Ethnomusicological research on intangible cultural heritage preservation in Oman

Al Matani, Ayat (2024). Ethnomusicological research on intangible cultural heritage preservation in Oman. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

Preview

AlMatani2024PhD.pdf
Text - Accepted Version
Available under License All rights reserved.
Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

Cultural heritage (CH) is considered a precious gift of humankind that nations and communities strive to safeguard for future generations. A recent turn in CH perception from tangible objects and property to the intangible cultural artifacts and knowledge has caused the need to develop new tools for adequate capturing, evaluation and preservation of such CH elements. One of the most efficient and commonly used methods of ICH safeguarding used worldwide, and in Oman in particular, is archivisation. However, musical ICH is one of the most ephemeral and subjective living forms of human culture that escapes precise capturing without the consideration of context of its production; the process is also incomplete without participation of the bearers of living tradition. How a government arranges ICH archiving efforts often determines the inclusivity, fairness and comprehensiveness of ICH safeguarding measures. Therefore, this ethnomusicological study focuses on the archivisation efforts in Oman – a country with a rich, diverse and turbulent geopolitical past and vibrant cultural heritage unifying many intertwining and overlapping traditions.

My broad ethnomusicological inquiry touches upon the current state of musical ICH safeguarding through archivisation in the state of Oman, as seen from the competing perspectives of institutional and grassroots archivists, as well as the Omani community members and musicians who operate as living tradition’s bearers and promoters. The most significant player is the government, which sets the ICH safeguarding agenda, allocates budgets to organisations concerned with archiving and determines the archive-worthy elements of the country’s musical heritage. My primary area of interest was how governmental officials envision the process of ICH safeguarding, what measures they put in place to conduct ICH safeguarding activities and what ICH elements they cover in their efforts. The research also examined how these initiatives align with or are complemented by grassroots activists’ efforts to create a comprehensive, representative complex of musical archives.

Another significant and presently understudied force contributing to ICH archiving and fair representation of all cultures living in Oman are grassroots archivists. These are amateurs and enthusiasts who select heritage to archive in their immediate surroundings, travel to musical festivals or compile social media archives and collections. My study uncovered a unique complementary dimension that grassroots archivists add to the process of Omani musical ICH archivisation along with the centralised and well-funded governmental initiatives. The findings suggest that the Omani work on musical heritage collection, archivisation and promotion to national and international audiences is well-established, consistent and organised, with many notable gains in this area that showcase unique Omani legacy and contribute to modern Omani identity and nation-building efforts. At the same time, grassroots archivists fill the gaps in outreach and bottom-up perspective on musical ICH evaluation that limit governmental initiatives. This way, grassroots and governmental musical ICH archiving processes work in tandem to create a strong musical legacy of old musical traditions, revived and rethought by the modern generations, conserved for successive generations and archived for international tourists and broader intercultural exchanges.

The central part of my research examined the process of ICH archiving and the challenges that numerous participants encounter. The interviewed archivists revealed numerous bottlenecks in the ICH archivisation process, from technical equipment to access to rural communities with unique musical traditions. A separate concern was the problem of music decontextualization during archiving and the potential issue of old records’ vulnerability. My interviewees also repeatedly noted the modernisation and globalisation pressures that pose additional threats to traditional music.

My findings point to the complex landscape of musical ICH determination and its varied roles for different actors. The meanings associated with traditional Omani music are diverse, ranging from instrumental ones of an economic asset and a tourist attraction to living experience-embedded, part of the Omani identity and family ties.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):