RIYADH, FEB 1 : The 18^th National Heritage  and  Folk Cultural Festival (also  popularly known as Janadriyah Festival) kicked  off  in  Riyadh  on  Thursday  the 9^th of January 2003. This festival  is  a treasure of Saudi culture  and heritage  and  can  be  compared  with those of Williamsburg in the US and Louisburg in Nova Scotia, Canada. The Festival itself  owes  its  origin  to  the Camel Race, which up to the mid-eighties,  was the only major activity that brought  the  country back to its heritage.

Janadriyah, an area located about  45 km  outside  Riyadh  was chosen  to  be  the  location for this national heritage and folk cultural festival  and  hence obtained  its popular name of Janadriyah Festival. It’s sort of  a  Country Fair  hosted  on a national scale; exhibits from all over the Kingdom are brought here to represent their region at its best.

The main objectives  of  the Festival however remain, as one Saudi intellectual rightly puts it, to give recognition and prominence  to  the  solid bond  that exists between the old Saudi Cultural Heritage and  the  present accomplishments of  the Saudi Society &  the Nation as a whole. This provides, to both  the  Saudis  and  the foreigners alike, an excellent opportunity to have a glimpse of the glorious Saudi past.

Each year around  this  time  of  the  year (being cold & pleasant), a  traditional Camel Race opens  the  Festival which  encompasses  almost  every  aspect of Saudi Arabia’s Culture and Heritage. Artisans such  as potters, wood workers & carvers, and weavers demonstrate their  traditional  skills & crafts  in  small shops  with  typical palm-frond roof  porches. During  the  course  of  the  Festival,  folklore  troupes, from  across  the Kingdom also  perform  traditional  dances   and  singers  from  around  the  kingdom perform traditional songs and  music.

Also, literary figures from all over the Kingdom participate  in  poetry  competitions  and  recite  historic verses. There  is  also  a  wide participation in  this Festival, by  the  notable singers  and literary figures from across the Arab world, especially from the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries.

As for the history of  this Festival: the  first  ever  National Heritage and Folk Cultural Festival  in  Jandriyah  was  launched in 1985 following  a  Royal Directive  issued by HRH King Fahad bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The success of the first  Janadriyah Festival  went far  beyond  expectations  in  respect to both attendance, interests & impact  across  the  length & breadth of Saudi Arabia and in rest of  the Arab world. As  a  result, King Fahad Al-Saud issued instructions for the establishment of a permanent Heritage and Folk Culture Village in Janadriyah the present site  of  this Annual Festival.

This Festival has  not looked back ever since and is marching forward very majestically. It’s very pleasing  and  absorbing  to  see  the  proceedings of  this  two-week Festival.

Those who  have fondness  for  the  Arab artifacts, antiquities and folk music and dance would appreciate the presentations of  the same in the Festival. One finds a host of things to see here, which  is  fun  as well as  educative; for example, one can see how flour were ground  the old traditional way  using camel labor. In the handicraft area, artisans are seen hammering  metal  into  knives & daggers, stitching  leather  sandals,  and carving bowls, household utensils and traditional old doors.

The participant artisans love to engage in discourse  and  cheerfully share and explain as to how and where they learnt their craftsmanship, which  in most cases is handed down by their fathers and grand-fathers.

One can also enjoy the traditional songs and dances that echo  the  timeless  melodies  of  chanting Bedouin (the native  rural  populace  of  the Arabian Peninsula)  poets.

The traditional folk songs  and  dances  of  various  regions  of the Kingdom are exquisitely and very  well  represented  in the Festival.

From the Hijaz Area (it’s the western part of the Kingdom; Jeddah, Makkah & Madinah are included), the Al-Sihba folk music combines poetry & songs of the Arab Andalusia in medieval Spain. A traditional song & dance known as Al-Mizmar is also performed in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah. This features the music of the Al-Mizmar, a woodwind instrument similar to the obove.

But the  most  interesting, famous and grand dance  of  them  all  is  the  men’s sword dance, known as the Al Ardah dance. This has  its  roots  in the Najd  (the Central part of Saudi Arabia; Riyadh, Buraidah/Qassim & Hail are included) and  is also known as the National Dance of Saudi Arabia.

The dance is  an  ancient tradition  that combines singers, dancers and a poet or a narrator. In this, men carrying  swords stand shoulder to shoulder and, from their  midst, a poet  begins  to  sing  verses  or  a short melodic line while drummers beat the rhythm.

This song and dance is also  very conspicuous for one particular reason; it is performed  by the Royalties of the House of Al-Saud in unison, during  the  Janadriyah Festival.

Almost entire  Royalty, led by the HRH Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (Crown Prince & head of the National Guard), dressed in pleasing elegant traditional dresses  are  seen  to be performing this melodious song-dance, keeping the  viewers engrossed & absorbed for hours together.

The Royalties, with the Crown Prince Abdullah Al-Saud in the fore front, can be  seen  performing this traditional Saudi/Najdi  Al Ardah dance in the picture.

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