Bahrain’s rich music expressed by all female BDF band

Manama: In the midst of the awe-inspiring defence hardware displayed during the second edition of the Bahrain International Defence Exhibition and Conference (BIDEC) 2019, the Bahrain Defense Force’s female military band playing melodious tunes was an impressive sight.

Clad in impeccable red uniforms that gave them a special aura, the young-looking women played tunes from Arabic and Western repertoires, displaying an impressive mastery that attracted the curious visitors, with many taking out their mobiles to take pictures or record the harmonious music.

The band was formed by the Bahrain Defence Force in 2014 and its members, carefully screened from a long list of applicants, had to sit through demanding courses and undergo rigorous training to ensure they could meet the required standards from a BDF band.

The members were trained on most music genres to discover their “hidden” potentials and later specialties included honing skills playing on instruments such as saxophone, trumpet, Tuba and clarinet. Some of the members learned how to play “jerba”, a Gulf folklore music instrument.

BDF all-female music band (BNA)

The first batch graduated in 2017 and it is only in 2018 that the band made its first public appearance as Bahrain celebrated with deserved fanfare Bahrain Women’s Day in 2018.

The 42-member band has won accolades in the few public appearances it had made, but officers said that they were looking forward to a more prominent participation in general events.