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In a special ceremony marking Bahrain’s ascent to an artistic position of ‘Manama: Cultural Capital of the Arab World 2012’, the kingdom’s culture connoisseurs and royal guests made their way to the shores of the sea next to the National Museum in Manama.
They witnessed a memorable extravaganza last Thursday evening entitled Path of Pearls: A Contemporary Artistic Production in one of the grandest settings seen in recent times.
A special stage built on the sea was akin to an inverted hull of a boat behind which there was a large screen providing a multi-media visual representation of the music and dance performances.
The audience, which included His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander, and Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal were treated to a magical musical tour which retold the story of the kingdom’s pearling heritage.
Nature added to the live effect with a spine-chilling breeze that blew the best hairstyles out of place and many a performer struggled to keep their flowing attire from being blown away.
Minister of Culture Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa opened the ceremony with an address that included a special tribute to the country’s leadership for their support in revitalising the culture and heritage of Bahrain. She also stressed the importance of the event in reflecting a modern Bahrain and embedding it with the spirit of love and peace through art and culture.
Organisers said that the contemporary artistic extravaganza was based on a vision that brings together local creative ensembles and their western counterparts. Together they depicted the nostalgic portraits from the past, revived the memory of the place in the minds of people and created a hope for the future.
Celebrated Bahraini vocalist Hind, whose repertoire includes popular Arabic as well as traditional Khaliji music, gave voice to the lyrics of celebrated Arab poet, Hassan Kamal. Renowned Egyptian maestro, Selim Sahab’s Arab Music Ensemble and the Bulgarian National Radio Orchestra formed the orchestra that performed music composed by British composer and musician Julene Siddique. The large orchestra was led by one of Britain’s leading young conductors, William Kundhart.
Artistes from the Kalali Popular Arts Group, Al Hidd Youth Troupe for Al-Ardha Western Dancers and the Ballard School of Performing Arts provided the dance performances. The Bahraini Ladies Chorus and Bulgarian Chorus also performed admirably. The artistic director for the entire event was international choreographer Elmarie Lignier, who is Canadian of South African descent.
The performance began with the lead singer dressed in a delicate white gown singing soulful music while dancers in huge inflated balloons representing beautiful pearls floated past in a specially-designed water feature that surrounded the stage.
The music enchanted spectators with the sounds of the sea in its wild and calm moments while the energetic dancers dressed as fishermen clapped and jumped to the beats of large Arab drums.
Celebrations over, the act led the viewers to the bottom of the sea and the acrobatic dancers hanging on delicate ropes depicted the treacherous paths and dangerous moments undertaken by pearl divers in the past. The visuals added to the pensive moments with underwater scenes in the beautiful blue Bahrain seas.
Discovering the oysters and extracting the pearl came next. A storm and thunder brought the audience back to reality and when it cleared village women dressed in colourful jalabiyas waited with children at the sea shore to welcome their men back home.
Festivities for Manama, the Cultural Capital of the Arab World in 2012, will witness a series of continuous celebrations through the underlying theme of Love, Hope and the Right to be Different.
Twelve pillars of culture, representing each month of the year have been chosen including architecture, poetry, heritage, museums, translations, design, ideas, environment, music, theatre and nationhood. Activities dedicated to the theme of the environment are being organised at Hawar Islands.
February is dedicated to events surrounding Bahraini architecture, the use of public space and renovations of cultural landmarks across the country. It includes a competition for the development of Bab Al Bahrain, which is being reviewed by a panel of international judges and specialists in the field.
The winner of this competition will be announced on February 17 and all entries will be on display to the public at a pavilion set up at Bab Al Bahrain. The public will be invited to vote for their favourite competition entry and design, with the winner being presented with the People’s Choice Award on March 1.
Other events include talks by leading international architects, exhibitions and the opening of Bahrain’s hidden architectural gems, including a renovated Suq Al Qasriya in Muharraq on Saturday.
The Arab Capital of Culture is an initiative launched by the Arab League under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s Cultural Capitals Programme. Its aim is to promote and celebrate Arab culture and encourage co-operation in the region.
Manama was chosen to host the event this year during a meeting of Arab culture ministers in Yemen in 2004. Sixteen other Arab cities around the region have hosted the event in the past.
