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Background History
Oman officially the Sultanate of Oman is an Arab country on the southeastern coast of
the Arabian Peninsula. Holding a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian
Gulf, the country shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi
Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine
borders with Iran and Pakistan.
From the late 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was a powerful empire, vying
with Portugal and Britain for influence in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. The city of Muscat
is their capital. Historically, Muscat was the principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region.
Muscat was also among the most important trading ports of the Indian Ocean. Oman's official
religion is Islam.
Music History
The music of Oman has been strongly affected by the country's coastal location, with
Omani sailors interacting with, and bringing back music from, Egypt, Tanzaniaand elsewhere.
More recently, a Portuguese occupation has left its own marks, while geographic neighbors like
the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iran have also had a profound influence. In
contrast to other Arab countries, Omani traditional music has a strong emphasis on rhythm.
Traditional music marks all the stages in the life of an Omani, including birth,
circumcision, marriage and death. In contrast to many Arab countries, all Omanis participate in
music, including both men and women, and young and old.
Types of Music
Liwa and Fann at-Tanbura are types of music and dance performed mainly in
communities of descendants of Bantu peoples from the African Great Lakes region.
1. Liwa
A large number of male participants arrange themselves into a circle, which is anchored by one
or several drum players. A man paces in the middle of the group playing a simple reed
instrument called mizmar or surnai, whose plaintive sharp sound reminds the listener of an oboe.
The circle claps and dances in place, while individuals join a line which rhythmically paces
around the inside of the circle. The Liwa is a more casual dance than the others, and can be
performed with great spirit and banter from the young men who usually take part.
2. Fann at-Tanbura
Fann aṭ-Ṭanbūra is a traditional music and dance genre in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf,
especially Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Musically, the tanbūra instrument plays a central role,
along with several drums and the manjur—an instrument made of several goat hooves wrapped
around the waist of the performer.
Men and women both participate in the singing and dance. Fann at-tanbura is closely
associated with the Zār spiritual ritual, and it was originally used in healing practices.
Participants would occasionally fall into a trance. In modern times though it is more often a
musical performance.
Notable Omani musicians include Salim Rashid Suri, the "Singing Sailor", a 20th-century
singer and oud player from Sur who combined strains of the ṣawt of the northern Persian
Gulf and other musical traditions of the Indian Ocean as a pioneer of the genre called Ṣawt al-
Khaleej There is also a very small underground metal scene with bands like Arabia and Belos
emerging from there, the former moving to the UK.
Intruments of Oman
1. The manjur is a musical instrument used in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf but
with East Africanorigins. It is made of goat hooves attached to a cloth. It is performed by
tying the instrument around the waist. The performer shakes his or her hip to create a
rattle sound when the hooves collide with each other. It is used in the fann at-
Tanbura and zar performances.
2. The mirwās or marwas is a small double-sided hand drum originally from the Middle
East. It is a popular instrument in the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, used
in sout and fijiri music. It is also common in Yemen. Hadhrami migrants
from Yemen took the instrument to Muslim Southeast
Asia (especially Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei), where it is used
in zapin and gambus musical genres. A similar drum of this area is the kendang.
3. The tanbūra is a bowl lyre of the Middle East. It takes its name from
the Persian tanbur via the Arabic tunbur though this term refers to long-necked lutes. The
instrument plays an important role in zār rituals. The instrument probably originated
in Upper Egypt and the Sudan and is used in the Fann At-Tanbura in the Persian Gulf
Arab states.
4. Rahmani Drum: The Rahmani drum is considered to be one of the most important
instruments in Oman, and is a symbol of local music. It plays the role of a rhythmic base,
producing a deep, full sound. The Rahmani is played in different ways depending on the
region, but is historically essential to marine beats, and immensely popular at social
events.
5. Kasir Qasir: The Kasir Qasir is a shorter drum which is almost half the size of the Kasir.
It can be beaten with a stick or using both hands and is always accompanied by singing.
6. Qirba: The Qirba, a variation on the Scottish bagpipe, was popularised in the 1970s and
has now become an integral part of all forms of regional Omani music, though the style
of music produced with it is quite distinct from its Scottish origins. The string bagpiper
has several pipes that produce a fixed drone. The player blows air into the pipe where it is
stored and from there, is pushed into the melodic pipes so that the sound continues
without interruption.