The Al Burda Award ceremony, taking place on 19 December, is a celebratory program that will include universal and unifying performances by some of the world's leading musicians. The ceremony will honour the winners of the 16th edition of Al Burda Award, which recognizes creativity and excellence in the practice of
traditional Islamic disciplines.
 
Performances include:

Watar Orchestra with Dubai Chamber Choir 

About Watar Orchestra
Formed in November 2020, the Mosul-based Watar Orchestra gives talented youth in Nineveh an outlet to perform, while promoting social cohesion. The Orchestra uses music as a powerful peacebuilding path, helping to bring community healing and dialogue to Nineveh after the ISIS group took control over the province and attempted to destroy its rich cultural history. Watar Orchestra’s vision begins and ends with an uncompromising belief in the
limitless potential of Iraq's young musicians to become advocates and agents for positive social change within their communities. 
 
About Dubai Chamber Choir 
Under the baton of music director and conductor Stuart Squire, the Dubai Chamber Choir (DCC) was established in 2001, and quickly gained a reputation as one of the finest choirs of its kind. Renowned for its renditions of famous a cappella works with occasional pieces accompanied by the organ or an entire symphony orchestra, the DCC’s vision is to achieve the highest possible standard in musical excellence. Through bi-annual free concerts, the DCC presents traditional and contemporary choral music to local audiences. The Choir recently collaborated with Grammy Award-winning composer Eric Whitacre for the Middle Eastern premiere of his compositions, and in the wake of such acclaim, was invited to perform at both the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. 
 
Rana Gorgani, Sheikh Mohamed Al Tohamy, and Watar
Orchestra
 
About Rana Gorgani
Rana Gorgani is a French-Iranian dancer and a former actress. She performs in the Sufi dance tradition and is one of the world's few female whirling dervishes.She was born in Germany to an Iranian mother and a Kurdish father, and grew up and lives in France. Gorgani was previously an actress who performed with the
Conservatoire de Paris 20eme. At age 24, she decided to dedicate herself to dance, and late founded L'Oeil Persan, the first dance company in Europe specializing in Persian dance. As a solo artist,
she has collaborated with artists including Ludoji from the High Light Tribe group, Simon Ghraichy, Miço Kendes, and more. Gorgani holds degrees in dance anthropology and ethnomusicology. 
 
About Sheikh Mahmoud Tohamy
Sheikh Mahmoud Tohamy is a Sufi chanter hailing from Egypt. He is the son of renowned ‘Munshid’ singer Sheikh Yassin Al-Tohamy, and the grandson of an imam at the Great Mosque. Tohamy is the holder of a great legacy, having received his musical training under his father and Sheikh Al-Arif Billah. He regularly performs in Egypt and internationally, has released 22 albums, and composed and chanted over 300 poems. Tohamy was honoured among the World Council of Empowerment and Institutional Development’s 50 Arab persons in 2016. 

 
Sidiki and Balla Diabaté 
 
About Sidiki and Balla Diabaté 
Toumani Diabaté is a Malian kora player, and represents the 71st generation of one of Africa’s leading musical dynasties. A Griot – a storyteller, singer, musician, and oral historian – he is known today as one of the world’s best kora players, and is passing on his skills to his sons Sidiki and Balla, the next custodians of this great tradition. Balla and Sidiki belong to the youngest generation of the Griot tradition, and are already regarded as masters of the kora. 
 
UAE Malid with Rashid Al Nuaimi and Saif Fathel 
 
About Rashed Al Nuaimi
Rashed Al Nuaimi is an Emirati singer, songwriter, and actor. He graduated from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee with a Master's of fine arts in Musical theatre in 2021. While performing theatre in the USA, he was nominated for an Elliot Norton Award for best actor in a musical category. Al Nuaimi also stars as the protagonist in an
upcoming animated musical film, Castaway, set for release in 2022. 
 
[By invitation only]
 
To learn more about the Al Burda Award, click here. 
 

About Awards
 
The Ministry of Culture and Youth launched the Al Burda Award in AH 1425 / 2004 AD to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Mohammed (God’s blessing and peace be upon him). Now in its 16th edition, the Al Burda Award positions itself as a global platform that adopts the diversity of Islamic culture and its aesthetic practices and seeks to revitalize the Islamic culture and artistic movement.  As the Ministry introduced the Al Burda Festival and an Endowment in 2018, the Al Burda Award continues to position the UAE as a
champion of creativity in the Islamic art field.
 
The award recognizes creativity and excellence in the practice of traditional Islamic disciplines, and pays tribute to the complexity of the Arabic language through receiving original submissions from poets, calligraphers, and artists whose work is inspired by the Prophet Mohammed, the Holy Quran, and hadiths.  As of 2018, over
300 winners have been awarded in recognition of their distinguished
work.
Al Burda Award has traditionally celebrated 3 disciplines:

In a bid to expand the creative facets of the Award, the 16th edition
introduces a 4th category: