What genre is Arab music?
Arabic pop musicArabic music / Parent genreArabic pop music or Arab pop music is a subgenre of pop music and Arabic music. Arabic pop is mainly produced and originated in Cairo, Egypt; with Beirut, Lebanon, as a secondary center. It is an outgrowth of the Arabic film industry, also predominantly located in Cairo. Wikipedia
What is classic Arabic music called?
Arabic maqamArabic maqam is the system of melodic modes used in traditional Arabic music, which is mainly melodic. The word maqam in Arabic means "station" and denotes a melody type built on a scale and carrying a tradition that defines its habitual phrases, important notes, melodic development and modulation.
What is the structure of Arabic music?
Arabic maqamat are based on a musical scale of 7 notes, this scale repeats at octave. Most maqam scales include a perfect fifth and perfect fourth and the octaves are perfect. The modern Arab tone system is based upon the theoretical division of the octave into 24 equal divisions or 24-tone equal temperament.
What is the history of Arabic music?
Arabic music has been known to exist in preIslamic period between the 5th and 7th centuries in the form of oral poetry accompanied by a drum or oud respecting the poetic meter. Songs were simple using only one maqam or melody.
What is unique about Arab music?
Unlike the tradition of Western music, Arabic music contains microtones, which are notes that lie between notes in the Western chromatic scale. While notes in the chromatic scale are separated by semitones (or half steps), notes in Arabic music can be separated by quarter tones.
What are some of the main characteristics of Arabic music?
The chief characteristics of Arabian music are modal homophony, florid ornamentation, and modal rhythm. The melodic modal system of Ibn Misjah (d. c.715) contained, in its final form, eight modes.
What instrument is used in Arabic music?
The traditional Arabic ensemble or takht consists of four main melodic instruments: the oud, the nay, the qanun, and the violin, and one main percussion instrument: the riqq.
Is Arabic music popular?
Preferences for genres within Arabic music often correspond to locality (for example, a preference for Arabic Egyptian music in Egypt, Arabic Lebanese music in Lebanon). As a whole, however, Arabic music is much more popular than Western music among all segments of the population, with the exception of non-Arab expats.
How many notes are there in Arabic music?
Arabic maqams are based on a musical scale of 7 notes that repeats at the octave.
Where do I start with Arabic music?
If you're just looking to have some Arabic on in the background to get used to the pronunciation and pick up the occasional lyric, then this is a great way to start. Try Maghboun Wahdi by Cheb Djalil Ft Hichem Smati to get your ear into some great music in Arabic.
What is Arabic singing called?
MaqamMaqam: The maqam is an improvisation technique where the singer builds on a scale by defining pitches and patterns. It also involves using habitual phrases and important notes that have been used in past traditions.
What is Middle Eastern music called?
maqam) or modes (also known as makam in Turkish music). The early Arabs translated and developed Greek texts and works of music and mastered the musical theory of the music of ancient Greece (i.e. Systema ametabolon, enharmonium, chromatikon, diatonon). This is similar to the dastgah of Persian music.
What is Middle Eastern singing called?
eratic singing. Middle Eastern singing is a style by itself. dictated by a music rich in modes known as the maqam. system.
What is WAZN?
Wazn (Arabic: وزن; pl. awzān, أوزان literally "measure") may refer to: A pattern or cycle of rhythm in Arabian music. The traditional Arabic name for the star Beta Columbae.
What is a maqam in music?
A “Maqam” (meaning in Arabic: a place, location, rank) is a system of melodic modes prevalent in classical Arab music. Written as a scale, the maqam determines the melodic mode of a composition.
What is Arabic music?
Arabic music or Arab music (Arabic: موسيقى عربية; Mūsīqā ʿArabīyya) includes several genres and styles of music ranging from Arabic classical to Arabic pop music and from secular to sacred music.
When did Arabic music start?
Though there is a lack of scientific study to definitively confirm the existence of Arabic music at those times, most historians agree that there existed distinct forms of music in the Arabian peninsula in the pre-Islamic period between the 5th and the 7th century AD. Arab poets of that time - called شعراء الجاهلية or "Jahili poets" which translates to "The poets of the period of ignorance" - used to recite poems with a high musical rhythm and tone.[3]
What does Musiqia mean in Arabic?
