SAF joins Santa Marta 500th anniversary in Colombia

September 02, 2025 / 7:54 PM

Sharjah 24: Sharjah Art Foundation took part in Heart of the World, a cultural ceremony held on 29 July 2025 at El Rodadero beach in Santa Marta, Colombia, to commemorate the city's 500th anniversary. The Foundation presented a performance by the traditional Emirati folk band Zinat Sharjah, highlighting the UAE’s rich musical and cultural heritage.

Celebrating diverse cultural roots

Santa Marta, a port city on the Caribbean Sea, is one of South America's oldest surviving settlements and is shaped by Indigenous, African, Hispanic, and Arab influences. The event featured theatrical and musical performances representing cultures from the Sierra Nevada, Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Middle East, celebrating shared human heritage.

Zinat Sharjah highlights Emirati traditions

Zinat Sharjah performed three distinctive Emirati art forms including Al-Hibban – folk music featuring the jirba, a goat-skin bagpipe; Al-Yamal – poetic sea chants sung by "rowers" ; and Al-Madīma – a maritime style blending Arabic lyrics with African rhythms.

These performances showcased Sharjah’s contribution to preserving and promoting traditional Emirati culture on a global stage.

Continued collaboration with Sharjah Art Foundation

Zinat Sharjah is a regular collaborator with Sharjah Art Foundation, having performed at several Sharjah Biennials, including the 16th edition that concluded in June 2025. The group is also active in events organised by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and other cultural bodies in the UAE.

High-level attendance

The event was attended by Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, and Nawar Al Qassimi, Vice President of the Foundation, alongside H.E. Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia, and Yannai Kadamani Fonrodona, Minister of Cultures, Arts and Knowledge of Colombia.