THE OUTCOME OF THE RESEARCH

The Levant and Mesopotamia are renowned for their rich cultural heritage, including folk music, that has thrived through the region’s ancient civilisations.  Armed conflicts in Syria and Iraq have disrupted the countries’ old folk music traditions by displacing rural, Bedouin, and Roma communities.   The impact of climate change and increased desertification also impacted the continuity of these traditions.  The project “On the Tracks of Music” responds to this challenge by documenting and reviving folk music in eleven marginalized communities in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan.  Action for Hope has implemented this project over 25 months, in partnership with local and international organizations.  The project started with field research that was conducted by 11 researchers and resulted in a report that combines desk research, field surveys, and data collection.  The report includes a description of the communities with a focus on folk musicians and instrument makers.

From the Bedouin and Rural heritage in Hermel, to the Roma / Ruhhal community in Akkar, passing by the Syrian refugee camps in Bar Elias, we discovered the rich folk heritage that Lebanon has.
In Syria, an impressive diversity is manifested by the Bedouin community in Hamah, the nomadic journey of the Bedouin Kurds “the Kochars”, and finally with the traditions of Euphrates’s people in Ar-Raqqah.   The research in Iraq reflected an ethnic mosaic including Nimrud in Northern Iraq and its rural traditions, the breathtaking Yazidis heritage, and finally the” Khashabah” music in Abu Al-Khaseeb in Southern Iraq.  Rural and Roma / Ruhhal communities were documented in Jordan, shedding the light on their folk instruments and music genres in Al-Taybah village, and Jabar Border camp.

Dozens of artists, instrument makers, music styles, folk instruments, dialects, melodies were discovered and documented in these eleven communities. Each community is unique, yet they all intersect in so many things, such as the folk instruments, although they can have different names, the music forms, and sometimes even the melodies and lyrics.  The traditional music heritage of Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon are deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric of the region, displaying a tapestry of diverse traditions and histories. 
Looking to the future, it is imperative to recognize the importance of safeguarding this musical legacy for the benefit of future generations.  Not only does it help maintain cultural identity and foster pride and solidarity, but it also offers a source of healing and optimism during difficult times.