On the Floor – Zahed Sultan performs Hiwar at RBMA Weekender Dubai

Bridging the gap between traditional music and modern forms, Zahed Sultan’s Hiwar project is an exploration of pearl-diving music from the Gulf, created during a residency in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Intrigued by the relative simplicity yet undeniable complexity of the form, Sultan sought to document his collaboration with the musicians preserving this pearl-diving music, collaborating in pursuit of a contemporary, non-puristic vision of a genre that might otherwise be solely defined by its heritage. The result of these studio sessions and informal improvisations is Hiwar, meaning “dialogue.” In addition to the eponymous short film, Sultan and a troupe of musicians performed together live at the RBMA Weekender Dubai 2017, representing the latest step in their ongoing creative dialogue.