Riyadh, Oct. 19, (BNA):  The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia marked the International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage on October 17 by celebrating Yanbaawi art, an authentic maritime tradition born from the voices of fishermen and shaped in the ports along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coasts.

Yanbaawi is an art form that narrates the fisherman’s journey at sea.  Its melodies are typically played on the semsemiah, accompanied by other string instruments in an artistic blend that connects the coastal civilizations.  Performances often begin with a mawwal, a traditional song, followed by a dwar, a traditional dance, in a collective interaction between the performer and the group, according to Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The celebration of this authentic maritime tradition honors the sailors’ journey, patience, and endurance of risks while preserving living cultural expressions and reconnecting the present with the roots of the past.

H.F, A.A