UNESCO
ISSUES FIRST EVER PROCLAMATION OF MASTERPIECES OF THE
ORAL AND INTANGIBLE HERITAGE
Paris,
May 18 (No.20001-71)- The oldest
opera tradition of China, Japanese Nôgaku
theatre, Sicilian puppet theatre, the Andean carnival
of Oruro, Georgian singing, Ifugao narratives from the
Philippines, the world of story-tellers, musicians and
other mountebanks of a public square in Marrakech, as
well as the oral and musical heritages of several
African communities, are among the 19
cultural spaces and forms of expression to which
UNESCO today gave the title of “masterpieces
of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity”.
The
proclamation of masterpieces of the oral and
intangible heritage of humanity, the first of its
kind, was made at the end of a 3-day meeting of an
international jury of 18 members, chaired by the
Spanish author Juan Goytisolo, which reviewed 32
candidatures.
Four
of the proclaimed masterpieces were presented by
countries of the American continent. They are: the
language, dances and music of the Garifuna (Belize,
supported by Honduras and Nicaragua); the Oruro
Carnival (Bolivia); the cultural space of the Brotherhood
of the Holy Spirit of the Congos of Villa Mella
(Dominican Republic); the oral
heritage and cultural manifestations of the Zapara
People (Ecuador and Peru).
Three
African cultural spaces and forms of expression have
also been distinguished as masterpieces: The
oral heritage of Gelede, (Benin, supported by Nigeria
and Togo); the Gbofe of Afounkaha: the Music of
the transverse trumpets of the Tagbana
community (Côte d’Ivoire); the cultural space
of Sosso
Bala in Niagassola (Guinea).
In
Asia, UNESCO honoured six masterpieces: Kunqu
opera (China); Kutiyattam
Sanskrit theatre (India); Nôgaku
theatre (Japan); royal
ancestral rite and ritual music in Jongmyo shrine
(Korea); the Hudhud
chants of the Ifugao (Philippines); the cultural
space of the Boysun
District (Uzbekistan).
European
oral and intangible heritage numbers five laureates:
the mystery
play of Elche (Spain); Georgian
polyphonic singing (Georgia); the Sicilian
puppet theatre, opera dei pupi (Italy), cross
crafting and its symbolism in Lithuania (Lithuania
supported by Latvia); the cultural space and oral
culture of the Semeiskie (Russian Federation).
In
the Arab region, the cultural space of Djamaa
el-Fna Square (Morocco) was distinguished.
By
proclaiming these 19 masterpieces, UNESCO - whose
World Heritage List of the outstanding cultural and
natural sites is very well-known - has wanted to raise
awareness about the importance of safeguarding
intangible heritage, an essential component of
cultural diversity. During the proclamation,
Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura stressed that the
proclamation was just one first immediate initiative
made ahead of the future undertaking of another one
going in the same direction: the creation of a
standard-setting instrument that will complement the
1972 World Heritage Convention.
Mr
Matsuura added: “The list we are drawing up implies
a number of very concrete commitments. On the one
hand, the presentation of a candidature implies that
the State, or group of States, compile an inventory of
their intangible heritage. The greater their awareness
of these treasures, the more attentive they are sure
to be to their protection and to that of the local
actors who sustain them. On the other hand,
candidatures must not only enhance the cultural value
of the property submitted, they must also feature
detailed plans for their safeguarding. […] Finally,
inscription on the list by UNESCO represents its
commitment to do everything in its power to help the
country, or countries, that are home to a proclaimed
masterpiece finance the conservation plan.”
Juan
Goytisolo who chaired the meeting explained that none
of the other candidatures had been rejected finally.
He expressed the wish that these candidatures be
represented “in a more precise manner, notably
concerning plans of action” for their protection and
encouraged countries absent from the present
proclamation to submit candidatures.
UNESCO
defines as oral and intangible heritage as: “The
totality of tradition-based creations of a cultural
community, expressed by a group of individuals and
recognized as reflecting the expectations of a
community in so far as they reflect its cultural and
social identity; its standards and values are
transmitted orally, by imitation or by other means.
Its forms are, among others, language, literature,
music, dance, games, mythology, rituals, customs,
handicrafts, architecture and other arts. In addition
to these examples, account will also be taken of
traditional forms of communication and information.”
The
next proclamation of masterpieces of the oral and
intangible heritage of humanity will take place in May
2003. The deadline for the submission of candidatures
- limited to one per country but unlimited where
multinational candidatures are concerned - has been
set to June 30, 2002. Before they are presented to the
jury, the entries are submitted to specialized
non-governmental organizations such as the
International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM),
the International Union of Anthropological and
Ethnological Sciences (IUAES) and the Permanent
International Committee of Linguists (PICL).
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The
detailed list of masterpieces is available on the Web:
http://www.unesco.org/bpi/intangible_heritage/index.htm
or
from the Press Service of UNESCO, tel:
(+33) (0)1 45 68 17 44/48
