Sabah Al Lamme

Jalsat (Arabic for “sessions”) is an intimate Gulf-Arab performance format where singers and a small ensemble gather in a majlis-style sitting to perform acoustic renditions of Khaleeji repertoire. Rooted in social gatherings across the Arabian Peninsula, jalsat emphasize voice, poetry, and ornamented melodic improvisation over amplified spectacle. Arrangements typically center on oud, violin section, qanun, and hand percussion (riq, tabl/tabla, mirwas), with unison clapping and call‑and‑response refrains. The music commonly uses Gulf rhythms and maqam-based melodies (e.g., Bayati, Hijaz, Rast), and lyrics are often in Gulf dialects, using Nabati imagery of love, longing, and desert motifs. In the recording era, the jalsah became a recognizable acoustic “unplugged” variant of modern Khaleeji pop, prized for its warmth, close-mic vocals, and extended taqasim (instrumental improvisations).