Manama (AFP)

If the tradition of "awakening" of Ramadan fasters is being lost in most Muslim countries, Yasser al-Samak struggles to keep it in Bahrain, even becoming a local star by adapting his songs to the era of the new coronavirus.

The voice of this "messaharati" and the beating of the drum which accompanies it breaks the silence of the dark streets of Bilad al-Qadeem, a village close to the capital Manama, every night.

His songs call on fasters to wake up for souhour, the last snack before sunrise and the start of a new day of fasting.

To the usual melodies, Mr. Samak added this year songs and poems evoking the pandemic of new coronavirus, of which the country officially counts 5,818 cases, including 10 deaths.

"We have poems written specially this year on the coronavirus and they are popular," he rejoices with AFP.

In a loud voice, the 50-year-old chronicles the disease, extols physical distancing and thanks doctors and health professionals on the front line in the fight against the disease.

"The time has come to take the souhour, this time it is different from all those of previous years," trumpets Mr. Samak in the dark night.

"Stay at home with your family and season your meal of hope, because those who count on God will be protected by Him," he promises.

Before advising: "Strengthen yourselves in prayer and make the mask a shield against the pandemic."

Messaharati is also used in humor: as the virus is nicknamed "corona" in Arabic, it invites the faithful to eat "macarona", a variant of macaroni.

Messaharati have long played an essential role in ensuring that the faithful wake up in time to eat before sunrise.

But the trivialization of alarm clocks and alarms on phones is gradually making their night songs less useful and, in many Muslim countries, the messaharati have disappeared.

- Hope and optimism -

In the village streets, a curfew has been put in place to control the spread of the disease. Containment measures have recently been relaxed, notably with the reopening of shops, but only a few residents venture outside to buy basic necessities.

Car traffic is almost nonexistent and stray cats lounging on the sidewalks.

But, despite the absence of passers-by, Mr. Samak is known to everyone in the village, where locals filmed his musical prowess to broadcast it on social networks, such as Instagram.

In a few weeks, it became a real sensation in the kingdom of Bahrain.

In his eyes, his songs are an opportunity to raise awareness of the risks of the disease, while raising hope and optimism. It is also a way to maintain social cohesion during this difficult period, he says.

"I've been doing this for 30 years, but it's not like it used to be, when we had a lot of children participating" in the ritual, he regrets.

Because the messaharati must adapt to the new restrictions imposed by the authorities: there is no longer any question of being surrounded by a crowd that follows it in its wanderings.

As he walks down a street, kids come out of their house to listen to him, before being brought back by their father inside.

The messaharati sighs: "Now, because of the coronavirus, we are limited to five people."

© 2020 AFP