Arabic music
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Arabic music (
Arabic music has a long history of interaction with many other regional musical styles and genres. It represents the music of all the peoples that make up the Arab world today.
History
Pre-Islamic period
It was believed that
. Among the notable songs of the period were the huda (from which the ghina derived), the nasb, sanad, and rukbani.Early Islamic period
Both
Al-Kindi (801–873 AD) was a notable early theorist of Arabic music. He joined several others like al-Farabi in proposing the addition of a makeshift fifth string to the oud. He published several tracts on musical theory, including the cosmological connotations of music.[5] He identified twelve tones on the Arabic musical scale, based on the location of fingers on and the strings of the oud.[6]
Abulfaraj (897–967) wrote the Kitab al-Aghani, an encyclopedic collection of poems and songs that runs to over 20 volumes in modern editions.
In 1252,
Al-Andalus
By the 11th century, Islamic Iberia had become a center for the manufacture of instruments. These goods spread gradually throughout France, influencing French troubadours, and eventually reaching the rest of Europe. The English words lute, rebec, and naker are derived from Arabic oud, rabab or Maghreb rebab, and naqareh.[9][10][vague]
16th to 19th century
20th century–present
In the early 20th century, Egypt was the first in a series of Arab countries to experience a sudden emergence of nationalism, as it became independent after 2000 years of foreign rule. Any English, French or European songs got replaced by national Egyptian music. Cairo became a center for musical innovation.
Female singers were some of the first to take a secular approach. Egyptian performer
Western pop music was also being influenced by Arabic music in the early 1960s, leading to the development of
In the 1990s, several Arab artists have taken up such a style including
. Due to Iraq's diversity and the long history, the country encompasses the music of a number of ethnic groups and musical genres. In 1936, Iraq Radio was established by two of Iraq's most prominent performers and composers, the Iraqi Jewish musicians,One of the main reasons for the predominance of Jewish instrumentalists in early 20th century Iraqi music was a prominent school for
Salima Pasha was one of the most famous singers of the 1930s–1940s. The respect and adoration for Pasha were unusual at the time, since public performance by women was considered shameful by some countries in the region, and most female singers were recruited from brothels.[23][21]
The music in Iraq began to take a more Western tone during the 1960s and 1970s, notably by Ilham Madfai, with his Western guitar stylings with traditional Iraqi music which made him a popular performer in his native country and throughout the Middle East.[24][25]
Influence of Arabic music
The majority of
The Arabic
A number of medieval conical bore instruments were likely introduced or popularized by Arab musicians,[34] including the xelami (from zulami).[35]
Some scholars believe that the
The theory that the troubadour tradition was created by William after his experience of
Most scholars believe that Guido of Arezzo's Solfège musical notation system had its origins in a Latin hymn,[39] but others suggest that it may have had Arabic origins instead. It has been argued that the Solfège syllables (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti) may have been derived from the syllables of an Arabic solmization system Durr-i-Mufassal ("Separated Pearls") (dal, ra, mim, fa, sad, lam). This was first proposed by Meninski in his Thesaurus Linguarum Orientalum (1680). However, there is no documentary evidence for this theory, and no Arabic musical manuscripts using sequences from the Arabic alphabet are known to exist.[40] Henry George Farmer believes that there is no firm evidence on the origins of the notation, and therefore the Arabian origin theory and the hymnal origin theories are equally credible.[41]
Improvisational music in the Arab world
Ethnomusicologist Ali Jihad Racy talks about the improvisation style of music that is present in much of the Arab world.[42] Racy discusses the regional attitudes towards improvisation music in the Middle East describing that improvisation can suggest casual or untrained or even non-professional music-making.[42] This is held only by certain communities within the Arabic world and can differ from each region or community.[42][43] Some regions look at improvisation music as the intuitive artistic ability that momentarily expresses the feeling of the player.[42][43] Other groups tend to view improvisation as though it is the fulfillment of music transcending the classical maqam style or other styles of music playing.[42][43] Other schools of thought on improvisation music, in the Arab world, believe that improvisation music shows a lack of understanding in musical training.[42] Racy does not specify which groups have what views. Rather, the discussion is more focused on the idea that the Arabic music world is not monolithic in its view on improvisation in music. Other groups view improvisation as only learned through trial and error taking many years to perfect thus being a style played professionals.[42]
