Music of Qatar
Encyclopedia
The music of Qatar
is based on Bedouin
poetry, song and dance. Traditional dances in Doha are performed on Friday afternoons; one such dance is the Ardah, a stylized martial dance performed by two rows of dancers who are accompanied by an array of percussion instrument
s, including al-ras
(a large drum whose leather is heated by an open fire), tambourine
and cymbal
s, along with small drums. Other instruments played in Qatar include the oud
and rebaba, both string instrument
s, as well as the Arabian flute.
Most Qataris (in modern times) enjoy listening to Khaliji music in the style of the traditional Bedouin
music. This music dominates the airwaves in the capital Doha
as well as in the rest of the country.
Fann at-Tanbura
is a type of spiritual music and dance ritual.
The Qatari Gulf Folklore Center is one of the preeminent centers for the study of the folk music of the Persian Gulf
.
Qatar is currently seeking membership in the EBU with hopes of soon entering the Eurovision Song Contest
.
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
is based on Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
poetry, song and dance. Traditional dances in Doha are performed on Friday afternoons; one such dance is the Ardah, a stylized martial dance performed by two rows of dancers who are accompanied by an array of percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
s, including al-ras
Al-ras
The Al-Ras drum is a large drum used in the battle dance Ayyala, a folk dance of Qatar and U.A.E.. The Al-ras leads the dance and sets the beat for the smaller Takhamir drums that follow....
(a large drum whose leather is heated by an open fire), tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
and cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s, along with small drums. Other instruments played in Qatar include the oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
and rebaba, both string instrument
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
s, as well as the Arabian flute.
Most Qataris (in modern times) enjoy listening to Khaliji music in the style of the traditional Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
music. This music dominates the airwaves in the capital Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
as well as in the rest of the country.
Fann at-Tanbura
Fann at-Tanbura
Fann aṭ-Ṭanbūra is a traditional music and dance genre in the Persian Gulf Arab states, especially Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Musically, the tanbura 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...
is a type of spiritual music and dance ritual.
The Qatari Gulf Folklore Center is one of the preeminent centers for the study of the folk music of the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
.
Qatar is currently seeking membership in the EBU with hopes of soon entering the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.