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Arabic traditions to go on UN heritage list

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Arabic traditions to go on UN heritage list

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preserving the culture of the emirates

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Image Credit: Gulf News Archives

Abu Dhabi: Longstanding Arabic traditions such as Arabic coffee, Al Razfa dance and Al Majlis have passed the initial nomination stage by a United Nations committee seeking to preserve heritage.

The Intangible Heritage Committee, an international committee tasked with safeguarding heritage, has accepted the nomination of Arabic coffee from Gulf countries in the Unesco Intangible Heritage of Humanity Representative List.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman nominated Al Majlis and Arabic coffee while the UAE and Oman nominated Al Razfa.

Representatives from 175 countries attended the 10th session of the Intangible Heritage Committee, which took place in Namibia from November 29 to December 4.

Arabic coffee symbolises generosity, hospitality and other values associated with the Gulf region.

Al Razfa is a popular folk dance in the UAE and Oman, symbolising masculinity, chivalry, gallantry and the region's equestrian heritage.

Al Majlis is considered a cultural and social tradition in which rulers interact with community members in an effort to strengthen social cohesion.

Mohammad Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), said: "This acknowledgement reflects years of dedication and expertise of which I am immensely proud as we strive to ensure the emirate is recognised globally for its efforts to maintain and preserve traditions. Inscribing these heritage elements on Unesco's representative list is the culmination of the achievements and efforts of our mandate to register, revitalise, preserve, document and sustain the UAE's heritage components as a cultural legacy for future generations. It also sheds light on our deep-rooted heritage, and increases global awareness of its authenticity."

Al Majlis, Arabic coffee and Al Razfa have joined falconry, Al Taghrooda and Al Ayala on Unesco's list while Al Sadu was inscribed on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in need of Urgent Safeguarding. "These milestones promote cultural diversity, human creativity and dialogue among civilisations by discovering cultural, social, and human origins of heritage elements," Al Mubarak said.

Dr Nasser Ali Al Humairi, director of the Intangible Heritage Department at TCA Abu Dhabi, said: "We prepared the files with great accuracy before submitting them to the Unesco Committee of Experts for evaluation. After passing the evaluation phase, the files then moved on to the annual Intangible Heritage Committee meeting, which provides the final approval and acknowledgment of registration."

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Arab traditions a step closer to UN heritage list

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Abu Dhabi: Longstanding Arabic traditions such as Arabic coffee, Al Razfa dance and Al Majlis have passed the initial nomination stage by a United Nations committee seeking to preserve heritage. The Intangible Heritage Committee, an international committee tasked with safeguarding heritage, has accepted the nomination of Arabic coffee from Gulf countries in the Unesco Intangible Heritage of Humanity Representative List.

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Khaleegy Traditional dance with a modern twist!

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Khaleegy Traditional dance with a modern twist!

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Al Yowla at Qasr Al Hosn Festival | اليولة خلال مهرجان قصر الحصن

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Quite a long video- main info within the first three minutes

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Image Credit: Gulf News archive

Dubai: Emirati music and dance are performed to express happiness during joyous occasions such as Eid, engagements, wedding parties and celebrations in general. The UAE has its own exclusive types of music and dance that have been regularly practised in the past and are still a well-kept tradition for today's generation - and surely for generations to come.

UAE musical instruments include the famous oud (a stringed instrument), drums; tambourine, (which Emiratis call the daf), rababa (a stringed instrument), tanboura, doumbek (a goblet drum) and the nai.

Emiratis have shown these musical instruments were used many years ago by Bedouins. Since then, generations have passed their knowledge on about them, until they have become an integral part of UAE heritage. The instruments are also widely used in the region.

In days gone by Emirati music and dance was played and performed to entertain workers who had usually accomplished some kind of success. For example, for the Emirati pearl voyagers, traditional songs were sung by a Nahaan.

A famous UAE dance is called the Al Ayyalah, which is practised only in the UAE. It is accompanied by a large drum called Al Ras.

Its solid, deep tones, sets the beat for the three smaller takhamir drums. The dance is performed only by men and 25 is the minimum acceptable number for a performance of the Al Ayyalah.

Occasionally, participants number 200, and they stand in two equal rows that face each other with arms linked, as a gesture of unity and support. Then they gently wave sticks in front of them and sway back and forth. Each row sings in a declaration of a challenge to the opposite group.

The Harbiyah is another traditional dance that reflects victory, pride and courage.

The Liwa is a dance that was brought to the Gulf by East African traders. It is danced to African-style music and features a pipe-flute called the mizmar. The three backing drums for this dance are the shindo, the jabwah, and the jasser.

The Liwa begins with the mizmar solo of about six minutes in a slow tempo, later the drums join in and are followed by ten dancers or singers and gradually the pace increases to a swirl of activity. This type of dance accepts participants of both men and women and usually takes about 25 minutes.

The Haban is another type of dance, which is also known as the Khamiri or the Khayali. The names refer to the stringed musical instrument that control the dance. The performance is carried out by three groups. The first one consists of six to eight men, the second is made up of the same number of women, and the third comprises nine or 10 musicians.

The conductor of the performance is the player of the Haban. Men and women performers move on a two-step steady rhythm forth and back.

There is a huge variety of music and dance in the UAE. Emiratis were - and still are, strongly attached to playing the oud and performing the Al Ayyalah during special occasions.

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Dubai: Emirati music and dance are performed to express happiness during joyous occasions such as Eid, engagements, wedding parties and celebrations in general. The UAE has its own exclusive types of music and dance that have been regularly practised in the past and are still a well-kept tradition for today's generation - and surely for generations to come.