Action plan for the safeguarding of the Song of Saana
- Budget (US$): 96,513
- Source: Japan
- Dates: 11-2005/01-2009
Benefitting country(ies): Yemen
Overview:
The Song of Sana’a is a group of songs accompanied by the fine sound of the Yemeni lute and a lightly struck copper tray. The poetic repertory, written in both Yemeni dialects and classical Arabic, abounds in wordplay and is renowned for its emotional content.
The project was designed to:
- promote knowledge about the Song of Sana’a;
- raise awareness about its functions and its importance for society; and
- ensure its safeguarding through teaching, research and inventory making activities.
The project activities encompass the following:
- preparation and development of an inventory of the Song of Sana’a;
- establishment of archives within the institutional infrastructure of the Yemeni Centre for Musical Heritage and the training of researchers in field survey and inventorying;
- encouragement of Transmission of the Song of Sana’a, especially the old masters’ skills to younger generations, through the opening of master classes and scholarships for students;
- preservation of the musical instruments through lute-making workshop with scholarships for students;
- awareness raising campaign and the dissemination of recordings, with the production of promotional documentation such as CDs, DVDs and books.
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