The kāwālā (Arabic: كاوالا or كولة; also called salamiya, سلامية) is an end-blown cane flute used in Arabic music. It is similar to the ney but has six fingerholes, while the ney has seven (including one in the back). The kāwālā comes in up to nine different sizes, depending on the maqam.

Although very similar to the ney, a popular flute in traditional Middle Eastern music, the kāwālā does not have a hole in the back like the ney. The kāwālā has a basic musical structure that is common in Egyptian folk music and serves as the foundation for many folk melodies, whether played or sung.

The kāwālā is hollow and has four knots, with six fingerholes in a straight line along it. The instrument comes in up to nine different sizes, depending on the scale needed in a musical piece. It is most often played today at religious festivals and weddings. Originally, it was a shepherd's tool used to guide their flock. For this reason, the kāwālā seems to help in musical pieces that include a "call-and-response" sequence.

Players

Ahmed El Arnab is one of the most highly respected kawala players in Egypt and around the world. He lives in a small village in the Sharqia governorate of Egypt. He has traveled internationally to perform with many Egyptian Sufi singers, such as Sheikh Yassine Al-Tohamy, and with Western composers. He also frequently takes part in national folklore celebrations called Mawlid across Egypt. He is one of the oldest living kawala players in Egypt, known for his special skill in creating different sounds on the instrument using a technique called circular breathing.

Ibrahim Shahin was another well-known Egyptian kawala player who once performed in Mawawil. He was a musician who traveled internationally and played regularly at events in his village and at larger performances in Egypt.

Production

The maker of the kawala chooses reeds while they are still in the ground. They remove the inside of the reeds, making them stop growing taller and instead grow thicker and stronger. The reeds are left in the ground until they are ready to be harvested. At that time, they are collected and placed in the sun to dry completely. Next, each stalk is cut into sections, each containing four knots, starting from the thinner end. This creates a leading pipe and a following pipe in a 1:2 ratio (two follower pipes for each leader). The maker carefully selects the leader and its follower from the same stalk to ensure the sound has a consistent tone color. The parts inside the reed that separate it into sections at each knot are then removed, creating a hollow pipe open at both ends. Any extra material is trimmed away, along with the remaining internal parts, to make the inside smooth and even.