Katara – the Cultural Village will launch a joint annual programme aimed at supporting Qatari musical arts and folk singing to preserve the heritage of Qatar’s ancestors.
The festivities will be held at Katara every Thursday and Friday from February 4 to May 27, but the first performances will kick off on January 29 and 30. 
At a press conference held recently, Katara general manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti said they support every initiative aimed at documenting the legacy of Qatar’s ancestors.
This move is part of Katara’s efforts to continuously serve as a bridge between the past and today’s generation.
“Different forms of folk art are like mirrors that reflect the culture of the community and the lifestyle of its members through every stage of its development,” he said.
Salma al-Naimi, cultural affairs expert and chairman of the programme; Khalifa al-Yafei, representative of the Department of Student Activities at Qatar University; Salman al-Marri, representative of the Youth Arts Centre;  and folklore lovers also attended the press conference. 
“Folk art shapes the behaviour and patterns of social interaction in various occasions, which occur in everyday social life,” said al-Sulaiti.
Entitled “The Revival of Qatar’s Musical Heritage and Qatari Folk Singing Programme,” this initiative will also feature folk singing – a key part of Qatar’s folklore.
“Folk dances, poems and songs in Qatar focus on the originality of our society, illustrating the extent of Qatari pride and the close links present within our history,” the Katara official stressed.
“This historic form of music also depicts our strong relationship with other nations through the blending of the country’s folk arts with that in the Gulf and the Arab world as well as with other forms of art that have arrived through overseas travel and trade,” he added.
Launching a national programme to promote folk art and to properly expose the culture to the community has become increasingly important, according to al-Sulaiti.
Through co-operation with various stakeholders in the community, he said they want to see a generation capable of preserving the culture of folk singing.
“This will keep the legacy of our nation as well as the Arab identity,” al-Sulaiti said.