The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library organised an evening dedicated to discussing the novel “Doukhi… Melodies of Youth” the latest work by Kuwaiti author Taleb Al Refai. The event brought together literature and the spirit of music, revisiting the life of a voice that remains immortal in the collective Gulf memory.
Moderated by writer and storyteller Abdul Hamid Ahmad, Secretary-General of the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Award, the session spotted light the novel, which narrates the life of a Kuwaiti artist who left an indelible mark on the memory of an entire generation, one of the most prominent voices that shaped the emotions of the golden age of Kuwaiti and Gulf music.
The event was attended by His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, Dr. Mohammed Salem Al Mazrouei, Board Member, Khalid Abdulrahim Al Zaabi, Consul General of Kuwait in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, and diplomatic attaché Khaled Khalil Al Farsi at the Kuwaiti Consulate, along with the late artist’s son, Bassem Awadh Doukhi. The gathering also included several board members, writers, critics, intellectuals, and media professionals, who actively engaged in the discussion and shared their insights on the novel’s narrative and human dimensions.
The evening blended storytelling with three musical interludes performed by Emirati artist Saif Al Ali, who added a distinctive emotional depth to the event through his oud playing and singing. His renditions, inspired by the legacy of Awadh Doukhi and the Saba melody Maqam, infused the session with an authentic flavour steeped in the spirit of traditional art.
The evening flowed harmoniously between Taleb Al Refai and Abdul Hamid Ahmad in a dialogue exploring why Al Refai chose Awadh Doukhi as the subject of his novel and what drove him to write about him. Al Refai explained that his connection with Doukhi’s voice dated back to his childhood and stayed with him even after leaving Kuwait to study abroad. When he decided to write about the artist, he was compelled to conduct extensive research to uncover the truth behind the life of a man who died at 47, leaving behind a legacy of timeless Gulf music.
Al Refai also touched on how Awadh Doukhi developed traditional songs and why he chose to perform pieces by Umm Kulthum. He recounted stories about the artist, the subject of his novel, and his relationship with his brother Yousef, as well as with other musicians from across the Gulf and Egypt’s capital Cairo, a city he frequently visited.
The session witnessed strong engagement from the audience, who praised the novel’s narrative style and its role in documenting the artistic memory of the Gulf. They described the work as a human elegy of the first voice of the Gulf and a tribute to an era of social and artistic transformation.
His Excellency Mohammed Al Murr underscored that celebrating creative talents embodies the core mission of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, which has become a distinguished platform for thought and culture. It plays a vital role in preserving the region’s artistic memory, while strengthening the presence of writers and artists as key pillars in building a reading and cultured society.
He added that true creativity can only be complete when it is celebrated and its value recognised, for the creator is the one who gives life its distinct colour and reshapes our perception of beauty and knowledge. Al Murr reaffirmed that the library remains committed to its mission of serving as a bridge connecting the past with the present — a space that embraces inspiration and fosters dialogue between generations and cultures.
