Loud chants and applauds were heard from the live audience at Al Raha Beach theatre last week, when a 2000-strong audience, including young men and women, waved their country's flags around and cheered their favorite poets.
One of Abu Dhabi's very own poets, Hazza bin Abdullah sent the crowds into standing ovations, with a poem dedicated to Abu Dhabi and the UAE's founder HH Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan.
Nasr Al Muteri from Saudi Arabia was eliminated from the competition, leaving five of the eight poets up for SMS voting this week, to determine which two will also be selected to go through to the next round. Viewers can find out the results of voting in next week's show. The Poets up for voting this week are, Khaled Al O'taibi and Rashid Al Balawi from Saudi Arabia, Khalfan Al Thani from Oman, Nasr Al A'zami from Kuwait and Nazhan Al Shamari from Syria.
Many of the 48 poets competing in the Million's Poet show are already very well known around the region for their poetry, turning this show into a competition between the best of the Gulf region's poets. The Prince of Poets show is the Million's Poet sister show with a similar format, but concentrating on Classical Arabic poetry and with participants from further than the Gulf region stretching from Mauritania to Oman and beyond. Emirati singer Arayam also entertained viewers, with two songs from her latest collection.
The Million's Poet show is commissioned by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage and produced by Pyramedia, one of the region's largest production companies, in a joint effort to place Abu Dhabi on the map as the cultural hub of the region.
If you want to know what the poets get up to during the week, tune into the recap show to watch behind the scenes footage and interviews on Thursdays and Saturdays at 18:30 on Abu Dhabi TV.
Repeats of the show and also extra exclusive behind the scenes footage can also be viewed around the clock on the dedicated Million's Poet Channel on Nile Sat 11919 MHTz, Horizontal, 27500, ¾ and Arabsat Bader 4 DL, 11804 Horizontal, 27500, ¾.
The live competition is aired live from Shata Al Raha Theatre in Abu Dhabi and on Abu Dhabi TV and The Million's Poet channel at 22:30 every Tuesday. If you would like to attend the show, please see the contact details below:
hana.alhirsi@pyramedia.biz, Tel: +971 50 818 7518
