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Call of the desert

Against the backdrop of skyscrapers and modern architecture at Dubai Festival City, the mounds of sands in the man-made desert and the presence of Bedouin tents and camels at the Promenade pale into insignificance.

Yet, it is not so, says the Bedouin tribes from Touareg in north of Mali in Central Sahara, Jaipur in India’s Rajasthan, Warzazat desert in southern-central Morocco, Marsabit in the northern Kenyan desert, the desert of Badia Region in Jordan, the eastern desert of Hadhramaut in Yemen, the Egyptian desert in Marza Matrouh, and the desert capital of Nouakchott in Mauritania. Together with the UAE Bedouins, they have sent a strong message out to the world in the 18^th Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) that the desert culture is very much alive.

Bedouins from Kenya performing at the camp at Dubai Festival City as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival. — KT photos by M Sajjad

The physical contrast becomes insignificant amidst the call of the desert people for peace, survival and preservation of the centuries-old culture and tradition that the DSF has heard and responded to.

Saoudata Aboubacrine, coordinator of the Touareg Bedouins, has heaved a sigh of relief to find the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) receptive to the call of the desert: “I find the DSF to be the right platform to show how we live, our aspirations as a desert people, and our dreams to have peace in our land.”

A nomadic tribe in Central Sahara, the Touareg Bedouins have become refugees in their own land trying to find peace from the humdrum of modern civilization and occupation. Through their traditional dances and songs, which they perform at the Bedouin Camp, they shout for joy and dance “Tabey Tarate” and “Shatbukasa” — cries for self-determination and freedom — with the accompaniment of their most traditional musical instruments “Tehardant” (guitar) and “eshumar” (drum).

“We dance and sing here at DSF to demonstrate how indigenous people love the beauty of life. Look at our camel! It is the most decorated in this Bedouin Camp. It spells the difference between us and other desert people because we give special attention to make our camel look beautiful. Too much decoration,” Saoudata says while pointing her finger to a beautifully dressed camel nearby.

She says many from their tribe, particularly their women, who enjoy the same rights as men, have gone to training and studies with the assistance from the United Nations: “We have to learn to survive. We are still a nomadic people because our land in Central Sahara is becoming smaller and smaller. Five nations have taken part of our original land, so we keep on moving to find peace.”

As a desert people, Touareg tribe makes leather tents, pillows, blankets and dresses out of goat and camel skin. “We also make wooden containers and gadgets for cooking, eating, and doing household chores,” she adds.

The Bedouins from the great Thar desert of Jaipur in western India’s Rajasthan move from place to place as gypsies. For a living, they used to skillfully catch poisonous cobra and go to the villages, entice the cobra to dance by playing the flute to entertain people and earn money. At the Bedouin Camp, they perform the “Kalbelia” dance named after their tribe. From rope balancing to fire dancing accompanied by the fast beatings of the drum and other traditional musical instruments, they use their feet and arms to sway, dance and entertain. “We go for cobra dancing in the desert. But, our children are now dancing the “Rajasthani” dance for a living. We belong to the seventh generation of gypsy dancers,” Om Khar, tribe leader, says.

Another nomadic tribe also lives in Rajasthan moving from place to place to perform “Kathoutli Nrity”, a string puppet theatre native to Rajasthan. Like the Kalbelia, they survive by entertaining people from village to village.

At the Arabian desert, the Egyptian Bedouin travel to hunt birds from Europe with bows and arrows. Abdul Sattar bin Salim says Bedouins from far and wide talk, dress and live in similar manner: “The only difference is in UAE... they hunt with falcons. We hunt birds with bows and arrows and catch birds by shaking trees where the birds from Europe are nesting, and then we catch them when they fall.”

Unlike other Bedouins, who survive by hunting and living in the desert, Morrocan Bedouins grow wheat and rice to survive in the mountains. They cash in on growing certain flowers called “Bildi”. They celebrate by dancing “Nahalah Kalah Magonah” accompanied by their “bendir, darbuka and tareyla” drums.

The biggest nomadic tribes live in the Marsabit desert of northern Kenya, who travel for water and pasture as they are herders of cows, goats, sheep and camels. While other Bedouins hunt animals for food and for their skin to be made into tents and clothes, Kenyan Bedouins — now totalling 300,000 — live under makeshift roofs made of “Sisal”, a large rosette-type shrub with many thick, stiff, spirally arranged leaves.

Diida Karayo, a coordinator of the Kenyan tribe, says that his tribe until now continues to search for water as Marsabit is besieged with drought: “Drought is affecting our livelihood as herdsmen. So we keep on travelling.”

He is thankful to the DSF for giving his tribe the opportunity to see other Bedouin tribes and to know their lifestyle: “UAE Bedouins depend on trade. We depend on our livestock. Our women cook, get firewood, do handicrafts (which) we call “Calabash” and we dance “konso”, our traditional dance.”

Jordan’s Bedouins have lived in tents for 200 years and live by hunting, not by falcons, but with bows and arrows. Muath of the Jordanian tribe says that their women make yoghurt and butter by putting milk in the leather-made “Qrbeh” and shake it: “They also make coffee with “Mahbash”, collect wood for fire and bring water using “Zehr” wrapped with the cloth “Khash”. We all dance our traditional “Dabka”,” he said.

Similarly, Bedouin tribes from Hadhramaut in Yemen and desert capital of Nouakchott in Mauritania, survive by hunting. Yet, the Yemeni nomadic tribe hunt with falcons while the Mauritanian Bedouins hunt with bows and arrows. Mauritanians also grow wheat and rice for a living. They all live in tents made of camel’s skin and their women make ladies’ accessories made of semi-precious stones to decorate themselves and to trade for cash.

All Bedouin tribes taking part in the DSF have a shared heritage of the desert. They do not differ much in the way they live. To them, being gathered together in this DSF is a great respect of their heritage, which they will continue to treasure in their hearts as long as they live. They are overjoyed the DSF has heard the call of the desert and responded heartily.

lily@khaleejtimes.com