Qatari Ali Saeed Al Merri has emerged the grand prize winner of ‘The Art of Al-Nahma Prize’, a first-of-its-kind maritime singing competition held at the Cultural Village Foundation-Katara.
Al Merri bested the other five finalists from other GCC states to win the QR100,000 grand prize at the closing ceremony on Wednesday night. Salem Waleed Saleh from Kuwait came second taking home QR70,000 while Ahmad Abdulah Gomaa Farhan from Bahrain was placed third winning QR50,000. The winners also received precious pearls called Al-Dana, Al-Hasbaa, and Al-Badla.
Completing the list of finalists were Hamad bin Hussein from Kuwait, Ahmad Bahar from Bahrain and Ali Al Haddad from Qatar. Twenty-one contestants from all over the GCC participated in the festival. Five participants were from Qatar, two from Bahrain, and four each from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab of Emirates.
The festival, which ran for five days was a unique competition dedicated exclusively to traditional maritime singing, otherwise known as sea chanty, and sought to revive Qatar’s musical heritage and folklore.
The event is in line with Katara’s efforts to keep long-forgotten traditions alive by promoting them through similar competitions and events and providing the public an opportunity to experience a part of Qatari heritage.
Katara General Manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, said, “Aside from the keen competition that the audiences witnessed, this initiative also showcased the rich cultural values of Qatari identity, through a full-fledged programme of activities that consisted of lectures and seminars by various GCC countries reflecting the diversity of cultures.”
“Our ancestors sang these songs when they were on their fishing trips or pearl-diving excursions, mostly to keep themselves entertained".
