Oman has long been a home for unique and various arts that form a significant part of the Omani culture. Omanis usually use their art to evoke all forms of joy and happiness in celebrating various occasions, especially Eid and weddings. These arts include Razfa, Razha, Aazi, and many others.
What distinguishes Omani art is that it has contributed significantly to the field of musical instruments. Omanis own some of the rarest instruments, with which they play the most beautiful melodies, some of which are used exclusively for special art forms. One such instrument is the "burgham", a traditional musical instrument made from the horns of ibexes or Arabian oryx. It is exclusively used in Al Razha which is a folkloric art where men stand in two rows facing each other and repeating specific poems. Most of the poems are about praise and pride. It is also used in Al Aazi where singers gather in a closed circle leaded by a poet holding a sword in his right hand and a shield in his left. He walks while reciting or chanting a poem, shaking his sword with each pause in the recitation, sending the blade into a trembling, thunderous shake. Those arts are especially common in Al Dakhiliyah, North Al Sharqiyah, South Al Sharqiyah, North Al Batinah, South Al Batinah, Al Dhahirah, and Muscat.
Frankly, the burgham is not a melodic instrument, and due to its manufacturing characteristics, it only produces one or two notes. The sound is produced by pressing the lips against a small hole near the narrow end of the horn where the air moves through the instrument.
Unfortunately, the instrument is no longer manufactured now due to the ban on using the Arabian Oryx horn in any traditional industries and we only have a few of it in Oman.
One of which is owned by the people of Balad Sait village in Bahla. It is kept in a special bag made of leather to preserve it and the village sheikh is responsible for it.
Said Al Hinai, a member of Bab Al Sabah band shared that the Burgham they have is the only piece in Al Dakhiliyah. It’s about 150 years old and has been passed down from generation to generation. Its estimated price is about 5 thousand Omani Rials due to its rarity.
He also shared that this piece of Burgham is only and exclusively used by Bab Al Sabah folkloric band which is registered with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth.
He concluded “It is a real pleasure for me and my band to take the responsibility of preserving our cultural and material heritage through art which is the source of joy and happiness for all nations.”
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