Traditions in Transition: The Meanings and Values of Vocal Heritage in Contemporary Omani Culture Author Al Siyabi, Said Mohamed Published 2011 Thesis Type Thesis (PhD Doctorate) School School of Humanities DOI https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/2612 Copyright Statement The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365320 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Traditions in Transition: The Meanings and Values of Vocal Heritage in Contemporary Omani Culture Said Mohamed Al Siyabi MA, BA (Sultan Qaboos University, Oman) School of Humanities Arts, Education and Law Griffith University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy July 2011 Abstract By virtue of its geographical location on the Arabian Peninsula, the Sultanate of Oman has lain at the intersection of networks of trade and exchange between Asia, eastern Africa and Europe since antiquity.This has given Oman a rich archeological and architectural heritage. However, what is less well appreciated beyond the Gulf Region is that the flows of people and ideas in which Oman has been engulfed for over two millennia have also produced an equally rich heritage of folksong and dance. This thesis is the first scholarly study of Omani vocal heritage. After tracing the origins and most significant aspects of the history of Omani singing and associated performative traditions, the thesis considers the part that this vocal heritage has played in Oman‘s emergence as an economically modern and politically stable nation. The foundations for Oman‘s robust economic development over the past five decades were created in the early 1970s by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said. It has been the goal of His Majesty to ensure that modernization and the adoption of western technologies and ideas occur without diminishing social cohesion or any loss of cultural identity. In this respect Oman stands out amongst emerging nations in that the preservation of cultural heritage has been recognized as a high priority. Indeed, since the mid-1990s Oman arguably has had the most well-developed policy framework and legislation for the preservation of cultural heritage preservation in the Arab world. The importance accorded the preservation of cultural heritage in Oman‘s national development nonetheless raises interesting and significant questions, notably about intangible cultural heritage elements such as vocal heritage. Archaeological and 1 architectural heritage is relatively unaffected by cultural change compared to the mutability of song, dance and other performative modes of cultural expression. Thinking about its preservation in times of rapid economic and social change raises numerous questions. What, for example, has been the impact been of state sponsorship of the performance of traditional genres of song? How has the establishment of national cultural institutions and performance venues influenced the performance and possibly the meanings and values of vocal heritage? And what are the implications of current state policies and strategies for the future of this heritage? This thesis investigates these issues and related questions, largely through surveying and assessing the views of practitioners of Omani traditional music and vocal heritage, and those of key figures in Omani cultural institutions, heritage experts and government officials charged with the management and ongoing development of national cultural policy. Finally, the thesis considers the implications of the emergence of networked digital communications for Omani intangible cultural heritage. When His Majesty Sultan Qaboos declared 1994 a year of (Amoal-Turāth) of Omani National Heritage the World -Wide-Web was beginning its explosive transformative development of human communication. Today the Web offers a rich variety of techniques for preserving and presenting intangible cultural heritage to potentially global audiences. However, it presents challenges as well as opportunities that will be discussed in the concluding part of this thesis. Moreover, this will be done with the aim of identifying how digital media can best serve the aspirations of the Omani people to enjoy the benefits of both global modernity and the richness of their cultural heritage. 2 Keywords Though this thesis is unlikely to be published in its current form, the keywords framing the inquiry are: Vocal Heritage, Traditional Songs, Folksongs, Traditional Music, Contemporary Omani Culture, Omani Contemporary Theatre, Digital Applications. 3 Statement of Original Authorship I hereby declare that I, SAID Al SIYABI, am the sole author of this unpublished document. A diligent attempt has been made to accurately source and cite the other researchers, theorists and artists whose writings and opinions have been quoted in this research project to date. Name of Candidate: SAID Al SIYABI Signature of Candidate: ________________ Date: _________________ 4 Table of Contents Abstract .....................................................................................................................1 Keywords .....................................................................................................................3 Statement of Original Authorship ..................................................................................4 Table of Contents ...........................................................................................................5 Acknowledgements. .....................................................................................................11 Chapter One: Introduction (The Research Objective) .................................................12 1.1 Research Background ............................................................................................13 1.2 Research Aims and Objectives ..............................................................................14 1.3 Methodology and Research Plan ... .......................................................................15 1.4 Defining Vocal Heritage ........................................................................................17 Chapter Two: Origin, History and Cultural Peculiarities of Omani Vocal Heritage ...26 2. I Introduction ...........................................................................................................26 2.2 Oman‘s Geographical and Historical Background ................................................26 2.2.1 Advent of Islam (Islam in Oman) .......................................................................32 2.2.2 The Middle Ages.................................................................................................33 2.2.3 The Al Busaid dynasty ........................................................................................34 2.3 Social and Cultural Background ............................................................................36 2.3.1 Symbolism of costume and accessories ..............................................................38 5 2.3.2 Linguistic affiliation............................................................................................39 2.3.3 Omani literature ..................................................................................................41 2.3.3.1 Poetry ...............................................................................................................42 2.3.3.2 Traditional Tales ..............................................................................................43 2.3.3.3 Music................................................................................................................44 2.4 Origin of Omani Vocal Heritage (Relationship with Ancient Arabic Civilization and the Asian and African Influence) ..........................................................................47 2.4.1 Ancient Arabic civilization influence in the Omani vocal heritage ....................48 2.4.2 Asian influences in the Omani vocal heritage ....................................................54 2.4.3 African influences in the Omani vocal heritage .................................................63 2.5 Summary ................................................................................................................82 Chapter Three: Cultural Heritage Preservation in Oman since 1970 ..........................83 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................83 3.2 Oman after 1970 (Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said) ..............................................84 3.3 The State Institutions in Charge of Preserving Vocal Heritage .............................88 3.3.1 Ministry of Heritage and Culture (1976) ............................................................89 3.3.2 Ministry of Education (Oman) ............................................................................93 3.3.3 The Ministry of Information ...............................................................................96 3.3.4 Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) (1986) ..........................................................104 3.3.5 Diwan of Royal Court and Royal Court Affairs ...............................................108 6 3.3.6 Ministry of Tourism (Oman) ............................................................................109 3.3.7 The Ministry of Defense, Royal Omani Police (1974) and the Royal Guard (1973) .................................................................................................................110