Matar Al Kuwari

Matar Ali Mubarak Al Rabia Al Kuwari is a brigadier general, commander of military music and Qatari composer. He is associated with patriotic song, dozens of compositions and operettas, and sustained advocacy for Qatari artists and folk music.

He grew up in a large household comprising his father, who worked in private trade, his mother, his father’s other wives, and his full and half-siblings. He was deeply influenced by his mother, whose affection extended to everyone and who never hesitated to help a person in need. Patient and smiling even in the harshest circumstances, she was her children’s friend, supporter and source of strength. From her, he inherited limitless affection, unconditional generosity, tolerance and patience.

He was born in Athba Village and spent the first seven years of his life there, surrounded by the community’s tranquillity and solidarity. He wandered among trees and palms and played with sheep and camels on the farms owned by his father and uncle. The family later moved to Freej Kulaib, exchanging village and Bedouin life for a modest house in a busy urban neighbourhood. He made friends and played football in the street; to his young mind, the change felt like moving to another country. He attended Tariq bin Ziad School with his brother Youssef—may God have mercy on him—and they usually walked there together. He later moved to Yarmouk Preparatory School.

At his father’s request, he entered the School of Commerce, but he did not abandon his own ambition. He attended Qatar’s Music Institute in the evenings, and his commitment, perseverance and exceptional ability led the Institute to nominate him for study in Egypt. At the same time, his commerce programme nominated him to continue studying accounting in Jordan. Without hesitation—and without telling his family—he chose music. When his father discovered the nature of his studies, his anger prompted he to return home before fulfilling that ambition. He accepted his father’s wishes and entered the armed forces in 1984, but found a way to satisfy both their aims by joining the military-music section. He could wear the uniform and pursue music at the same time. He then studied at Pakistan’s military-music institute, graduating in 1987.

Having entered military service in 1984, he continued pursuing his ambition and joined the Egyptian Army’s institute in 1989 to study military music. He also sought admission to Egypt’s academic music institute, earning both a military diploma and a bachelor’s degree in music before returning home with qualifications he could use in his country’s service.

The moment he saw an oud in the hands of his elder brother Mubarak, the wooden instrument captivated him. He felt an intense desire to discover its secrets; once he held it and began picking out improvised phrases, the instrument seemed inseparable from him.

His love of music endured. After secondary school, he entered the military and asked to join military music, presenting himself to his father as a serviceman while continuing to practise his art. He graduated from the Military College of Music in Pakistan and then completed studies in both Western and Arab music at the Music Institute in Egypt.

He faced many obstacles, beginning with his family’s opposition to studying music or practising professionally after graduation. Because music carried a social stigma in Qatar at the time, he turned to composition and remained behind the scenes. Through patience and sustained effort, he challenged convention and broke through those social restrictions.

The year he spent in Pakistan was among the most difficult of his life. Living conditions were demanding, but his passion for music motivated him to work, seek knowledge and endure every obstacle.

He also experienced what he regarded as limited state attention to musical artists and a weak public culture around the arts. These conditions made it harder to secure media exposure and communicate his message as he wished.

Professional and artistic success did not come at the expense of family life. He built a close-knit household and has five children, who in turn established families and pursued their own paths with determination. They inherited their father’s persistence and his commitment to stability.

He fulfilled his artistic ambitions by giving Qatar some of its best-known patriotic melodies and anthems. In popular song, he worked with leading singers from the Gulf and the wider Arab world, providing compositions that represented Qatar’s musical voice.

His military background led him to specialise initially in patriotic music. He composed more than ten patriotic operettas and over fifty other works, most of which achieved considerable success with Qatari audiences.

He participated in national events across Doha and composed for many occasions, including the National Day military parades, for which he wrote “Hanna Hal Al-Samla, Junudak Ya Tamim”.

He collaborated with many Qatari artists, including Abdel Sattar Saqr and Saleh Nasser Saleh, producing successful works. He later turned his attention to a younger generation, forming partnerships first with Issa Al-Kubaisi—who became one of Qatar’s leading stars—and then with Fahd Al-Kubaisi, Ghanem Shaheen, Saud Jassim, Mansour Bousbar, Saad Hamad and Ahmed Ali. The source edition also records collaborations with emerging performers and accomplished voices such as Mohammed Al-Mutawa and Nayef Abdullah. His ultimate goal remained the advancement of Qatari song and the preservation of Qatari folk art.

His ambition, determination and persistence brought extensive recognition. His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani honoured him at the Amiri Diwan during the blockade. He also received Italy’s Accademia Culturale Internazionale Cartagine award for excellence in composition, the GCC music award and further certificates of appreciation from ministries and national figures.