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Tarwiij was formed in early 2008 when Muhammad and Jamil, old friends and next door neighbors who enjoyed similar taste in music, would get together in Jamil’s basement to jam to Muhammad’s tunes. Joined by a close friend, Eyad, the three started jamming with acoustic guitars and “experimental tune humming” to reach the most melodic deliveries for each instrument. Through word of mouth the bands reputation grew and so did attendance in Jamil’s basement. Friends and friend’s of friends with tag alongs would line up to catch the band practice for their weekly dose of rock, hence the band’s name – Tarwiij il Rock min Amman (Popularization of Rock music from Amman) – “Tarwiij” for short.
As their popularity grew, they managed to book their first gig for a major music festival solely on street cred. With the timely return of a good friend and experienced drummer, Tareq, the band’s lineup was complete as he provided the missing ingredient. The show was a big success, an eye opener for the Jordanian public with a new genre of Arabic music that was louder than anything they had heard, yet rooted in traditional music. As fans grew so did demand for their music, so the band set up an ad hoc recording studio at a friend’s attic apartment and recorded a live E.P. in one day. The product of that impromptu was “The Shepherd” a 4 song E.P. that finds the band conversing through their instruments in perfect harmony.
To ask Tarwiij about their musical influences is a lost cause, as they credit their beautiful city of Amman as being the single most important influence on their sound, and this is evident without delay … no pun intended. From the ghostly landscapes of downtown Amman and the infectious energy in its streets to the unstable situation in the Middle East, Tarwiij manages to channel its environment through songs.
Thankful for their country’s stability in relation to its turbulent surroundings, the band promotes peace and unity in the Middle East by shedding light on the region’s predicament through poignant lyrics and unanticipated switches between calm and thunder.
A symbol of the booming independent music scene in Jordan, Tarwiij claims the rock throne in Amman and has coined the phrase “Rock Ammany” to identify their distinctive sound.
Tarwiij is:
Muhammad Abdullah: lead vocals / bass guitar
Eyad Hamam: acoustic guitar / back vocals.
Jamil Anz: electric guitar / back vocals.
Tareq Abu Kwaik: drums / percussion / back vocals
** Special thanks to Omar Khouri for the brilliant album cover.