Sharjah: The eighth season of Munshid Sharjah kicked off on Friday with performances by 16 contestants at Al Majaz Amphitheatre.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the opening performance was broadcast live on Sharjah TV.
A Sharjah Media Corporation initiative, the reality TV show sees participation from around the world, unearthing talented Nasheed singers.
Nasheed is traditional Arabic vocal music that is either sung a cappella or accompanied by percussion instruments such as the daf. This music genre is highly popular throughout the Islamic world.
The 2015 season is being judged by a group of celebrated singers and composers, including Tunisian singer Lotfi Bouchnak, Emirati Nasheed star Osama Al Safi, Syrian composer Assim Al Bunni and renowned Islamic singer Mesut Kurtis, who performed some of his most admired songs at the end of the show.
Presented by Ahmad Majid, the premier of the eighth season began with the Emirati Munshid Ebrahim Al Naqbi, followed by vocal talents from Macedonia, Belgium, Algeria, Yemen, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Italy, Morocco, France, Malaysia, Egypt, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Viewers voted for their favourites to decide, together with the panel, who goes through to the next round and who goes home. The number of votes registered from 91 countries was 114,251. As a result, five contestants were announced as having weak vocal performance.
Commenting on the new season, Najm Eddine Hachim, executive producer of Munshid Sharjah, said: “It was a great show. Everyone got swept away in the celebratory atmosphere that surrounded the venue in celebration of the 44th UAE National Day. Contestants were inspired by the crowd to deliver their best performance. We expect more exciting competition in the coming rounds.”
The next performance of the show will feature the Emirati Nasheed star Ahmad Bukhatir, the only Nasheed singer from the UAE to ever top a Virgin music chart.
