Sharjah Heritage Documents the Musical Memory of Folk Songs in Northern Upper Egypt
Cairo – Cairo International Book Fair, 27 January 2026
As part of the cultural program accompanying its current participation in the Cairo International Book Fair, the Sharjah Heritage Institute, in cooperation with the Emirates Writers Club, organized a panel discussion at its pavilion focusing on folk songs in Northern Upper Egypt. The session was presented by Dr. Sayed Fares and moderated by Dr. Abdelkarim Al-Hajrawi, with the attendance of a distinguished group of writers, researchers, and those interested in folk heritage.
Outcome of Extended Fieldwork
Dr. Sayed Fares reviewed his experience in collecting and documenting folk songs in Northern Upper Egypt, explaining that the material presented during the session represents the outcome of years of fieldwork. This effort resulted in the documentation of dozens of Egyptian folk songs, which were later published in a book issued by the Sharjah Heritage Institute.
Popular Perceptions and Song Models
Fares discussed popular perceptions of Egyptian folk songs, particularly in the Northern Upper Egypt region, presenting selected examples and shedding light on Al-‘Adid songs as a form of expressive tradition that reflects collective sentiment and lived human experience within the local community.
Challenges of Documentation in Folk Literature
Fares noted that compiling a corpus of folk songs required a great deal of time and effort in terms of verification, editing, and documentation, emphasizing that folk literature is a precise field of research that demands patience, perseverance, and careful work in both field research and academic study.
Book Signing
At the conclusion of the session, Dr. Sayed Fares signed copies of his book Folk Songs in Northern Upper Egypt, amid notable interaction and interest from attendees.