Doha, October 03 (QNA) - The Music Affairs Center at the Ministry of Culture has announced the establishment of the "Little Naham" team, as part of its ongoing efforts to preserve Qatar's traditional musical heritage and pass it down to younger generations.

In a statement, the center said that the programme brings together nahma, traditional maritime rhythms and the movements that accompanied the work of sailors, adopting a hands-on approach that allows children to learn the heritage through both training and practice.

The team comprises ten children who have undergone intensive training in several traditional maritime arts. Two of them are also being trained to perform as young nahams, or traditional lead sea singers. The programme therefore extends beyond singing to include rhythm, movement and an understanding of the different tasks once carried out aboard pearl-diving vessels — elements that together formed an integral part of Qatar's maritime heritage.

The idea for "Little Naham" was developed by Naham Ali Al Haddad, a member of the Music Affairs Center and the team's trainer. Drawing on the distinctive character of nahma and its historical place in the lives of Qatar's seafaring communities, Al Haddad sought to introduce the tradition to a new generation through a training method that connects what children hear and perform with the environment and circumstances in which the art originally developed.

The "Little Naham" experience began several months ago with regular training sessions held at different locations, including dedicated training halls and Bait Al Sulaiti, which is affiliated with the Music Affairs Center.

During the initial stage, the children received training in nahma, maritime rhythms and traditional movements associated with life at sea, before progressing to a new phase centred on practical field training.

Al Haddad said taking the team aboard a traditional dhow in open waters was a natural extension of the training the children had received over the previous months and was intended to place them within the environment where these arts originated.

"We took the children out of the training rooms and to the sea because these arts were born there," Al Haddad said. "We wanted them to experience it themselves and understand the relationship between the naham's voice, rhythm, movement and the work sailors once performed aboard the vessel."

He explained that field training enables the children to practise what they have learned in its practical context and recreate aspects of traditional pearl-diving voyages. This gives them a deeper understanding of the nature and function of each maritime art, allowing the heritage to be passed on through both knowledge and practice.

The programme includes training in several traditional maritime arts, including Al Yamāl, as well as Al Khatfa, traditionally associated with raising the sail, Al Souriyat or Al Natari, and Al Hasawi, one of the forms associated with Fijiri music.

This diversity gives the children broader knowledge of the maritime arts that accompanied sailors in their daily lives, as well as the different functions and occasions associated with each form.

The programme places each art within its original context. Children learn its method of performance, rhythm and accompanying movements, as well as the type of work with which it was historically associated, rather than approaching maritime traditions simply as songs detached from the environment that produced them.

A number of specialists contribute to the training. Al Haddad oversees nahma and vocal performance, while Naif Al Mohannadi, founder of Al Maha Folk Troupe, trains the children in rhythms and maritime arts. Movement artist Ahmed Barzah trains them in movements associated with sailors' work and performance aboard traditional vessels.

The trainers' complementary expertise allows the different elements of maritime performance to be taught as an integrated whole, in which the naham's voice remains connected to the group's response, and rhythm remains inseparable from movement — reflecting the collective working environment in which these traditions originally developed.

After approximately one month of training, "Little Naham" made its first public appearance at the opening of the Music Affairs Center's "Memory of Melody" concert, which revisited some of Qatar's best-known musical works. The young performers opened the concert with a presentation of Al Yamāl.

Al Haddad said the appearance reflected what the children had achieved within a relatively short period.

"Their appearance at the 'Memory of Melody' concert was a first step," he said. "We are working to build a team that knows and understands this heritage before performing it, while continuing to develop their abilities in nahma, rhythm and movement."

He added that two children are currently being trained as young nahams, describing them as the first emerging nahams produced through the initiative. He noted that this is an important part of the project because nahma requires particular vocal abilities, knowledge of traditional performance techniques and an ability to interact with the group.

Training is therefore conducted progressively according to each child's abilities.

Al Haddad noted that the distinctive character of the "Little Naham" experience lies in its emphasis on transmitting heritage through practice. Children first become familiar with the different elements of the art, then apply what they have learned in an environment that recreates its original context, before eventually presenting it to an audience.

The programme thus creates a path that combines knowledge, experience and performance.

It also introduces children to an important chapter in Qatar's social history associated with the sea and pearl diving, including the role that singing and rhythm played in organising work and accompanying sailors during their voyages. Maritime arts consequently become a gateway to understanding Qatar's social and musical memory rather than merely a form of performance.

Al Haddad said the next phase will see "Little Naham" move towards a broader public presence, with preparations underway for a dedicated performance in which the children will present a selection of the maritime arts they have learned.

The performance will combine nahma, rhythm and movement, reflecting the progress the young participants have made since the initiative began.

The "Little Naham" team forms part of the Music Affairs Center's wider efforts to preserve Qatar's local musical heritage and ensure its continuity across generations. By giving children the opportunity to learn and practise these traditions under the guidance of specialists, the initiative seeks to preserve their essential elements while creating new space for them to live on through the voices of a new generation. (QNA)