A show of tradition and culture

KABEER YOUSUF - MUSCAT, Jan 17 - One of the most attractive features of the Muscat Festival would certainly be the large areas dedicated for Oman’s heritage and culture that are pulling crowds as the festival heads for another weekend. Added to it, the way the objects and forms of art that tell stories to the visitors is even more attractive and simple to comprehend. At Naseem Gardens, a traditional folk dance troupe from Shinas in North Al Batinah presented some of the time-tested music and art forms to the thick crowd that was all ears to the show. Al Gharam Al Hamasia Ensemble displayed some of the traditional music forms of Oman, such as Al-Rizha, Al-Ezzi and Al-Yawla, as well as singing regional, occupational and patriotic songs. They were accompanied with a number of artistic and musical paintings. “This is the fifth time that we are participating in the Muscat Festival and the crowd here is really encouraging”, said Juma bin Salim al Mazrouei, the band’s director. His troupe has earlier participated in the Salalah Tourism Festival, the national holidays and events and weddings both locally internationally. “The band is based on a set of traditional instruments such as the organ, and the drum, in spreading joy”, he said, adding that the 20-member band depends on the individual talents of its members who write and compose the poems at the same time. Gastronomic delights from a region speak for its tradition and culture to the people who try them out. At the Amerat Garden, a special, vast area offers the visitors a wide choice of foods letting them devour the true taste of hospitality. Visitors to the festival will also be able to see how to prepare Omani sweets with a young Omani woman who displays the pre-cooking steps, such as ingredients selection, adding and mixing, preparing and finally, the cooking. Omani sweets trace its roots to earlier than 1330 AH, and they have been famous for its unique taste and ingredients, which are carefully added according to the standards of popular Omani cuisine, which is even tastier when prepared by hands that have inherited the unique skill, elder citizens said. Omani pudding has attracted the admiration of visitors to the heritage village at Amerat Park, especially from visitors from the GCC, Arab countries, Western countries of Europe and others. The foreigners whom we spoke to said they were very impressed with the way they were prepared and the ingredients used, This traditional corner for Omani artifacts, art, folklore and other prices of heritage has been packed by visitors of all ages, from different provinces and states of the Sultanate as days passby.