Egypt’s Supreme Council of Culture has announced that it is launching the “Playing and Singing on the Simsimiyya Instrument” competition, which was proposed by the Council’s Committee for Music, Opera, and Ballet.
The competition aims to implement one of the country’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, trying to promote cultural heritage, development, and the encouragement of musicians of all ages, particularly youth.
It comes as part of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture’s celebrations of Port Said as the Capital of Egyptian Culture for 2021. The Supreme Council of Culture clarified that the deadline for participating in the competition is 25 May 2021.
The results of the competition and the names of the winners will be announced on 31 May 2021.
The simsimiyya, an ancient instrument made of beech wood with steel strings and similar in shape to a harp, is believed to have Ancient Egyptian roots. It even appears on ornate engravings of Ancient Egyptian tombs.
The simsimiyya is often used to accompany a type of Egyptian dance called the bambutiyya. It is used among the group of Egyptian musicians known as suhbagiyya, in the northern Egyptian port cities of Port Said and Ismailia.
