Customers come in big numbers to have a haircut at the barbershop of Palestinian Abu Ashraf especially older people so that they could have a haircut and listen to the music of his flute which he carries with him wherever he goes. This is the story of Palestinian elder Mohammed Mustapha Zuhud from the city of Silfit in the West Bank.
Abu Ashraf told the PIC reporter that he “began his career as a barber since he was 12 years old. I also mastered using the flute inheriting the career from my father Mustapha and now teaching it to my son Diaa.”
At Weddings
Abu Ashraf recalled that customers in the 1940s and 1950s used to give him his reward in the form of wheat which was estimated at 12 kilogram throughout the year and that he used to play his flute as they cheered in happiness.
He adds: “After that I started taking my reward for offering haircuts in the form of money: One Jordanian coin. People at weddings would call me to come and play my flute. Newly married would not feel that their wedding was complete without having me playing my flute at their weddings increasing the joyfulness of the families of the groom and the pride as well as all guests at the wedding.
Speaking of people’s eagerness to have a haircut while listening to the music of his flute he said: “These days a few people ask for the flute and a few have someone playing the flute at their weddings due to the lack of interest in our traditions and people’s forgetfulness of their tradition except for older people who still want to listen to the flute. Many things changed in our lives in the recent years and we no longer maintain our beautiful traditions except for a limited number of people.”
Despite aging Abu Ashraf still masters using the flute and refuses to give it up although that he had a heart surgery. He says: “people in the past were better than these days. Traditions weddings and happy occasions were much more beautiful than these of today.”
Good old days
Abu Ashraf said that he used to carry his flute in his shaving bag where he used to do a haircut for grooms as he played his flute amongst folklore and traditional Palestinian dancing varying in the sounds he produces from the flute such as the ‘plane’ sound which was suitable for the fastest moving type of traditional dancing. “I used to sing folklore songs which young people used to like a lot and used to ask me to sing it.”
Abu Ashraf recalls with sadness the good old days: “It is true that we had less money and people were poorer but their cooperation and happiness were unlimited. Everything was blessed and beautiful. People used to like what they did with their hearts full of good intentions. People used to support each other. When an occasion would take place you would feel like the whole village was standing together. We used to shut down TVs for three days if someone would pass away in Salfit without having someone asking us to do so but just out of solidarity. But today you would hear music and the funeral of someone next to each other.”
