Culture Page - Issue 19

19 - May 8th thru May 14th 2000, Vol X

Attonborah Band, African or Yemeni?

Saleh Abdulbaqi
Yemen Times
Very little is known about the origin of Attonborah musical instrument. It is not a sophisticated instrument, for it consists of only two essential parts that are triangular shaped sticks and strings. The way it is played is different from that of Oud (Lute). An Attonborah player uses his/her fingers without a need for using plectrum.
It was a pleasant surprise for former Minister of Culture Hassan Al-Lawzi when Attonborah band from Lahj won the coveted first position among 30 other traditional bands participating in the Port Said Festival in 1990. Inspired by the spectacular achievement of this traditional instrument, former Minister Yahia Hussain Al-Arashi sent the band again to represent Yemen in Paris in 1995 in an international music festival.
The Attonborah band performance combines both Yemeni and African tastes. It captures the imagination of a wide range of people who are interested in traditional songs and dances. It is a pity that many people do not know much about this amazing instrument. However, it has proved its versatility not only in Yemen but outside Yemen and has earned people's applause. The Port Said example is an undisputed proof of this.
What is the origin of this instrument? When was it used for the first time? Are the band members Yemenis or Africans? In pursuit of answers to these and other related questions, I traveled to the land where it flourished, Lahj in Yemen, and met with the band members. The first thing that attracted my attention was the age diversity of its members. Some were very young, others were very old. The conductor of the band and its veteran player, 59 year-old, Abdullah Abdu Al-Dhaheri said that there is no agreement among the old band members regarding its time of origin. However, all the players unanimously said that it existed before they were born and that their forefathers used to play on it. He believed that it was brought by their ancestors from Africa to Aden 80 years ago. Then it found its way to Lahj where many Africans had settled. As it gradually took its roots and flourished among the Afro-Yemeni society in Lahj, the African rhythm started to be colored by that of Yemen.
The band commonly performed in wedding ceremonies accompanied with a team of dancers. They also performed in palaces of Sultans on their birthdays and such other occasions.
Mohammed Salem Al-Alawai, 63, drum beater of the band does not agree with his colleague on who brought the Attonborah to Yemen. However, he agreed that it was of an African origin. "Its history goes back to more then 150 years. He believed that it was brought by Yemenis who immigrated to Africa like Al-Nuba of Sudan. When they returned home they inhabited the plains of Lahj where plenty of food and water was available," added Mohammed S.
But why is the rhythm still African? "That is what is makes it distinguished. If the scale is changed into Lahji, the core of rhythm of dance will change as well. Nevertheless, there is an undeniable Lahji touch," said Al-Dhaheri.
All the band members believe that their band is a continuation of the first Tonborah band in Yemen. Day after day, new Lahji touches in terms of either music or diction are being added to make it a kind of confluent paradigm in singing.
The remarkable success achieved by the band not only in its local participation but in international fora outside Yemen shows the people's acceptance of Attonborah and its ability to captivate audiences wherever it has been performed. Presently, the band is preparing to take part in the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of unification of Yemen this month.
In Lahj there is a house called the Attonborah house. It is in this house that Attonborah lovers were used to gather to listen to and learn how to play on it. 80-year-old Salihah Faraj Abu Yabis, resident of the house, said that people used to gather at her house more than 120 years ago to enjoy listening to Attonborah. Only a few months ago the band assembled there for performing rehearsals before participating in the celebrations.
As far as the type of dance accompanying Attonborah performance is concerned, it is not easy. It needs rigorous training and practice. Good dancers are discerned by intricate hand movements which start in the very beginning of the performance.
The performance usually begins with singing to the accompaniment of the Attonborah a little later. Then drums- two big and two small ones- join in. After about 5 minutes of singing, dance blossoms and lasts for more than 15 minutes. During this period, musical scales change and type of dancing also changes. As the performance gathers momentum, the Attonborah player enters the stage taking the rhythm to a climax. Audiences are so absorbed and overwhelmed that they inadvertently hum and make feet movements in tune with the rhythm.
While I was attending a rehearsal session, I was fascinated by a very sweet solo singer. She was Camilia Anbar singing the "Mosimbah". As the Al-Mangor dancer began to dance I could not help joining him.
"Although I was brought up in Luhj I feel that African songs are part of me," said Al-Alawi. He is deeply fascinated by the Attonborah and the different types of dance accompanying it.
Sometimes singing voices are mild enough to make the notes of Attonborah distinct. Fused with supple body movements of the Al-Mangor dancer they create a thoroughly magnificent impact. Al-Mangor is a belt made of nails and goatskin tied round the dancer's waist. Then, the male dancers form a line and women form another facing them. In the process of dancing they mix. A man dances with a woman and sometimes with two. After a time the Attonborah player along with the Mangor dancer joins the rest of dancers in a chorus making the picture even more fascinating.
It is something highly gratifying to see such an old musical tradition inspiring strong enthusiasm among today's audiences.
As I concluded my visit to Luhj, Abdullah Faraj Bo Yabis, the senior most member I met with here, confirmed that there was still a lot about the Attonborah which is yet to come to limelight. The band should be appropriately encouraged by authorities concerned, especially the Minister of Culture who could grant them an office and suitable uniform. The band appeals to all concerned and, as such, deserves patronage of international organizations to preserve such an eminent cultural tradition.