In one of his treaties the word musiqia was used for the first time in Arabic, which today means music in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, English and several other languages in the Islamic world.[6] Al-Farabi (872-950) wrote a notable book on music titled Kitab al-Musiqi al-Kabir (The Great Book of Music).
What language is similar to Afar music?
Such inter-influences can often be traced in language; for example, the word Shî'ir (poetry in Arabic) bears much similarity to its equivalents in other Semitic languages (such as Shûr in Aramaic and Shîr in Hebrew), and Shîro in Babylonian.[2] . Afar music is similar to the music of Ethiopia with elements of Arab music.
Who was the first great theoretician of Arabic music?
Al-Kindi (801–873 AD) was the first great theoretician of Arabic music. He proposed adding a fifth string to the oud and discussed the cosmological connotations of music. He surpassed the achievement of the Greek musicians in using the alphabetical annotation for one eighth. He published fifteen treatises on music theory, but only five have survived. In one of his treaties the word musiqia was used for the first time in Arabic, which today means music in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, English and several other languages in the Islamic world.[6]
Is rock music popular in the Middle East?
Rock music is popular all around the world, and the Arab world is no exception. There are many Arabic rock bands that fuse the sound of hard rock with traditional Arabic instruments. Arabic Rock is gaining a lot of attention in the middle east, with bands such as Meen and Dabke in Lebanon , and in Jordan with bands such as Jadal,
Who invented the love song?
The Arabs invented the Ghazal (love song), often used since in Arabic music. Al-Ghazali (1059 - 1111) wrote a treatise on music in Persia which declared, "Ecstasy means the state that comes from listening to music".
What is Arabic music?
Traditional & Classiacl Arabic Music. Arabic music or Arab music (Arabic: موسيقى عربية; Mūsīqā ʿArabīyya) is the music of the Arab World, including several genres and styles of music ranging from Arabic classical to Arabic pop music and from secular to sacred music. Arabic music, while independent and very alive, ...
Where did modern Arabic music originate?
The world of modern Arabic music has long been dominated by musical trends that have emerged from Cairo, Egypt. The city is generally considered a cultural center in the Arab world. Innovations in popular music via the influence of other regional styles have also abounded from Morocco to Saudi Arabia.
What is the maqam system?
Both compositions and improvisations in traditional Arabic music are based on the maqam system. Maqams can be realized with either vocal or instrumental music, and do not include a rhythmic component. Al-Kindi (801–873 AD) was the first great theoretician of Arabic music.
What is the Arabic word for "maqam"?
Arabic maqam is the system of melodic modes used in traditional Arabic music, which is mainly melodic. The word maqam in Arabic means "station" and denotes a melody type built on a scale and carrying a tradition that defines its habitual phrases, important notes, melodic development and modulation. Both compositions and improvisations in ...
What did Arab poets use to recite poems?
Arab poets of that time - called شعراء الجاهلية or "Jahili poets" which translates to "The poets of the period of ignorance" - used to recite poems with a high musical rhythm and tone . Music at that time played an important role in cultivating the mystique of exorcists and magicians.
Where did the music of the troubadors come from?
The music of the troubadors may have had some Arabic origins. Ezra Pound, in his Canto VIII, famously declared that William of Aquitaine, an early troubador, "had brought the song up out of Spain / with the singers and veils...".
Where did the belly dance originate?
It is one of the first European books to describe music in Islamic society. In India, the Islamic Mughal emperors ruled both Muslims and Hindus. The greatest of these, Akbar (1542–1605) had a team of at least fifty musicians, thirty-six of whom are known to us by name. The origins of the "belly dance" are very obscure, as depictions and descriptions are rare. It may have originated in Pre islamic Arabia Examples have been found from 200 BC, suggesting a possible pre-Islamic origin.
When did Arabic music start?
Arabic music has been known to exist in preIslamic period between the 5th and 7th centuries in the form of oral poetry accompanied by a drum or oud respecting the poetic meter. Songs were simple using only one maqam or melody.
