Maritime heritage competition at Katara

Katara-the Cultural Village Foundation is holding a competition for its newly instituted award, the Art of Al-Nahma Prize, with the aim of reviving and preserving the Qatari maritime heritage.The competition, exclusive to participants from GCC countries, continues until tomorrow. Inaugurating the competition recently, Katara general manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti said: “It is my utmost pleasure to welcome everyone here, as we inaugurate this innovative cultural initiative together with the aim of building communication bridges between people from all walks of life.” “Katara’s keenness to revive and preserve its cultural identity is reflected in the Cultural Village’s proud announcement of the launch of the Art of Al-Nahma, a competition dedicated to traditional maritime singing, or ‘sea shanties’.”According to information available online, a sea shanty, chantey, or chanty is a type of work song that was once commonly sung to accompany labour on board sailing vessels.Dr al-Sulaiti continued, “Besides the competition rounds that the audiences will view throughout the event, we have ensured that this initiative represents the rich cultural values of Qatari identity, through a full-fledged programme of activities that consists of lectures and seminars reflecting the diversity of cultures. “We need to remember that this type of tradition is rooted in our past. Our ancestors sang these songs when they were on their fishing trips or pearl-diving excursions, mostly to keep themselves entertained. Years passed and this tradition continued, becoming an integral part of the heritage of the Arab states of the Gulf.” The Katara chief concluded his speech by wishing the audience memorable moments during the competition. The first qualification round for the Art of Al-Nahma Prize was held following the welcome speech. The competition involves 21 participants, of whom five are from Qatar.  While QR100,000 will be awarded to the first-place winner, the second-place winner will get QR70,000 while the contestant finishing third will receive QR50,000.