In tune with their tradition
Lute manufacturing industry in Baghdad resists extinction
A combination of soft music with hammer sounds can be heard at the entrance of Awadeen Souq, or Lute Players Market, at an old alley on heritage Rasheed Street in downtown Baghdad.
The traditional market specialises in manufacturing the Iraqi handmade instrument of lute, or Oud in Arabic.
The old market has been struggling after years of security and economic troubles since the US-led invasion in 2003.
In one of the old shops, customers enjoy a fascinating view of photos of well-known Iraqi artists and intellectuals who visited the market in the past.
Ali al-Abdali, in his 60s, is the owner of a lute manufacturing workshop who has been in the field for 40 years.
He inherited the profession from his father Mohammed al-Abdali, one of the well-known lute makers in Iraq.
He said the golden period of lute industry in modern Iraq was 1970s and 1980s. During that time, cultural and artistic activities as well as music clubs flourished throughout the whole year.
Academic studies of fine arts also expanded in many institutes and colleges across the country.
“Hundreds of Arab and non-Arab foreign artists as well as tourists, who are fond of our traditional musical instrument, used to visit our market to buy our distinctive hand-made lutes, which were made by many reputable lute makers,” Abdali said.
Amir Ali al-Awad, 50, started his lute manufacturing career under the guidance of a veteran lute maker in 1984.
Awad said that lute industry in Iraq is “as ancient as the history of civilisations in Iraq”.
“The ancient lute instrument was very simple, they hollowed a piece of wood and then fixed strings on it, but as time passes, it developed to what we know now,” Awad said.
Sinan Samir, 45, a lute workshop owner, told reporters “lute manufacturing needs experience, high accuracy and knowledge of differ- ent wood types”.
Manufacturing lute needs several stages starting from choosing the type of wood, to slicing and curving them to make the main concave shape, Samir said.
“A single Oud (lute) takes a week with eight hours of work a day,” Samir added.
Samir said that during the 1970s and 1980s, his father sold lutes to many tourists and artists. “But things changed after 2003 due to deterioration in security and economic situations,” Samir complained while working on a new lute in his workshop.
“The deterioration after 2003 hit all life aspects in Iraq, including the lute industry, as violence, political conflicts and extremism distorted the life of Iraqis,” said Hassan Ibrahim, 65, a veteran lute player in the city.