Here’s another report from Bob Perilla, who is in Oman with the better part of his Big Hillbilly Bluegrass. They will be performing in the northeast African nation for two weeks for the US State Department, and sharing stories of their travels with us at Bluegrass Today.
Big Hillbilly Bluegrass has been performing for the last two days at the Khareef Festival in Salalah, Oman.
This festival is a little hard to understand much less explain. It is very wet and misty here since the province gets a touch of monsoon unlike the torrid heat of the high summer season on the rest of the Arabian peninsula.
Anyhow thousands of people come to celebrate the cooler weather in the wet mistiness. It isn’t exactly raining or even drizzling but if you are outside for 10 minutes you are soaked. This has caused no end of fiddle bow aggravation, but it is a good thing virtuoso Jon Glik is fearless as well as gifted.
Vocalist Jen Larson has proved to be a real hit on every stop. We were honored to have US ambassador Greta Holtz in attendance last night. In a culture in which women’s roles are still somewhat sadly limited, ambassador Holtz stands as a beacon to guide the way for equality amongst all people. And Jen Larson is making lots of friends, too.
Merl Johnson is playing both mandolin and fiddle in the absence of Ira Gitlin, Claude Arthur is laying down the bottom.
Me, I’m just trying to tune my poor guitar in this wetness!
Video of traditional Omani Sword Dance with song, at the Khareef Festival Dhofar Province, Sultanate of Oman.
Bob Perilla & Big Hillbilly Bluegrass is preparing to take another trip east to the Sultanate of Oman in northeastern Africa. And they are taking a piece of bluegrass history with them.
Bob has made several trips of this sort for the US State Department, carrying a slice of American culture overseas. On prior occasions, he has travelled to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Togo, Benin, Congo Brazzaville, Central African Republic, and Dominican Republic.
This time out he’ll have Ira Gitlin on banjo, Claude Arthur on bass, Jen Larson on guitar and vocals, Merl Johnson on mandolin, and Jon Glik on fiddle. Bob will also play guitar and sing.
Oman is a desert nation, ruled by an absolute monarch, and governed by Islamic Sharia law. It holds a strategic position along the mouth of the Persian Gulf, but is among the few Arab nations without substantial oil reserves. Culturally and historically, Oman played an important part in the spread of Islam into Africa, though they adhere to a sect distinct from the Sunni and Shia we hear so frequently referenced in current events.
Let’s just say that bluegrass is not a big part of their world.
Bob has agreed to send us updates from their trip, which starts this week and runs through August 24. He promises a nice overview once they arrive, with further updates as connectivity and conditions allow.
They are also carrying along an iconic piece of bluegrass memorabilia, a string tie owned by Kenny Baker. You can see Jon Glik holding it under his shoulder rest in this photo. Bob and the gang have declared that the Brotherhood of the Traveling Bluegrass Tie will be a running theme in their Omani adventure.
Look for their travelogues here at Bluegrass Today, starting later this week.
