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| Paris/ award forum |
The Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA) of Zanzibar has made history after being announced as a winner of the 21st UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture, during a ceremony held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.
The academy was honored with the award in recognition of its outstanding contribution to preserving, teaching, and promoting the musical heritage of taarab and the cultures of the Indian Ocean and Arab region.
The academy’s representative, Ms. Haldah Am Al-Kanaan, was present in Paris to receive the prize on behalf of the institution. DCMA is Zanzibar’s only music academy dedicated to teaching traditional instruments and styles of heritage music—including taarab, kidumbak, and ngoma—while bringing together students from different countries and generations.
Speaking during the event, UNESCO Director-General Prof. Khaled El-Enany commended the academy for its creativity in safeguarding and promoting Arab and Swahili musical heritage.
He noted that judges from various continents were impressed by how 'DCMA ' has used music as a bridge to connect diverse cultures, along with its unique learning environment that brings together students from across the world.
For its part, DCMA’s leadership said that the award is a great honor for Zanzibar and Tanzania, and that it will inspire increased efforts to protect and promote taarab and traditional music for future generations.
The ceremony was also attended by the Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to France and Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Ambassador Saidi Othman Yakubu, who witnessed this historic moment and congratulated the winners for proudly raising Tanzania’s profile through arts and culture on the global stage.
The UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture, established in 1998 through a partnership between UNESCO and the Government of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), is awarded annually to individuals or institutions that have made exceptional contributions to developing and promoting Arab culture and fostering intercultural dialogue worldwide.
In this year’s edition, DCMA was announced as a winner alongside Moroccan musician and cultural entrepreneur Brahim El Mazned.This award plays a vital role in propelling talent, music, and culture onto the world stage.