Who translated Greek music principles into Arabic?
Abū Naṣr al Fārābī. Safi al-Din al-Urmawi. In the early Islamic period, Greek music principles were translated by Muslim scholar Isḥāq al-Kindī (801-873 AD), who ultimate published 15 articles on music theory. The word “mussiqa” was used for the first time in Arabic.
What is the meaning of the maqams?
The maqams are the way Arabic music defines melody. The poetry and music in each region continued through oral tradition resulting in de facto standards for each area. The Arabic Music Conference in Cairo in 1932 established that regional variations existed in the intonation of Arabic maqamat (pl. maqam) and attempted to list the most popular maqams to establish a standard as in Western music (which use even- tempered instruments).
What music was influenced by the Ottoman Empire?
Later with the rise of the vast Ottoman Empire from the 13th to the early 20th century, Ottoman music had been influenced by Byzantine, Armenian, Arabic and Persian music. This confluence is likely due to the vastness of the Islamic Ottoman empire and the trade routes within it.
What is the purpose of melodies in maqam?
The melodies used in a given maqam aims to express the emotional state of the reader throughout the set liturgy (without changing the text). Islam arrived in the mid-seventh century with the revelation of the holy scriptures in the form of poetic verses in Arabic.
When was the word "mussiqa" first used?
The word “mussiqa” was used for the first time in Arabic. During the ninth and tenth centuries, scholars pulished the first encyclopedic collections of poems and music. A physicist named Abū Naṣr al Fārābī (870-950 AD) published the Large Book of Music in which he documents pure Arabian tone system of maqams, still used in Arabic music today. ...
Is there an absolute reference to Arabic music?
This is a daunting task since Arabic music does not have an absolute reference. In spite of the Cairo Music Conference and many other attempts, it is nearly impossible to find an exhaustive list of all maqams.
What is the emotional orientation of Arab music?
The emotional orientation of Arab composition is also ‘played out’ during the Arab cultural performance events. As opposed to the formal Western classical concert, the Arab performance leans towards interaction and expressively charged within the musicians and audiences. In the Arab culture, the fusion between music and emotional change symbolized by the Arabic perception of Tarab, which may not have a precise equivalence in Western languages.
What is Tarab and Why is it Important to Arab Music?
What is Tarab, a definition that focuses on a cultural domain? This specialty involves artists, performances, and music associated philosophies, attitudes, and behaviors, including the different methods of listening and responding to Arab music. The Tarab culture is also linked with a craft-based jargon relating to societal, technical, and professional facets of music creation and with specific musical standards and viewpoints.
What is the name of the city in Syria that sings Tarab?
Aleppo , a city in Syria, has an active practice of composing and singing Tarab, Muwashshahat, and the Qudud Halabiyya. Among the great Aleppian singers are Sabah Fakhri, Mohamad Khairy, and Omar Al-Batsh. People who love Arab music know Aleppo by the name “Em el-Tarab” that translates to the “Mother of Tarab.”.
Who is the famous Tarab singer?
One of the famous Aleppian Tarab singers, Yousef Shamoun, who also belongs to the school of legend Aleppian singers, such as Sabah Fakhri, Mohamad Khairy, Bakry Kurdi, and Omar Al-Batsh, was enthused by the Syriac tradition of religious Tarab chant.
What is a tarab?
Tarab is an impression of charm. It is usually connected with vocal music in which the listener has wholly swathed in the sound and the meaning in a wide-ranging experiential sense and is just entirely carried away by Tarab singers.
Where did Arabic music originate?
Arabic music is usually said to have begun in the 7th century in Syria during the Umayyad dynasty. Early Arabic music was influenced by Byzantine, Indian and Persian forms, which were themselves heavily influenced by earlier Greek, Semitic, and ancient Egyptian music. The tonal structure of Arabic music is defined by the Maqamat, ...
What is the music called in the Muslim celebrations?
Religious music remains an essential part of traditional Muslim and Coptic celebrations called mulids . Mulids are held in Egypt to celebrate the saint of a particular mosque or church. Muslim mulids are related to the Sufi Zikr ritual. The Egyptian flute, called the Ney, is commonly played at mulids.
