Syrian Refugee in Jordan Sustains Rababa Heritage Through Teaching, Craft and Performance

Teaching and Preserving the Rababa

Jordan-based Syrian refugee Ziad Al-Masri, known as Abu Tareq, has devoted himself to preserving the rababa tradition by teaching young people, making the instrument and linking it to Nabati poetry and Hijini performance.

He teaches interested youths the fundamentals of playing the rababa and its performance techniques, believing that safeguarding this art involves more than merely keeping the instrument or playing it on special occasions; it depends on new generations learning, practicing and sharing their knowledge.

Craft, Poetry and Performance

Abu Tareq’s passion has grown to include crafting rababas, composing Nabati poetry and performing the Hijini folk art, uniting music, poetry and craftsmanship in a practice that carries the memory of place and people.

Since arriving in Jordan in 2013 after leaving the Syrian city of Daraa, he has remained committed to this folk heritage. At the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees he continues to play, make the instrument and teach, viewing the rababa not just as a musical tool but as part of a heritage linked to stories, poetry and social occasions that endures in Arab cultural memory, especially among Bedouin communities.

Music, Poetry and Identity

Speaking to Al-Ghad, Abu Tareq recalled his relationship with the rababa, which for him extends beyond melody into a broader space where memory, poetry and identity intersect. He noted that the instrument’s distinctive tones provide a musical setting for Nabati poetry and accompany Hijini, a folk performance tradition tied to popular expression and people’s lives; together the instrument, words and voice create a complete expression of heritage passed down through generations.

His engagement is not limited to playing; he also makes rababas, carefully overseeing preparation and construction to ensure they produce the characteristic sound. This craft is a core part of his experience, allowing him to transmit knowledge of both use and manufacture and to preserve a traditional skill that requires expertise and must be taught to others.

Nabati poetry and Hijini occupy a prominent place in his work. They are not merely accompaniments but forms of expression that convey human experience, longing and memory. The rababa’s sound gives these poems a musical dimension that complements folk performance, while Hijini evokes a traditional singing heritage associated with Bedouin life and transmitted through generations at gatherings and social occasions.

Abu Tareq’s dedication has led him to perform at many occasions and participate in various events, where he has presented Nabati poetry and Hijini accompanied by the rababa. These appearances have introduced the art to diverse audiences, highlighted its artistic and cultural value and strengthened its presence at festivals celebrating folk heritage.

Having left his homeland in Syria to settle in Jordan, he brought with him part of his cultural memory. Songs, poems and melodies can evoke a distant place and express feelings of displacement and longing, while also enabling him to stay connected to the community in which he now lives.

He uses social media to reach people interested in the rababa, exchange experiences and encourage aspiring players. Through these efforts he seeks to motivate young people to explore the instrument, understand its role in folk heritage and learn about the associated poetry, melodies and stories that have been handed down through generations.

Abu Tareq believes the rababa’s survival rests on the combination of playing, craftsmanship and education. Making the instrument preserves the craft, playing gives it voice and presence, and teaching young people ensures knowledge reaches new generations. Nabati poetry and Hijini extend this experience through their folk expressions and imagery, which reflect people’s lives and memories and give the rababa a renewed space to convey this legacy.

His journey stands as an artistic commitment to heritage that is practiced in a new environment without breaking ties to his Syrian roots. From Daraa to the Zaatari camp he has carried his passion for the rababa, using it to express memory and longing and to connect with Jordanians who share an interest in the art. He continues to play, make the instrument, perform at events and teach the fundamentals of playing.

In concluding remarks to Al-Ghad, Abu Tareq stressed that the rababa is not merely a musical instrument but a folk legacy bearing the memories of ancestors and the stories of the places they knew. He said preserving it requires teaching it to young people, encouraging them to practice it and maintaining interest in Nabati poetry and Hijini as integral parts of this heritage. The continuation of these arts depends on passing them on to future generations so that the sound of the rababa remains alive in the collective consciousness, bearing witness to a heritage that deserves to endure rather than fade away.

Source: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Ahmad Al-Shawabkeh.