot of vocal training and in the different genres of this art. Listening to previous Jasees and well-known experts like Mohammad Amman also helps.” How does a typical trip start and finish? Bukhari says, “We start from the house of the bridegroom by saying the Jas (words that encourage the youth to marry). Then we go with the family and friends to the bride's house or the wedding hall. There, we do another session of Jas along with some traditional dances like Muzmar, Khubait or Yanbuawi. The bridegroom participates with us in the dance and singing. The audience participates with the Jasees by repeating some of the words.” Nowadays, there are plenty of bands that provide this form of entertainment and perform for guests at wedding parties. The competition of these bands makes the performance better, as these bands have to maintain their standards and train the whole team to do songs and dances. The Jasees have a special dress that makes them stand apart. The traditional clothes consist of a yellow Gabana Uma (head cover), Sedairy (a sleeveless shirt) worn over a thobe, which make the Jasees unique and differentiate them from other guests. Due to its growing popularity among Saudis and expatriates, Jasees not only go to weddings but also entertain during other festivals and even occasions like opening malls, advertising products and entertainment centers. “It has become so popular, that you rarely see a wedding that is not headed by Jasees. Besides Jeddah, I receive invitations from different cities like Al-Baha, Tabuk , Rabigh and Jizan. Once at a party hosted by Saudi Airlines, they invited me to sing in front of non-Arabic speakers. I arranged an introductory welcome in English, they liked a lot. This is a good way to have a taste of both tradition and modernity at the same time,” he says. __
