JEDDAH, 10 August 2005 — Everybody likes to have a good time at a wedding, and some traditional Saudi music always makes an event seem more special.

Now, some enterprising Saudi women musicians are turning their talents to making money. You can’t hire them, however, for a song: A five- or six-woman band will charge from SR3,000-SR7,000 for an evening and even divided into shares, that comes to a respectable amount.

The bands usually feature at least one singer and a variety of other instrumentalists. One thing most have in common is a lot of tambourines (doufouf). The price depends in part on the instruments requested. Recently, the Jeddah Equestrian Club opened for afternoon weddings, and some bands see this as an opportunity to earn even more money. An afternoon party means that the bands can do two performances in one day.

“It can be exhausting, but I earn more money than my husband gets in three months,” one woman told Arab News.

Let’s see — three months or one day? You decide.

Of course, these enterprising women don’t stop at only making music as one man booking a group learned. “When I called them, they asked me to get 20 cartons of cigarettes,” said Ahmad Rashad, who hired a band for his daughter’s wedding. “They told me that if I wanted them, I would have to get the cigarettes, too.”

No, the women weren’t chain smokers; they were covering all angles: In this case, wedding hall cigarette sales.

“If a pack costs SR5, and a carton has 10 packs, that will be SR50,” Rashad added. “And if they sell the 10 packs each for SR50, that is another SR500 added to their payment.”

Oh, that entrepreneurial spirit. Just as the big recording acts in the West who often put some strange conditions into their contractual agreements, some women musicians also make strange requests. After all, they want to sparkle.

One woman, Samia, who hired a singer for her daughter’s graduation party, was surprised by just how much sparkle was required.

“She refused to go on stage until we lent her a diamond necklace to wear,” Samia said. “Was she too proud to sing without wearing something glowing to put on display? We gave her one of my cousin’s necklaces, and everything went well after that.”

It can get even more complicated.

Maha, a businesswoman who hired a band for her son’s wedding, discovered that in addition to cold, hard cash the outfit wanted to be outfitted — with new dresses.

“I had very little time due to all the wedding arrangements, but still I had to go with one of the band members and rent dresses.” Maha added that when it was time for dinner, the band had its own reserved table — another request.

Many schoolgirls find this profession more appealing than continuing their education. One girl was so tempted by the money that she quit her studies. Her family is happy with the money she earns and do not complain. Their only concern is the late working hours that come with the job. But when the wedding season runs out, and the once-jingling tambourine falls silent, those academic diplomas can keep a girl from singing the blues.

Oh well, there’s no business like show business.