Post-Script #7: The Oud and Its True Identity

by Dr. Raja Zulkarnain

 

 

“The Post-Script Project revisits selected key moments and stories—from personal experiences to features in newspapers and magazines—that shaped my journey with the oud (gambus) from 2003 to 2024. Each reflection offers fresh insights, connecting past experiences to the present while exploring the oud’s cultural and personal significance.”

In 2013, I published a book titled Oud Warisan Seni Dari Timur Tengah, which aimed to clarify a long-standing misconception in Malaysia and the wider Nusantara region. For years, the terms gambus and oud were used interchangeably, despite the fact that these are two distinct instruments with different histories, physical characteristics, and playing techniques. This confusion had persisted for generations, embedded in local musical traditions and cultural narratives.

Having spent nearly a decade researching the subject, I felt a strong need to present a more accurate perspective on the instrument’s identity. My findings, which I detailed in the book, suggested that the stringed instrument commonly played in Malaysia was not the gambus but the oud, a conclusion based on historical records, physical attributes, and playing techniques. A pivotal moment in my research came in 2006 when I attended the Muscat 2nd Oud Festival in Oman. It was there that I met Ahmed Ali Alasadi, a renowned gambus maker from Yemen.

At the festival, I had the opportunity to test and play one of Ahmed Ali Alasadi’s handcrafted gambus instruments. The experience was eye-opening. The Yemeni gambus had a distinct structure, with a smaller body and fewer strings than the oud. Its tone was different, sharper and more percussive, in contrast to the deeper, more resonant sound of the oud. Watching Alasadi himself demonstrate the instrument’s construction process further deepened my understanding of the craftsmanship involved. He carefully shaped the wood, fitted the goat skin top, and assembled the intricate details by hand, preserving a technique that had been passed down through generations.

That encounter reinforced my belief that the instruments were fundamentally different and that referring to the oud as gambus in Malaysia was an oversimplification. While both instruments shared a common ancestry, their evolution had taken separate paths, influenced by regional playing styles, construction techniques, and cultural contexts.

My journey into the world of the oud also took me to Beit el Oud in Cairo, where I studied under renowned oud masters like Naseer Shamma, Nehad Sayed, and Mustafa Antar. This experience deepened my understanding of the instrument beyond just its technical aspects, it revealed the oud’s profound cultural and historical significance, not just in the Middle East but across regions where it had traveled, adapted, and evolved.

The book, published by Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia (ITBM), provided readers with a structured exploration of the oud, covering its origins, craftsmanship, and theoretical foundations in Middle Eastern music. It was more than just an instructional guide; it was a statement, a challenge to long-held perceptions about the gambus and oud in Malaysia.

One of the most intriguing aspects of my research was the therapeutic qualities of the oud’s music. Historical texts, including those from 19th-century scholar Muhammad Shihab al-Din, described the instrument’s ability to calm emotions and even aid in physical healing. Oud music, it seemed, had been used for centuries to treat ailments ranging from stress and heart conditions to bone and brain disorders. This perspective opened up new dimensions in my understanding of the instrument, suggesting that its value extended far beyond entertainment.

When Kosmo! covered the book’s release in 2013, it helped bring these ideas to a wider audience. The article, titled Pemahaman Seni Muzik Oud, written by Hafiz Ahmad and published in Kosmo!2 (VARIA section, page 52, on 9 July 2014), reinforced the book’s core message and acknowledged the importance of re-examining the way we perceive traditional musical instruments in the Malay world. Looking back, this project was an important step in my journey as a researcher, educator, and musician. It laid the groundwork for my later studies and, ultimately, my upcoming book GAMBUS: The Oud in the Malay World.

The search for the oud’s true identity continues, and with every discovery, the story of this instrument becomes even richer. -drrz

Reference

Hafiz Ahmad. (2014, July 9). Pemahaman seni muzik oud. Kosmo!2, VARIA, 52.