Traveling Round The World for Peace

Ismael Al-Ghabiri,
Yemen Times,
India
On 8 April 2000, Yemeni travelers Ahmed Al-Kasimi and Ali Al-Kadi arrived in New Delhi, capital of India from Pakistan as a part of their journey around the world.
One might ask about the goal behind such a journey, who supports it, why they chose camels as their means of transportÉetc. To answer all these questions the Yemen Times had the following interview with the Yemeni travelers:

Q: Why did you decide to make such a journey?
A: We chose to make this journey after we have made a serious plan and studied all information based on previous travels. Our first journey was to Sultanate of Oman on foot. The second was around the Arab World in 1994 & 1995 where we rode on camels and, finally, this which is our third journey. I would like to mention here that we are the Yemen track and field champions and have represented Yemen international events more than once. As for the goal of this journey, we wanted to revive travel traditions of our ancestors who had made several journeys and propagated the message of Islam. In our turn, we carry a message of the Yemeni people in an attempt to make the world recognize its civilization and history.

Q: Who is financing this journey? And is it enough?
A: This journey is personal and it is more of a hobby that we have been practicing for a long time. However, after planning, printing brochures and flags and buying the camels, the Yemeni government, represented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, supported us. We have also received some help from President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh. They supported us because they knew that the journey has humanitarian and national goals and that it would portray an excellent image of Yemen in other countries. Therefore, if we face some difficulties in our journey, we are confident that they would be there to help us because we represent all Yemenis and Arabs.

Q: What places have you visited until now and where are you heading for next?
A: Our journey starts from Saudi Arabia and will include Kuwait, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore before it ends in Sydney, Australia, where the 2000 Olympics will be held. We plan to arrive there on camels to attract people's attention who would see the spectacular end of this journey through every channel that covers this international sports event.
As far as the difficulties we faced, they were many. For example, Iran refused to grant us permission to enter with the camels more than once, so we had to change the route of our journey to Pakistan. In addition, we experienced hard times in finding ships to carry our camels during our sea voyage and were asked to pay large sums of money, causing a lot of frustration. However, we were able to bear all these hurdles and pains. Moreover, there have been many attempts to rob us of our possessions. We had also a traffic accident in India. Fortunately, we had few bruises and we were treated in the hospital. Anyway, we continued our journey and our embassy in India encouraged us greatly. We have given several interviews to some newspapers and TV channels such as MBC.
Concerning our protection, we ask God for protection. We carry a first-aid kit with us besides some torches, daggers, axes and our camels. We consider our camels the best weapon that we have because all wild animals fear it.
We have chosen camels because our ancestors used them and they symbolize our heritage. Furthermore, we wear traditional clothes during press interviews such as "Al-Maktab", "Al-Wishah", "Al-Lohafah" and "Al-Aseeb".
In addition to all that, we carry ordinary and video cameras which we use to shoot interesting scenes in villages, cities, deserts or forests that we pass through. We have also been taking notes of what we saw during our journey and we are thinking of publishing a small book talking about our experience. Finally, we hope, if God wills, that our journey would break the world record for journeys in the contemporary history.