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Folklore as defined by Collier's Encyclopaedia (Vol.10, pp.126-127), comprises the tales, customs, sayings, dances or songs, which have been preserved orally and spontaneously among a people; the comparative science that investigates the life and spirit of a society as revealed in its traditions. "The nonacademic folk materials are much more in the public eye than professors who write monographs". Zakaria Al-Heggawi belongs to the former category, being the first Egyptian intellectual who dedicated his life to the study of what come to be later known in the Arabic culture as "folklore". Born in Daqahlia Governorate on June 4, 1914, Al-Heggawi was educated in Port Said then in Suez, where he joined the Maritime Trades School. He later moved to Cairo, where he joined the Royal School of Arts and Trade, which was later converted into Ain Shams University's Faculty of Engineering. As a student, he was a political activist after involving in demonstrations against monarchist role and foreign occupation. He was detained and placed under custody in his home village and thus could not complete his schooling. His literary and artistic career. During the thirties and forties, Al-Heggawi contributed short-stories and literary articles to newspapers and magazines. Still below the age of twenty, he wrote lyrical and musical plays, which were presented on the stage with great success. He was later involved in journalism both as free lancer and full-timer. Although Al-Heggawi was involved in creative as well as research writing in arts, particularly music and singing, yet he believed that genuine Arab creativity is more vividly reflected in the spontaneous forms of expression, whereby the man of street voices his worries, concerns, sufferingS and vital issues. These are far detached from the common interests of the upper class and high-brain intellectuals. Long periods of suffering and unhappiness experienced by the Egyptian people and their unceasing struggle against injustice despotism by foreign ruler have created a huge legacy of folklore. When the July 23, 1952 Revolution broke out, Al-Heggawi was mature enough to pursue more vigorously his daring mission of popularizing Egyptian folk arts, through a new cultural magazine founded by the revolutionary government i.e. Arisala Al-Gadeeda". He started a geographical survey of the various forms of folklore such as dance, singing, Aragouz ( Punch and Judy) shows, fables and folk takes (games, popular legends, birthday ceremonies for eminent religious celebrities, wedding ceremonies etc... Al-Heggawi directed intellectuals' attention to these fresh materials, which opened new vistas for researchers. It was Al-Heggawi who gave folk arts a tangible presence on the cultural scene, which caused the then prevailing disdainful high-brow outlook by middle-class intellectual to these arts to abate. Thanks to his untiring efforts, these arts sprang into popularity-towards this end, al-Heggawi took pains to tour Egypt and some Arab countries far and wide in search of talented and spontaneous artists. He provided for their training and cultivation and brought them under the limelight. He also recorded folk songs of all types, popular wise says, fables and legends, with their naive tunes, thus preserving such wealth from extinction. Al-Heggawi was well-versed in the various dialects of many parts of Egypt such as Bedouin, Saiedi (Upper Egyptian) Nubian dialects, together with the historical background of such dialects. He was an expert in the genealogy of most Arab families around the Arab world. Al-Heggawi was the first to write a radio daily serial,i.e.;"The Pearl Necklace" . He was also the first to introduce a lyrical piece both at the beginning and end of radio serial. He was further the first writer of new lyrical plays, known as folkloric legend, where singing plays a major role in narration and commenting on events. His plays depicted mostly the lives of lower echelons of the society such as peasants, fishermen, porters, sailors, etc. Al-Heggawi took up several professions including journalism, he also worked as Supervisor of Folkloric Troupe, lecturer at the Cinema Institute and lastly Cultural Advisor Folk arts in Qatar. Major Works Zakaria al-Heggawi was a pioneering writer of radio drama, with a total number of 60 radio plays and serials, such as Ayyoub al-Masri (Jacob the Egypt) Kayd al-Nisa' (Women's Malice) al-Armalah al-Azraa' (VirginWidows) among others.
• He wrote two TV serials. Recognition of al-Heggawi
• In 1967, he was given a certificate of appreciation for his pioneering efforts in the field of folk arts. |