Artists
Salem bin Rashid bin Ali Al Suri Al Hashmi
Salem bin Rashid bin Ali Al Suri Al Hashmi: born in the Omani city of Sur in 1910 and died in November 1979. A singer whose fame surpassed Oman until it spread across the Arab Gulf states; he was one of the most prominent pioneers of song in the Arab Gulf, and founded the first song-production company in the Arab Gulf.
He worked to develop Omani song
and Gulf song, and documented the traditional folk arts with their distinctive rhythms, especially the Shobani art. He is among the few musicians and singers whose artistic vocal output is kept by the British Museum, where there is a record made of bitumen (shellac) dating back to 1940. He learned to play the oud at the hands of the singer and artist Hamad bin Hulais Al Sanani. The first records he recorded with his voice were in 1940, containing a set of songs such as ("Ya Jarat Al Wadi"), the song ("Allamuhu Kayfa Yajfu") by Ustadh Mohammed Abd Al Wahhab, the song ("Ya Raytani Tair wa Ana Atir Hawalaik") by Farid Al Atrash, and the song ("Laysh Tulawiani") by Umm Kulthum.
As for the first of his own songs that he recorded on a record in India, it was the song:
Ibn Rashid says
I passed last evening compelled
drowsy of glance, kohl-dark of eye, languorous
And the second song:
Yahya Omar — leave the state as it hangs
and keep your own cover and that of people let down
I charge you: pass on a saying that reached you reported
that God may accomplish a matter that was to be done
Hold fast to your prayer and your faith, and abandon doubt
and turn your gaze to your Lord before hope is severed
Do not go complaining of your Lord to some people
saying: I have with me no provision and no food
In 1970, with His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said (may God protect him) taking the reins of power in the country, Al Suri returned, and his contributions included recording a number of national songs, among them:
O Oman, take pride among the nations your orbit today is on the loftiest peaks
An isolation whose days have passed so shake off the harm and march among nations
Qaboos has inscribed glory for you, for in every land you have mention and renown
He also sang:
Greet with me the beloved of the people who sacrificed for the people's sake
Greet with me the young king guardian of our Arabism's sanctuary
Greet with me the great hero Qaboos, the man of generous grace
Reference:
Hammoud bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Ghailani _ Maritime History and Shipbuilding in the Omani City of Sur — Arabic Press — 2006