(17 Dec 2021) LEAD IN: The traditional Syrian music known as Quddud Halabiya has been added by the United Nations cultural agency to its prized intangible cultural heritage list. STORY-LINE: Several songs that fall under the genre of Quddud Halabiya are already widely known in the Arab region, but now the traditional Syrian music has earned a spot on the intangible cultural heritage list of UNESCO, the U.N.'s cultural agency. This week, UNESCO added 43 items to its prized list including Quddud Halabiya from Syria. To celebrate, a festive performance of songs belonging to the genre was organized in Damascus, where performers regaled a crowd with the classical melodies. "There is a massive gathering with music and Syrians from all walks of life celebrating this achievement," said Reem Saqr of the Syria Trust for Development. The non-governmental organization had spent four years trying to get the musical genre inscribed on UNESCO's list. Much of the lyrics of these traditional songs are from Andalusian poetry and the performers always sing them in classical Arabic. On its website, UNESCO describes of Quddud Halabiya as "a form of traditional music from Aleppo with a fixed melody", in which the singers use a deep voice to perform. The music has been preserved and popularized by one of the Arab world's most famous singers, Sabah Fakhri, who passed away earlier this year. But apart from its cultural and entertainment value, UNESCO says the music is also "a source of resilience, particularly during war". Syria has been mired in a 10-year civil war that has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced millions of people, including over five million refugees outside the country. For musical conductor Mohammed Zaglool, adding the genre to the list of intangible cultural heritage gives even more creditability to the style of music. After years of practicing under shelling, Zaglool says Syrian musicians now have an even bigger responsibility since the music is now recognized globally. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/62931db7ab4d4506a53999d1a842a77c