Armenian
3000 year old Instrument "Duduk"
Music
Proclaimed Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage
Of Humanity
Yerevan,
November 29, Armenpress: On November 25 in Paris
Armenian duduk music was proclaimed by the
Director-General of UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura, as a
Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritages of
Humanity together with traditional Indian performances
of the Ramayana, the Ramlila, Japan's Kabuki theatre,
the Zambian Makishi Masquarade, the Samba of Roda
(Brazil) and 38 masterpieces.
That was
UNESCO's third proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral
and Intangible Heritage, an international distinction
destined to raise public awareness of the value of this
heritage, which includes popular and traditional oral
forms of expression, music and dance, rituals and
mythologies, knowledge and practices concerning the
universe, know-how linked to traditional crafts, as well
as cultural spaces.
The 43
new masterpieces were proposed to the Director-General
by an 18-member jury chaired by Princess Basma Bint
Talal of Jordan. The jury met from 20 to 24 November to
examine 64 national and multinational candidatures. A
total of 47 masterpieces were proclaimed in 2001 and
2003.
Twenty-seven of them have already benefited from
UNESCO's support, particularly from safeguarding
operations which received financial assistance from
Japan.
This
third proclamation will probably be the last. In 2003,
UNESCO's General Conference adopted the Convention for
the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. It
stipulates that a Representative List of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity be created, alongside a
List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent
Safeguarding. The Convention will enter into force
shortly, once 30 States have deposited their instruments
of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession,
which has already been done by 26 States.
Duduk is
an Armenian woodwind instrument. Over its long history
it has slowly spread to neighbouring countries and is
also known as the mey in Turkey, the duduki in Georgia,
and the balaban in Azerbaijan. The duduk's roots can be
traced back to 1200 B.C. but cannot be found in the
Arabic world unlike many instruments. This implies that
it is a truly Armenian instrument. The duduk is usually
a melody instrument playing against a backdrop of a
drone, sometimes played by a second duduk known as the
"dam".
Often
its music is accompanied by the Dhol drum.
The
duduk has been used in many western-made films, notably,
it has been used in film soundtracks for "The Last
Temptation of Christ", "The Crow" and "Ronin".
The Duduk, pronounced "doo-dook",
is considered the most Armenian of all folk instruments because
of its Armenian origins and its ability to honestly express the
emotions of the Armenian people. It has a 1500 year history and
is native to Armenia although there are variants played in
Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. The duduk reflects the passion,
celebration, and suffering of Armenia. Aram Khatchadourian once
said that the duduk is the only instrument that made him cry.
The soulful sound of the duduk has recently been in the World
Music spotlight thanks to musical artist Peter Gabriel. Gabriel
has integrated duduk into his recordings. The duduk is a
cylindrical instrument made of apricot wood and in typically 28,
33, or 40 cm in length. It has 8 or 9 holes and 1 thumbhole
which provide a range of one octave. The double reed, also known
as ramish or yegheg in Armenian, is typically 9-14 cm. in length
and is surrounded by a thin flexible wood binding that slides
along the length of the reed. This binding is used for tuning
the duduk as it controls the opening/closing of the reed. The
reed itself grows plentifully along the Arax River in Armenia.
The sound of the duduk is warm, soft, and has a slightly nasal
timbre. The dynamics of the sound are controlled by adjusting
the pressure of the lips on the reed and by covering the finger
holes. Although the duduk is tuned to be untempered and
diatonic, chromatic notes can be obtained by partially covering
the finger holes. The duduk is typically played in pairs with
the lead duduk playing the melody and the second duduk playing a
sustained pitched called the dam. The dam is a tonic drone that
serves as a constant counterpoint to the melody. The player of
the dam, called damkash, maintains this drone by using a
circular breathing technique. This procedure involves inhaling
through the nose and storing the air in puffed up cheeks while
maintaining lip pressure on the reed. The duduk is also
typically accompanied with a dhol, the double-sided Armenian
drum. The dhol is known for its upbeat Armenian dance rhythms.
However, even when the duduk is playing songs of lament the
gentle touch of the dhol provides a suitable background.
Yerevan,
November 29, Armenpress: On November 25 in Paris
Armenian duduk music was proclaimed by the
Director-General of UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura, as a
Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritages of
Humanity together with traditional Indian performances
of the Ramayana, the Ramlila, Japan's Kabuki theatre,
the Zambian Makishi Masquarade, the Samba of Roda
(Brazil) and 38 masterpieces.
of its Armenian origins and its ability to honestly express the
emotions of the Armenian people. It has a 1500 year history and
is native to Armenia although there are variants played in
Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. The duduk reflects the passion,
celebration, and suffering of Armenia. Aram Khatchadourian once
said that the duduk is the only instrument that made him cry.
The soulful sound of the duduk has recently been in the World
Music spotlight thanks to musical artist Peter Gabriel. Gabriel
has integrated duduk into his recordings. The duduk is a
cylindrical instrument made of apricot wood and in typically 28,
33, or 40 cm in length. It has 8 or 9 holes and 1 thumbhole
which provide a range of one octave. The double reed, also known
as ramish or yegheg in Armenian, is typically 9-14 cm. in length
and is surrounded by a thin flexible wood binding that slides
along the length of the reed. This binding is used for tuning
the duduk as it controls the opening/closing of the reed. The
reed itself grows plentifully along the Arax River in Armenia.
The sound of the duduk is warm, soft, and has a slightly nasal
timbre. The dynamics of the sound are controlled by adjusting
the pressure of the lips on the reed and by covering the finger
holes. Although the duduk is tuned to be untempered and
diatonic, chromatic notes can be obtained by partially covering
the finger holes. The duduk is typically played in pairs with
the lead duduk playing the melody and the second duduk playing a
sustained pitched called the dam. The dam is a tonic drone that
serves as a constant counterpoint to the melody. The player of
the dam, called damkash, maintains this drone by using a
circular breathing technique. This procedure involves inhaling
through the nose and storing the air in puffed up cheeks while
maintaining lip pressure on the reed. The duduk is also
typically accompanied with a dhol, the double-sided Armenian
drum. The dhol is known for its upbeat Armenian dance rhythms.
However, even when the duduk is playing songs of lament the
gentle touch of the dhol provides a suitable background. 