Taqsim
A respectable tradition in improvisation music is known as Taqsim.[44][42] Taqsim music uses a maqam and improvises the form or structure of the song, which creates a cathartic experience for the listener.[42] Further, the improvisation aspects go beyond the form and are expressed in the quartertones of the song.[42] This tradition historically was performed as a chant. Now it is used by performers on the oud/ud, violin, or nay, a type of flute.[42] This style of improvisation is known for the effects it can conjure from a listener.[42] Listeners have been known to laugh, cry, and shout, all from different parts of the same performance due to the improvisation music aligning exactly to draw extreme emotion from someone.[42]
Improvisation in Chant
- A certain type of Arabic chant is in the melismatic style and is both long and highly ornamented.[45] It has specific elements of free rhythm and improvisation as part of its structure. Syllabic chant is isochronic and is accompanied by an al-durbkkeh (a percussion instrument. drum.) while being relatively fast in its nature.[45] There is usually participation from the listeners who contribute through the clapping of hands to the rhythm.[45]
- Ethnomusicologist Jargy tells of another type of improvisation music in which he uses the name Median[45]. This music is a combination of the syllabic chant and the melismatic style. Median improvisation music uses more extreme improvisation methods and expands the boundaries of improvisation and is usually faster than syllabic chant.[45]
- The last improvisation style discussed by Jargy is the recitative style that is sung predominantly by women and is built on aural tradition.[45]
Genres
Franco-Arabic
Franco-Arabic music is a form of music which is similar to modern Arabic Pop. The genre was popularized by artists such as Dalida from Egypt, Sammy Clark from Lebanon and Aldo from Australia. Franco-Arabic music includes a variety of languages, including Arabic, Italian, French Arabic and English.[46]
Arabic R&B, reggae, and hip hop
A rise of Arabic
Political Reggae artists such as TootArd from the occupied Syrian
Starting in the 2010s, some artists such as Darine began to utilise fully R&B and reggae beats in their songs. This has been met with mixed reviews and mixed commercial performance.
Arabic electronica
Electronic dance music is another genre which came to prominence in Arabic music. Songs in this genre combine electronic musical instruments with traditional Middle Eastern instruments. Artists like Richii popularized this style with songs like "Ana Lubnaneyoun".
Arabic jazz
Another popular form of West meets East, Arabic jazz is also popular, with many songs using jazz instruments. Early jazz influences began with the use of the saxophone by musicians like Samir Suroor, in the "oriental" style. The use of the saxophone in that manner can be found in Abdel Halim Hafez's songs, as well as Kadim Al Sahir and Rida Al Abdallah today. The first mainstream jazz elements were incorporated into Arabic music by the Rahbani brothers. Fairuz's later work was almost exclusively made up of jazz songs, composed by her son Ziad Rahbani. Ziad Rahbani also pioneered today's oriental jazz movement, to which singers including Rima Khcheich, Salma El Mosfi, and (on occasion) Latifa adhere. We can also find a lot of jazz music in Mohamed Mounir's songs starting from his first album Alemony Eneeki in 1977, and he is considered to be the King of Arabic Jazz and Arabic Music generally.[citation needed] Another notable performer of this genre is the Palestinian singer Reem Kelani who blends jazz with Arabic music, both in her own compositions and in her arrangements of traditional songs.[47][48]
Arabic Jazz has met many new kinds of composition since the end of the 20th century:
- Modal forms with Rabih Abou Khalil
- Mixed electric sound experiences with Dhafer Youssef and Kamal Musallam
- New pop jazz styles with Titi Robin and Toufic Farroukh
- Other acoustic youth experiences with Amine & Hamza M'raihi and Jasser Haj Youssef
Arabic rock
There have been many
Arabic rock has been gaining attention in the Middle East since the early 2000s, with bands such as Tanjaret Daghet, JadaL, Kayan, Autostrad, El Morabba3, Akher Zapheer, The Wanton Bishops, Mashrou' Leila, Adonis and Meen, Cairokee, Massar Egbari, Sahara, Wyvern, Cartoon Killerz, Khalas, Chaos and Acrassicauda all gaining popularity.
