Portuguese cowbells, a Mongolian camel coaxing ritual and a male two-part singing ritual in Macedonia have been added to Unesco’s list of traditions in need of “urgent” protection.
The three traditions are among the five examples of “intangible cultural heritage” in need of "urgent safeguarding” or at risk of being lost as countries become increasingly urban and modernised.
Mongolia’s camel coaxing ritual involves singing, music and chanting (Yu Boldbataar/2011/Unesco)
The other customs earmarked for protection included “Vallenato” music from Colombia and the Ugandan oral tradition of Koogere, which combines poems, songs and chanting.
The UN body said highlighting at-risk practices would help countries to “draw attention to the dangers threatening these elements” and prove their commitment to saving them with the relevant communities.
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Horsemanship at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna was among the 23 traditions added to Unesco’s overall register of significant traditions which are not necessarily at immediate danger of being lost. Others include the art of making the traditional Korean dish, kimchi, and the Wititi folk dance of the Colca Valley in Peru.
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Making cowbells in Portugal (Augusto Brazio/with permission of Unesco)
Portuguese anthropologist Paulo Lima said the recognition was a “moment of joy” and hoped that it would increase awareness of the issue in other countries.
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Very few manufacturers of the Portuguese cowbells remain and the soundscape risks fading in the face of industrialisation, he said.
Unesco said that preserving intangible cultural heritage, including oral traditions and expressions, performing arts, social practices and traditional craftsmanship, was crucial for cultural diversity, encouraging mutual respect and for "the wealth of knowledge and skills transmitted through it from one generation to the next.”
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Mongolia’s camel coaxing ritual uses singing, music and chanting to help female camels accept newborn and adopted calves in a tradition passed down through generations of families. Unesco said the tradition is under threat from migration into cities and “greater use of modern transport”.
Camel coaxing is a tradition deemed at risk of dying out (Yu Boldbaatar/With the permission of Unesco)
Macedonian “Glasoechko” singing is traditionally performed spontaneously at celebratory occasions, and is sometimes accompanied by flute or bagpipes. But according to Unesco it risks dying out due to a “perceived lack of interest from young people” and a lack of recordings.
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Stephen Rwagweri, director of NGO Engabu Za Tooro, which promotes Ugandan culture and heritage, said that the 1,500-year-old narratives, songs and poems of Koogere would be recorded and researched as a result of the recent Unesco recognition. He said that the oral tradition is currently maintained in Uganda through "sites associated with it, such as Koogere forest, a museum, and a weekly community theatre where recitals are presented", in and around Fort Portal Town in the west of Uganda. The tradition was placed on Unesco's safeguarding list amid fears that it is not being passed to younger generations.
There are currently 43 phenomena on Unesco's list of intangible heritage in need of urgent safeguarding. Previous additions to the list include al sadu, the practice of traditional weaving in the UAE, the “Saman” dance, part of the cultural heritage of the Gayo people of Sumatra, and the New Year festival of the Qiang people of China’s Sichaun province.
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