'Eagles of Hadramauth' performs ancient war dance
Visitors to the Al Seef Street during DSF are being treated to a variety of traditional dance performances, one among which is the Yemeni dance. The 'Eagles of Hadramauth', the troupe from Yemen, consist of dancers and musicians who perform to tell tales of bravery and valour during war. Most of the dances are unique to regions and places in Yemen and reflect the characteristics of the respective provinces.
"The band was formed in Hadramauth in 1995 and we specialize in traditional dances. We came here to present a part of our traditional art form and we are enjoying the interaction with the audience," said Abdulla Ahmed Busbool, Manager of the troupe.
He mentions that the audiences were highly impressed with their performances of the Al Rubiya, Al Bura'a, Al Habeesh, and Al Adhdha forms of dances that depict the art of self defence during wars. The troupe also performed the traditional songs from the cities of Sana, Hadramauth, Shabwa, Ta'az, Sada, and Tahaama. The songs describe the uniqueness and beauty of the Yemeni culture.
Nabil Abdulla, a member of the troupe and a performer since the age of 13 said, "I've been performing for a very long time now in public and private functions and I have to say that performing during DSF is exciting because I get to interact with people of various nationalities. I usually perform the traditional dance like Al Bura'a in addition to those that are famous in Yemen. Hadramauth is more known than the other cities in Yemen for these dances because a lot of creativity through improvisation is visible."
Nabil's friend, Mohammed Khalid Al Kawkabani, who also performs in the troupe said, "Our dances are unique and popular since it incorporates tales of victory and the successes of many war expedition." He added that some of the dances like the Mismaaj and Al Bura'a are performed during weddings and some, like Al Tahaama and Al Saadiya are performed at public parties.
Mohammed also mentioned that though the dances had a history going back many thousands of years, the art form was becoming extinct due to the changes in the Yemeni way of life and that the main aim of the troupe was to keep the tradition from being lost.
The traditional dance is also accompanied by melodious music played on a traditional wind instrument and drums. Saif Kashtar, who plays the western equivalent of a clarinet said, "I started playing this wind instrument when I was 15 years old and it is a well known musical instrument throughout Yemen. There are some famous pieces that are played like the Al Muttawal and Al Hadramay." He added that playing the instrument required a lot of exertion and was sometimes tiring when it had to be played continuously for half an hour. Saif also plays the Yemeni drums, considered to be one of the oldest Yemeni musical instruments.
The Yemeni traditional dance reflects the rich cultural heritage of an ancient country and provides glimpses into the past of a region famed for its traditions. The combined edition of DSF 2006-2007 will run from December 20, 2006 to February 2, 2007. The 45 days of family fun, entertainment and shopping frenzy will offer retrospective glimpses of the 10 previous editions combining the best of the best and promises to be even bigger and better.
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© Press Release 2007
