- Title: Artist brings life back to ancient Yemeni musical instrument
- Date: 22nd December 2021
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VIOLINIST AND QANBUS TRAINEE, RIAM ABDULLAH, SAYING: "I'm good at violin and lute. And now I joined the Turbi team out of a passion and love of this instrument because the Turbi (Qanbus) is a distinctive four-stringed instrument that is completely different from the lute, violin, guitar or piano or any other instrument. It is a purely Yemeni instrument
- Embargoed: 5th January 2022 11:32
- Keywords: Art Folklore Heritage Instruments Music Qanbus Yemen
- Location: SANAA, YEMEN
- City: SANAA, YEMEN
- Country: Yemen
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Middle East,Music
- Reuters ID: LVA004F94DS9H
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A UNESCO-supported project is reviving a traditional Yemeni lute called Qunbos that has close to disappeared in previous decades.
The initiative aims at training young craftsmen to make the instrument and train young singers to play it.
Turbi, or Qanbus is a short-necked, skin-covered lute carved from a single block of wood. Its popularity declined in Yemen during the early 20th century reign of Imam Yahya Hamiduddin; by the beginning of the 21st century, the oud had replaced the turbi.
The revival of the Qunbos is a revival of the Yemeni folk heritage, according to Abdul-Basit al-Harithi, a prominent musician who has led Yemen's National Music Ensemble.
"What we are doing now is a revival of our original Yemeni folk heritage," al-Harethi said.
Although tastes of younger generations have gradually become more diverse, with Western or more modern Arab music gaining popularity, there are those who still enjoy the instrument and the music it produces.
One such Yemeni is young violinist and Qunbos trainee, Riam Abdullah who shares a class with four other students and a passion for their musical heritage.
"I'm good at the violin and the lute. And now I joined the turbi team out of a passion and love for this instrument because the turbi is a distinctive four-stringed instrument that is completely different from the lute, violin, guitar or piano or the any other instrument," she said.
"It is a purely Yemeni instrument which produces Yemeni compositions.
This is a revival of the Yemeni heritage," she added.
(Production: Khaled Abdullah, Adel Khadher Abdulrahman al-Ansi, Suheir Sheikh) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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