Splendid “Al Naham” Festival: Celebration of Cultural Heritage
On the 27th of October, the Theater and Performing Arts Authority will launch the Al Naham festival in the Eastern Region. This grand event aims to honor the roots of Al Naham art and its cultural significance in the Kingdom and Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Origin of Festival’s Name
The authority drew inspiration for the festival’s name from the term “Al Naham”, which refers to an individual who would sing distinctive maritime songs on the deck of a ship. These songs would ignite passion in the hearts of divers heading out to pearl hunt.
Importance of Al Naham Songs
These songs are among the most important types of traditional maritime singing prevalent in the Arabian Gulf region since ancient times. They still hold a prominent place in the list of folk arts. Seafarers in the past used poetry and art to express their struggles and experiences with the sea. Poets would address the life of sailors in their poems, which would later be sung by Al Naham on long sea voyages.
Art of Al Naham
The art of Al Naham is known as a singing style that accompanies the work process on the ship. This art form is exclusive to the sea and sailors on the coasts of the Arabian Gulf in Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. It contains songs of the type Al Yamal, Al Khatfa, Al Madawi, Al Fajri and light folk songs that adhere to specific rules. Additionally, it includes Zuhairi songs, Mawwal songs, hymns and prayers.
No musical instruments recognized in the region are used in this art because it is a type of singing primarily aimed at encouraging fishermen to work hard to return with abundance of fish. In some aspects, it expresses the longing of sailors and divers for their wives and families, and it reveals the levels of their suffering during the diving season.