Recently, there has been a new wave of bands emerging in the underground scene across the Arab world. These include Shaghaf, Khayal, Sada That, Code Masr and Hawas of Egypt and Ayloul of Lebanon.
Musical regions
The world of modern Arabic music has long been dominated by musical trends that have emerged from Cairo, Egypt. The city is generally considered one of the important cultural centers in the Arab world. Innovations in popular music via the influence of other regional styles have also abounded from Morocco to Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Beirut has become an important city where singers can fluently sing in various Arabic Dialects. Other regional styles that have enjoyed popular music status throughout the Arab world, including:
North Africa
- Al Jeel (Egypt)
- Shaabi Music (Egypt)
- Mawwal (Egypt)
- Semsemya (Egypt)
- Malouf (Libya)
- Malhoun (Algeria)
- Chaabi (Algeria)
- Chaabi (Morocco)
- Gnawa (Morocco and the southwest of Algeria)
- Haqibah
- Malhun (Morocco)
- Mezwed (Tunisia)
- Raï (Algeria)
- Sanaa (Algeria)
- Malouf (Algeria)
- Bedoui (Algeria)
Arabian Peninsula
- Adani
- Ardah
- Ardham
- Bandari Khaliji
- Dazah
- Fann at-Tanbura
- Fijiri
- Khabayti
- Khaliji
- Khuwizaani
- Liwa
- Mizmar
- M'alayah
- Rumba Khaliji
- Samri
- Sawt
- Shaabi Khaliji
- Yanbaawi
- Yowlah
- Zafah Khaliji
Sacred and Art music
Sacred music
Arabic
Art music
Secular
Characteristics of Arabic music
Much of Arabic music is characterized by an emphasis on
Habib Hassan Touma submits that there are five components that characterize Arabic music:[52]
- The Arab tone system; that is, a musical tuning system that relies on specific interval structures and was invented by al-Farabi in the 10th century[7]
- Rhythmic-temporal structures that produce a rich variety of awzanor "weight", that are used to accompany metered vocal and instrumental genres, to accent or give them form.
- A number of tone system, are played with generally standardized performance techniques, and display similar details in construction and design.
- Specific social contexts that produce sub-categories of Arabic music, or musical genres that can be broadly classified as urban (music of the city inhabitants), rural (music of the country inhabitants), or Bedouin (music of the desert inhabitants)..."
- An Arab musical mentality, "responsible for the esthetic homogeneity of the tonal-spatial and rhythmic-temporal structures throughout the Arab world whether sacred."
Maqam system
The basis of Arabic music is the maqam (pl. maqamat), which looks like the mode, but is not quite the same.[clarification needed] The tonic note, dominant note, and ending note (unless modulation occurs) are generally determined by the maqam used. Arabic maqam theory as described in literature over the ages names between 90 and 110 maqams, that are grouped into larger categories known as fasilah. Fasilah are groupings of maqams whose first four primary pitches are shared in common.[53]
Ajnas
The maqam consists of at least two ajnas, or scale segments. Ajnas is the plural form of jins, which in Arabic comes from the Latin word genus, meaning "type". In practice, a jins is either a trichord (three notes), a tetrachord (four notes), or a pentachord (five notes). A maqam usually covers only one octave (usually two ajnas), but can cover more. Like the melodic minor scale, some maqamat use different ajnas when descending and ascending. Due to continuous innovation and the emergence of new ajnas, and because most music scholars have not reached consensus on the subject, a solid figure for the total number of ajnas in use is uncertain. In practice, however, most musicians would agree there are at least eight major ajnas: rast, bayat, sikah, hijaz, saba, kurd, nahawand, and ajam, and commonly used variants such as nakriz, athar kurd, sikah beladi, saba zamzama. For example, Mukhalif is a rare jins (in the Sikah) family used almost exclusively in Iraq, and it is not used in combination with other ajnas.[54]
Microtones in Arabic music
Unlike the tradition of Western music, Arabic music contains
Additionally, in 1932, at the Cairo Congress of Arab Music held in Cairo, Egypt—and attended by such Western luminaries as Béla Bartók and Henry George Farmer—experiments were done that determined conclusively that the notes in actual use differ substantially from an even-tempered 24-tone scale. Furthermore, the intonation of many of those notes differ slightly from region to region (Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Iraq).