What music revolution started in Egypt?
After the second millennium, a music revolution was started in Egypt as bands started to become more popular and more famous year after year. It began with bands like Eftekasat and Wust El Balad with the help of El Sawy Cutlurewheel, Cairo Jazz Club, multiple cultural centers like the French Culture Centre. As a result, people started to become more aware of the different genres that could be presented by the different bands as the bigger Egyptian taste was more of pop artists like Amr Diab, Mohamed Mounir and Tamer Hosny. Other factors like the Metal Accord concert series which was quite a revolution in itself as metal-heads were labeled as satanists 10 years ago
What is the genre of music that Al Jeel is based on?
Al Jeel music genre arose in the 70s. It was dance-pop modeled after foreign rock and roll and pop music with a background rhythm similar to reggae, and it included distinctively Egyptian characteristics. Hamid el Shaery, a Libyan living in Egypt, was the most influential of Al-Jeel 's early performers.
What instruments were used in the Middle Kingdom?
The earliest material and representational evidence of Egyptian musical instruments dates to the Predyanstic period, but the evidence is more securely attested in the Old Kingdom when harps, flutes and double clarinets were played. Percussion instruments, lyres and lutes were added to orchestras by the Middle Kingdom.
What is the name of the group of musicians from Upper Egypt?
Saidi (Upper Egyptian) Egyptian musicians from Upper Egypt play a form of folk music called Saidi (Upper Egyptian). Metqal Qenawi's Les Musiciens du Nil are the most popular saidi group, and were chosen by the government to represent Egyptian folk music abroad.
What is the flute called in Egypt?
The Egyptian flute, called the Ney , is commonly played at mulids. The liturgical music of the Coptic Church also constitutes an important element of Egyptian music and is said to have preserved many features of ancient Egyptian music.
What is the meaning of Arabic?
(Entry 1 of 2) : a Semitic language originally of the Arabs of the Hejaz and Nejd that is now the prevailing speech of a wide region of southwestern Asia and northern Africa.
Where is Arabic spoken?
(Entry 1 of 2) : a language spoken in the Arabian Peninsula of southwestern Asia, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and parts of northern Africa.
What is a perfect fifth in Arabic music?
Most maqam scales include a perfect fifth or a perfect fourth (or both), and all octaves are perfect. The remaining notes in a maqam scale may or may not exactly land on semitones. For this reason maqam scales are mostly taught orally, and by extensive listening to the traditional Arabic music repertoire.
How many quarter tones are there in Arabic?
Starting with a chromatic scale, the Arabic scale is divided into 24 equal quarter tones, where a quarter tone equals half a semitone in a 12 tone equal-tempered scale. In this notation system all notes in a maqam scale are rounded to the nearest quarter tone.
How many Ajnas are there in Arabic?
There is no consensus on a definitive list of all ajnas, their names or their sizes. However the majority of references agree on the basic 9 ajnas, which also make up the main 9 maqam families.
What is the meaning of the word "Maqam"?
The word maqam in Arabic means place, location or position. The Arabic maqam is a melody type. It is "a technique of improvisation " that defines the pitches, patterns, and development of a piece of music and which is "unique to Arabian art music". There are seventy two heptatonic tone rows or scales of maqamat.
Where is the Maqam?
The maqam is a modal structure that characterizes the art of music of countries in North Africa, the Near East and Central Asia. In this area we can distinguish three main musical cultures which all belong to the maqam modal family, Arabic, Persian, and Turkish.
Can you play Maqam on piano?
Nahawand, ‘Ajam) can be performed on equal-tempered instruments such as the piano, however such instruments cannot faithfully reproduce the microtonal details of the maqam scale. Maqam scales can be faithfully performed either on fretless instruments (e.g. the oud or the violin ), or on instruments that allow a sufficient degree of tunability and microtonal control (e.g. the nay or the qanun, or the Clarinet ). On fretted instruments with steel strings, microtonal control can be achieved by string bending, as when playing blues .
