ammonnews.net

Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - A new melody for gas cars will be temporarily replaced for several days in Amman between 6-11 December 2009.

The new melody will broadcast through loudspeakers on more than 340 gas distribution vehicles throughout Amman.

The new melody will be introduced during an official meeting next Saturday attended by Fahad Al Fayez, head of the Syndicate of Fuel Amman, the project's artists, Samah Hijawi and Johnny Amore, in addition to gas distribution vendors in Amman. The meeting will be held in the National Museum of Art at 11:30 AM.

The project, funded by the European Commission and Ghoethe Institut Amman, in cooperation with the Fuel Syndicate, posts the melodies used by gas cars throughout Amman on its website http://gascarproject.blogspot.com.

The project which began on October 18th, studies the various aspects of the system used by gas distribution cars, taking into consideration the unique geographic and topographic characteristics of Amman's hills and valleys and its impact on the echoing and resonance of sounds around the city.

The study endeavors to understand the relationship between the melody used by gas distribution cars and Amman's residents.

The project also studies the musical aspect by researching the influence of the musical heritage to reflect the ethnic diversity of Jordanians. The Jordanian musical heritage, according to project initiators, should reflect a fusion of local bedouin, Circassian-Sherkas, Armenian, and Palestinian melodies, among others.

Music composer Yacoub Abu Ghosh assisted artists in developing the new melody in way that relates to the Jordanian public.

The Gas Car Project instigates discussions about identity and the cultural and musical heritage in Jordan, in addition to discussions in matters of increased noises that affect the city and its residents.

The project's importance stems from the widespread impact of the phenomenon of gas distribution cars and the society that hears the melody several times a day throughout the city.

It is noted that the only sound allowed to exist next to the call of prayer in Amman is the sound of gas cars. The current melody used by gas distribution cars began in 1999 when the government and citizens united to stop the "awful honking" used to alert residents that the gas car is in the neighborhood.

Participants in the first project submitted all kinds of melodies, including some who just sang their own songs. The final decision rested on a melody recorded by chance by Yousef Abdul Jaleel who made a recording of an old song that reminded of the melody of ice-cream cars.

Now, a project for a new melody that reflects Jordanian heritage and relates to its people is underway. It will be tried in December.

You can follow discussions on the Gas Car Project on http://gascarproject.blogspot.com