Regional scales
As a result of these findings, the following recommendation was issued: "The tempered scale and the natural scale should be rejected. In Egypt, the Egyptian scale is to be kept with the values, which were measured with all possible precision. The Turkish, Syrian, and Iraqi scales should remain what they are...."[55] Both in modern practice, and evident in recorded music over the course of the last century, several differently-tuned Es in between the E-flat and E-natural of the Western Chromatic scale are used, that vary according to the types of maqams and ajnas used, and the region in which they are used.
Practical treatment
Musicians and teachers refer to these in-between notes as
Vocal traditions
Arab classical music is known for its famed virtuoso singers, who sing long, elaborately ornamented, melismatic tunes, coloraturas unheard in any other musical genres and are known for driving audiences into ecstasy. Its traditions come from pre-Islamic times, when female singing slaves entertained the wealthy, inspired warriors on the battlefield with their rajaz poetry, and performed at weddings. A vast number of female Arab vocalists are mezzo-sopranos who cultivate darker and richer tones than generic Soprano voices.
Instruments and ensembles
The prototypical Arabic music ensemble in Egypt and Syria is known as the
The singers have remained the stars, however, especially after the development of the recording and film industry in the 1920s in
.Research and documentation of Arabic music
Even though musical traditions in the Arab world have been handed down orally, Arab scholars
Research on Arabic music is a focus of departments of ethnomusicology at universities worldwide, and the global interest in World music has led to a growing number of studies and re-issues of historic recordings by independent researchers or private companies.[57]
Making use of digital archives for texts, pictures and sounds, detailed information on the history of Arabic music is also made accessible over the Internet. The Lebanese foundation AMMAR, for example, is committed to the preservation and dissemination of traditional Arab music and has published a host of historical documents.[58]
See also
- Arabic poetry
- Byzantine music
- Durood
- Hamd
- Islamic music
- Islamic poetry
- Mawlid
- Mehfil
- Middle Eastern music
- Music of Africa
- Music of Asia
- Music of Southeastern Europe
- Na'at
- Nasheed
- North African music
- Pizmonim
- Sufi music
- Sufi poetry
- Sufism
- History of Sufism
- Arabic Oud House
- Arabic pop music
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- ^ Lydia Canaan Receiving Lebanese International Success Award
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Further reading
- Lodge, David and Bill Badley. "Partner of Poetry". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp 323–331. Rough Guides Ltd., Penguin Books. ISBN
- Shehadi, Fadlou (1995). Philosophies of Music in Medieval Islam. Leiden: ISBN 978-90-04-24721-5.
- Shiloah, Amnon. Music in the World of Islam. A Socio-Cultural Study 2001. ISBN
- Julián Ribera y Tarragó. La música árabe y su influencia en la española (1985). (in Spanish)
- Fernández Manzano, Reynaldo. De las melodías del reino nazarí de Granada a las estructuras musicales cristianas. La transformación de las tradiciones Hispano-árabes en la península Ibérica. 1984. ISBN 8450511895
- Fernández Manzano, Reynaldo y Santiago Simón, Emilio de (Coordinación y supervisión ed.). Música y Poesía del Sur de al-Andalus. 1995. ISBN 8477823359
- Fernández Manzano, Reynaldo.: La música de al-Andalus en la cultura medieval, imágenes en el tiempo, Granada, Universidad e Granada, 2012. ISBN 9788490280935