The Music and Sound Cultures (MaSC) Group has released four short documentaries about the musical traditions of the Shihuh. The Shihuh (plural for Al Shehhi) is an Arab tribe that currently resides in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, dominating the territory of Ru’us al-Jibal and the Musandam peninsula. They are known as tribes that migrated during the destruction of the Marib Dam in Yemen 450 A.D. and they resided in the Area of Ru’us al-Jibal (Oman in the past), which extends from Kumzar and up to Dibba.
The four videos document the Nadbah, the Rawāḥ, the Razīf al-Shihuh, and the M’hobi. They provide a rare insight into these genres through an account by their own performers, who also discuss the social functions and values associated with their performance. The documentaries were directed by Emirati filmmaker Amna Alnowais with Syrian cinematographer Waleed Al Madani, and are part of research project “Exploring the musical traditions of the Shihuh” (Principal Investigator: Carlos Guedes) funded by the Sheik Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research and NYU Abu Dhabi. This project is part of MaSC’s continued effort in exploring, documenting, and preserving the music and sound cultures of the UAE.
Nadbah
The name nadbah Derives from the root na-da-ba which translates into wail. Nadbah is a famous form of sonic expression in mountainous areas of the northern region in the UAE and Musandam, specifically for the Shehhi tribe — which also includes the bin Shumaili, the al- Habsi, and the Dhuhoori tribes. It is the counterpart of ‘āzī in terms of expression of pride and praise (Shawqi, 1993). The nadbah is characterized by a group of ten or more men called theradeeda (repeaters) from the family or the neighborhood surrounding the nadeeb; usually the oldest man or a man of the tribe that has a strong voice that is capable of repeating the verses several times with a performative charisma. The nadeeb is like a poet that requires support from the men around him to ignite the sense of bravery and excitement, he raises his hand and conveys words of appreciation to the tribe or expresses pride in his own tribe (Al-Salhadi Al-Shehhi, S. 2022). It is a symbol of bravery for the family, which ignites excitement in the tribe members to participate.
References:
Al-Salhadi Al-Shehhi, Saeed. (2022, January 15 and 16). Personal communication. [Interview] Shawqi, Y. (1993).
Dictionary of traditional music in Oman (D. Christensen, Ed.). New York: Edition Peters
Rawāḥ
The rawāḥ is a musical tradition of the Northern region in the UAE and in Musandam, Oman, performed for entertainment. It is composed of four parts each of which is performed at a given part of the day or night, which may reflect an Indian influence. The following classifies the four parts of the day:
1. Sāriḥ or sīraḥ, sayriḥaḥ performed in the morning;
2. Ṣadir, performed in the middle of the day
3. Rawāḥ, performed in the afternoon
4. Sārī or sayrī, sayrīyah, performed in the evening (Shawqi, 1993; Al Shehhi, S. A., 2022)
For men, the rawāḥ is characterized by one line with drums that move forward and backwards, three or four at a time. The choreography depends on the organization of the men as they rotate in a circle, in a line, and move back and forth in a rhythmic manner. For women it is usually performed while being seated in either a line or a circle, repeating different verses than the men, while moving their hair back and forth.
References:
Shawqi, Y. (1993). Dictionary of traditional music in Oman (D. Christensen, Ed.). New York: Edition Peters
Al-Shehhi, Saeed Ali. (2022, January 15). Personal communication. [Interview]
Razīf
The razīf al-Shihuh – is also called al-harbiya. In the past, the razīf was characterized by two rows of men performing repetitive movements using bamboo sticks standing in front of each other, while a poet stood in the middle performing the poetry to each row. The men repeat the poetic verses one at a time, and this repeats for several rounds. The verses are usually related to the occasion of the performance, and the drummers follow the rhythm of the verses. The drums were introduced later in the 1980s, while other instruments such as the oud, the org and other modern instruments were introduced in the 1990s. Merging dance with music and poetry, the performative tradition of yowla or weapon dance is also introduced with the razīf. Bamboo sticks, dummy rifles or swords could be used in the yowla. The razīf is performed in weddings, national celebrations, welcoming rulers and guests and is almost the same as the razīf that is performed in Oman, especially as both countries have interconnected traditional and cultural ties (Al-Shehhi, M. 2022).
Reference:
Al-Shehhi, Mohammad. (2022, January 15). Personal communication. [Interview]
M’hobi
The M’hobi is a wheat griding song. The lyrics change according to the time of the day and this work song is performed by a group of people, one person at the time, in order to keep the rhythm and movement of the grinding wheel. In the past, up to 200 kilograms of wheat would be ground in one session (Al Shehhi, S. A., 2022)
Al-Shehhi, Saeed Ali. (2022, January 15). Personal communication. [Interview]
Director of Photography: Waleed Al Madani