Music of Oman

The Music of Oman has been strongly affected by the country's coastal location with a diverse mix of outside influences and its own traditional Eastern, Southern Arabian, and overall Khaleeji Gulf musical tradition.

There are songs for special occasions, songs for seafarers, fishermen, Bedouins and mountain farmers. Authentic Arabic music in Oman can be characterised by ‘tetrachords’ with classic Arabic intervals, including three-quarter tones taken from the Arabic musical scales — the ‘maqamat’. Traditional songs originating from the desert are often in praise of the camel, which has been described in the Quran. Al Taghrud, sung while riding camels, and Al Taariq, a Bedouin song with two singers taking turns to sing verses, are two of the best examples of traditional desert songs.