Credited to Armenia. Closely related instruments are played across the region: the balaban in Azerbaijan and Iran, the duduki in Georgia and the mey in Turkey, and Wikipedia calls the duduk, balaban and mey almost identical apart from historical and geographical differences. UNESCO inscribed the duduk and its music for Armenia, and reference works cited by Wikipedia describe the family as of ancient Armenian origin. Its age is also uncertain, with estimates from 1,500 to 3,000 years.
How it began
UNESCO states that the roots of Armenian duduk music go back to the time of the Armenian king Tigran the Great, who reigned from 95 to 55 BCE. Wikipedia reports that the instrument has existed since at least the fifth century, that Western scholars suggest it is about 1,500 years old, and that some Armenian scholars date it more than 1,500 years earlier. The earliest instruments similar to its present form were made of bone or entirely of cane. It appears in Armenian manuscripts of the Middle Ages.
How it works
The duduk is a double-reed aerophone. The body is made from the soft wood of the apricot tree, which UNESCO calls the ideal material, and its Armenian name tsiranapogh means apricot pipe. The large reed is called ghamish or yegheg. There are four main types, from 28 to 40 centimeters long. It is usually played by two musicians. One holds a continuous drone and the other plays the melody and improvises.
How it spread
Variations of the instrument appear throughout the Caucasus, the Balkans and the Middle East. The duduk accompanies traditional Armenian songs and dances of the various regions and is played at weddings and funerals. In recent decades it has reached wider audiences through film and television scores, which Wikipedia lists among its uses in popular culture.
Where it stands today
UNESCO proclaimed the duduk and its music a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005 and inscribed it on the Representative List in 2008. UNESCO also warns that the popularity of duduk music has faded over the last few decades, particularly in the rural areas where it originated. Craftsmen continue to make and experiment with different forms of the instrument.
