Yesterday, Mohammed Al-Sayigh launched his new book Lifajri and Sailing Arts Onboard Ships in Qatar. The book, which is the first to document marine performance arts in Qatar, is published by the Ministry of Culture. It focuses on the origins and importance of Al-Nahham sailing and pearling songs, and it features 53 performers from various generations. It also includes photographs of early Nahham singers, a rich addition to the literature on Qatari artistic heritage. Al-Sayigh’s book is an important reference for the study of the history of Qatari folk arts.
When asked about the approach he adopted in his book, Al-Sayigh said, “Thank God for helping me write this book. It took a lot of effort over years of researching, documenting, and collecting folk songs from artists who performed them onboard ships in the olden days.” He added, “Writing this book required a lot of traveling in search of those artists. I met some of them by chance and spent considerable time with others as they taught me their art. The book relies on different types of resources, including interviews with elderly artists and old Qatari TV and radio materials.”