“Simsimiyya Forum” celebrates global documentation and local demands to support musicians

While Dr. Nahla Imam, advisor to the Minister of Culture for Intangible Heritage, called at the third Simsimiyya Festival in Ismailia for folk musicians, including simsimiyya players, to join the Musicians’ Union because they need social security, pensions, and union support, Mohamed Mida, the last simsim player in the city, sat alone in an outdoor lobby in front of the theater, demanding support and exemption from paying royalties. Mohamed Mida, the last simsimiyya maker in the city, sat alone in an outdoor lobby in front of the theater, demanding support and exemption from paying fees for using his workshop in the city center.

Mohamed Mida presented his collection of simsimiyya instruments at an open exhibition hastily prepared on the morning of the forum, in front of Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hanou, Minister of Culture, Major General Akram Galal, Governor of Ismailia, and Major General Khaled Foda, Advisor to the President of the Republic for Local Development. However, he did not stay to watch the celebrations, preferring to sit alone among his musical instruments.

Support for simsimiyya players

In her speech during the opening of the forum, Dr. Nahla Imam said: “I hope that the Musicians’ Union will consider including simsimiyya players among its members. They have the right to insurance and support from the union to preserve the instrument and its heritage.” She added: “We have the right to be proud of being the bearers of the simsimiyya heritage. We have managed to preserve it over time despite the challenges and difficulties.” “I play the simsimiyya and the exhibition is my livelihood,” Mohamed Mida told Bab Masr – Bahri.

I have been retired for seven years. The neighborhood asked me for the right to use the exhibition in Arabi Square. I ask the Minister of Culture and the Governor of Ismailia to exempt me from the fees required of me for the right to use the Ismailia exhibition, in honor of me, because I belong to the culture and the governorate. I created this exhibition to preserve the heritage of the instrument and the governorate.”

Mida has been running a simsimiyya exhibition in Al-Arab Square in central Ismailia for nearly 10 years. There, he displays his work as a maker of the instrument and his collection of old instruments that he has played. He was a lead player in the Ismailia Folk Instruments Band of the Ministry of Culture before his retirement.

Despite being invited as the last instrument maker in the city, Mohamed Mida did not attend the ceremony honoring the icons of the simsimiyya during the opening. The Ministry of Culture honored the late Zakaria Ibrahim, founder of the Tamboura band in Port Said, and Yehia Moller, director of the Ismailia Folk Instruments Band. Sayed Kaboria, the oldest player and maker of the instrument in the city of Suez, was also honored.

Absence of simsimiyya icons from the forum

The selection of three figures from cities along the Suez Canal to be honored was widely welcomed. However, it was also met with criticism from musicians who wanted to honor names that contributed to the development of the instrument. Or at least invite them to attend the meeting.

Musician Musa Ahmed Musa told Bab Masr – Bahri that he attended the forum without an invitation.

The Ministry of Culture did not send invitations to musicians and independent bands to attend the meeting. Many prominent figures in the preservation and development of the simsimiyya heritage did not attend the meeting. We are not asking for recognition, just an invitation to attend.

He added: “The value of the simsimiyya lies in its presence among the people in the streets and neighborhoods. But when you take it and put it in a display case in the middle of a theater, the instrument loses its real audience.”

Mohamed Mida agreed, saying: “If we want to preserve the instrument, we must keep it open and accessible to people as it was in the past in the streets, cafes, parks, and festivals during the Sham El-Nessim, strawberry, and mango seasons.

But when the simsimiyya becomes just a theatrical instrument, it loses much of its spontaneous audience.”

Official interest in registering Egyptian heritage

Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hanno, Minister of Culture, said after the forum: “There is interest in registering elements of Egyptian heritage and culture. We now have 11 elements registered on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. We are seeking to register other elements.”

He added: “Our presence in Ismailia and the Suez Canal region is a celebration of a national achievement of which we are all proud. It is the registration of the simsimiyya instrument on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage lists as an authentic symbol of Egyptian identity. It remains a living voice of the people of the Canal, a witness to a long history of struggle and resilience, a companion to victories, and a keeper of the memory of the place.”

Various artistic performances

The main concert featured nine artistic groups: The Ismailia Folk Arts Troupe, the Al-Turaqia Troupe, the Suez Folk Instruments Troupe, the Al-Sahaba Al-Bursida Troupe, the Suez Folk Instruments Troupe, the Suez Youth Troupe, the Ismailia Folk Instruments Troupe, the Al-Waziri Troupe in Ismailia, and the Suez Folk Arts Troupe.

These groups presented performances that were interconnected in terms of content but independent in terms of performance, showcasing the richness of the simsimiyya heritage. Dr. Mohamed Shabana, professor of folk literature at the Academy of Arts and member of the UNESCO Simsimiyya Registration Committee, told Bab Masr – Bahri that simsimiyya reached the canal cities with the digging of the canal.

It is also found in the cities of the Red Sea basin, because it was linked to trade and shipping. Sailors traveled with their music, which contributed to its spread in ancient times. But what distinguishes it in Egyptian heritage is its unique character. Each city plays simsimiyya in its own way and with its own spirit.

He added: “Today, thanks to the expansion of cultural palaces, we find simsimiyya in cities other than those where it originated. You can find examples of its songs in Ras Gharib, Matrouh, Nubia, and Dakahlia, in addition to the canal cities for which it is famous.”