Oman’s north-eastern coastal town of Sur seems an unlikely place for a thriving African music scene, but its roots go back centuries.
From the ever-present beat of drums to mixed Arabic-Swahili songs and age-old social traditions, all of this leads back to the seafaring days of the 18th and 19th centuries, when dhows ploughed the routes between this town and Zanzibar, and Oman ruled much of the East African coastline.
Since then, the coastal resort has fallen into obscurity, yet what remains is clear evidence of the rich Afro-Omani heritage of which people are proud. Many still consider Sur the heartland of Swahili music in the Sultanate.
“The culture and heritage that was brought back to Sur from Zanzibar still thrive today,” says Nabila Al Farsi, 26, a singer from Sur. “We are proud of it since it has been embedded in us for more than a couple of centuries. We will continue to pass it to the future generations like our ancestors have been doing for years.”
Al Farsi performs at wedding parties, singing Swahili rhymes such as “Niko mbali kutoka nyumbani lakini nime powa”. This translates to “I am far away from home but I am fine”. It is an old song, seemingly a reminiscence of the first East African settlers a few centuries ago.
Omani families in Sur continue to teach their children to play Swahili instruments, a skill that has been passed down through the generations.
“We teach our children to play the tambura, which is a string instrument, the misundu, which is a tall cylindrical drum, and the zoomari, made from a bull’s horn,” says Jamal Al Gheilani, who makes musical instruments. “We use these on special occasions, weddings or any kind of celebrations.”
Most of us know where we come from and we want to keep the Swahili tradition going as long as we can
Salah Faraj
Throughout the pandemic, musicians have even brought out their instruments to play at weekends in town squares and on beaches, to help distract people who have experienced loss because of Covid-19.
“We abide by the rules [now in place owing to the pandemic], but we still play our music outside [restricted] hours,” says veteran singer Fareed Al Alawi, 66. “We don’t wait for special occasions. Weekends are a perfect excuse to play music and, do you know something else? We now find music beats the depression [that has arisen from having to stay home]. We do people a favour by playing live music to forget coronavirus blues and members of their families lost in it.”
Salah Faraj, 44, is one of those making sure the spirit of Swahili music in Sur remains alive. “It is a nostalgia that has survived for at least two centuries … Most of us know where we come from and we want to keep the Swahili tradition going as long as we can.
“Besides, it is part of the Omani history … For all of us here in Sur, it is important to keep it going for the future generation. Not only in the town of Sur but for the rest of the country, too.”
Oman no longer rules Zanzibar, which is now a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, but influence between the two nations can still be seen, whether it’s in the architecture, cuisine, music or even how the people speak.
“Omani sailors those days did not only bring back instruments, music and dances, but the language, too,” says Sur historian Hassan Fahad, 86. “They also brought back boatbuilding from timber, carpet and basket-weaving from palm fronds, better fishing techniques, kitchen utensils made from the soil.”
Fahad says Oman carved out its East African empire when seafarers from Sur started navigating beyond the shores of the Sultanate.
“Sur was also an important seafaring port of Oman. Sailors from here first started sailing to East Africa looking for a better life and places to settle to escape the heat. Then they found out they could bring back animal skins, spices and even young people who could work in the fishery industry and farming.”
To this day, foreign tourists cannot help but notice the African influence in Sur. “It is amazing,” says Peter Birkshall, an Irish tourist visiting the town from Qatar with his family. "Sur is a treasure of the Middle East. How can a small town in the middle of Arabia have so much African heritage?
The Swahili lyrics in the songs, the dance rhythms, the boats that have an African signature, even some of the architecture of their houses and the food, too. There is an African tradition in almost every corner you turn into.”
Birkshall, who is a regular visitor of Oman, says it’s time Sur received the same recognition as major tourist destinations such as Salalah, located in the south, where about half a million tourists go every year.
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
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What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
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INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Results
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal
Rating: 3.5/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
