Majeed Marhoon

Majeed died on 23 February 2010 because of sickness.

Majeed continued working with immense concentration and passion on his music and also to complete writing "The Modern Music Dictionary" on which he was working since 1975 in prison. He then revised the first volume and included additions to the entries and footnotes, mostly on the connection between the computer and music. He devoted himself for the first volume from 1990–2002, which is released today.-- 16 March 2008.

During that period he also composed The Second String Quartet which was played later by the Adembra String Quartet Group on the International Music Day in 1999 gaining remarkable success.

On 26 April 1990, Majeed completed his life sentence to finally breathe the air of freedom. From his first day out of prison, Majeed got affiliated to Ajras Musical Band as a composer and a musician. Among his works with Ajras was the song "Habeebati" (My Darling) which was performed at the 3rd Ajras concert; and also the composition, "An invitation to affection".

On 8 January 1986, Majeed was transferred from Jida to the prison of Jaww. According to Majeed this transfer came with some advantages helping him with his musical project. He was placed in a private cell which he used as a music school and library with a table and a chair making it easier for him to sit and compose his music whenever he pleased.

In 1985 at the World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow, thousands of protesting cards were signed by the representatives of the Democratic Youth Against Colonization Movement from all over the world demanding his immediate release. Majeed wrote at that moment: "For the first time in my life, I've tasted the sweetness of the great victory!"

Majeed says that his outcome of his musical compositions was based on deep self-analysis and extreme strict self-criticism leading him to complete his second symphony "An invitation to Joy" on his fortieth birthday on 17 August 1985.

In 1973, Majeed's attempts to convince the prison warden to get some music books in order for him to study during his free time succeeded. As soon as he had those books in his possession he began studying seriously and intensively making the best out of the isolated atmosphere he was in, taking inspiration from his musical experiments, going back to everything he had learnt with great concentration. He recomposed "Memories" on the note. Even though "Memories" wasn't his first experience in composition, but it was a turning point in his career as a musician, he then composed "Haneen". And after reading 'The Hunchback of Notre dame' came the piece "Esmeralda" expressing the great influence the works of Victor Hugo had on him, especially since his romantic musical directions were going in parallel to those of the novel.

In 1967, the lyrics of the anthem "Tareequna anta tadri shawkon wa wa'aron Aseer" (Our path, you know, rugged, hard and filled with thorns) was discussed for the first time. Even though Majeed didn't get the full lyrics, but the first verses attracted his attention, so he composed the music. These lyrics would be enriched years later by the poet Ahmed Al-Shamlan, and at a later stage the artist Salman Zaiman would add a few more verses too.

Majeed Marhoon (Arabic: مجيد مرهون) (1945–2010) was a Bahraini saxophonist, and a former leftist political activist with the National Liberation Front of Bahrain. He spent 22 years in prison in Bahrain between 1968 and 1990, accused of planting a bomb in the car of a British intelligence officer of 21 March 1966. Seventeen of his years in captivity were spent at the Jidda Island prison, four of those years in solitary confinement.

In 1966, Majeed would execute a heroic operation against the militants of British colonization, of which his role would remain a secret until 1969. He was then led to a mock trial which only lasted for half an hour, where the prior issued sentence was revealed. He was given a life sentence.

Majeed joined the Amateur Musicians Family in late 1963 for six months, during which he participated in various concerts and events organized by many clubs, but his membership there didn't take long for him to later become one of the founders of Al-Anwar Group.

In 1961, he was asked by the late Baqer Kalbarham to start a music group to play at the forefront of Kalbarham's Azza* procession during the lunar month of Muharram, since he was one of the most popular musicians among the poor at the time. With great enthusiasm, Majeed took up the task.

In 1961, he bought the saxophone after being introduced to wind instruments like the trumpet and the clarinet.

This income also helped him achieve his long-lasting desire to buy a musical instrument. In 1959 he bought a harmonica and along with it a book to learn how to play it.

In the academic year 1956, Majeed was asked by his arts and sports teacher, Mr. Salman Majid Al-Dallaal, to compose the music for a monologue of a school play. This was the first of Majeed's musical compositions; he was only ten years old when he composed this monologue which was broadcast on Radio Bahrain.

Majeed faced the bitterness of life and poverty by excelling in school," I was one of the best students in the school despite the hardships of living, at times we used to go to bed with empty stomachs. In 1953, I was transferred to Gudaibiya elementary school before it was fully constructed. In that school I noticed the social differences between classes, and I used to isolate myself trying to think and find reasons, but of no use, because the issue was bigger than my mind could handle. "Says Majeed.

At the Addaama neighborhood in Hoora – Bahrain, the neighborhood of the simple and the deprived, Majeed Marhoon was born on the hot afternoon of 17 August 1945.