by Jake Abdu
Music is a universe in which, no matter where in the world, our ears and hearts become one. Notes and rhythmic lines become feelings that one cannot fathom to express in words. Cultural music is a large portion of how certain melodies or chord progressions relate to feelings. In Arabic music specifically, it is the cherishment of the history of music, the theory behind the music, and its impact on the youth that associates what our ears hear with what our hearts feel.
The respect that is held for music of the past is beyond conceivable. Um Kalthum, one of the most respected artists of the Arab world, is still looked up to and her style is still taught in fine arts schools from Paris and London to Egypt and Lebanon. Many of these artists’ songs are still rejuvenated by current artists in the form of ‘mawal’, or free form poetry. We, as foreigners to Arabic Music in the same respect, look up to Mozart or even the more current the band, Queen. In Arabic culture, art is a part of everyday life. To the average person it is normal, but to the theorists it is a brave new world.
Europe and the Americas provide music full of major chords and symmetrically divided beats and rhythms, as opposed to Eastern music, which gives diversity. Arabic music composes itself of minor and major chords with strange, almost tribal-like rhythms. It all comes as a part of a musical revolution in the early 60’s that tried to recreate that traditional Arabic feel with a western influence. This caught along very well with the youth and has expanded the horizons of the music world, but it may have changed Arabic music forever.
With the Arab spring arising and the youth of these different countries revolting there is one thing they all have in common; music. Music has played a huge role in political issues of the Middle East since the 1920’s, when another popular artist, Sayed Darwish, started writing music to gather up the people against the British rule. Songs like “Biladi Biladi” (My Country, My Country) and “Tout Tout” (Train) by Darwish made people gather together and identify as the Egyptian people as a whole rather than sections of minorities among the British law. That now is the center of today’s uprisings in Egypt and the new music that influences our youth in our society. One of the biggest figures in this movement is artist, Hamza Namira. Namira is an Egyptian-born artist that has brought new music styles to inspire the youth to dream and be themselves no matter what they are told. It is a story of inspiration and self-confidence that music has brought to this country in particular.
You can listen to Hamza Namira’s “Wa Ollak Eh”(And What I Say) here
You can view similar posts here
Music is a universe in which, no matter where in the world, our ears and hearts become one. Notes and rhythmic lines become feelings that one cannot fathom to express in words. Cultural music is a large portion of how certain melodies or chord progressions relate to feelings. In Arabic music specifically, it is the cherishment of the history of music, the theory behind the music, and its impact on the youth that associates what our ears hear with what our hearts feel.
The respect that is held for music of the past is beyond conceivable. Um Kalthum, one of the most respected artists of the Arab world, is still looked up to and her style is still taught in fine arts schools from Paris and London to Egypt and Lebanon. Many of these artists’ songs are still rejuvenated by current artists in the form of ‘mawal’, or free form poetry. We, as foreigners to Arabic Music in the same respect, look up to Mozart or even the more current the band, Queen. In Arabic culture, art is a part of everyday life. To the average person it is normal, but to the theorists it is a brave new world.Europe and the Americas provide music full of major chords and symmetrically divided beats and rhythms, as opposed to Eastern music, which gives diversity. Arabic music composes itself of minor and major chords with strange, almost tribal-like rhythms. It all comes as a part of a musical revolution in the early 60’s that tried to recreate that traditional Arabic feel with a western influence. This caught along very well with the youth and has expanded the horizons of the music world, but it may have changed Arabic music forever.
With the Arab spring arising and the youth of these different countries revolting there is one thing they all have in common; music. Music has played a huge role in political issues of the Middle East since the 1920’s, when another popular artist, Sayed Darwish, started writing music to gather up the people against the British rule. Songs like “Biladi Biladi” (My Country, My Country) and “Tout Tout” (Train) by Darwish made people gather together and identify as the Egyptian people as a whole rather than sections of minorities among the British law. That now is the center of today’s uprisings in Egypt and the new music that influences our youth in our society. One of the biggest figures in this movement is artist, Hamza Namira. Namira is an Egyptian-born artist that has brought new music styles to inspire the youth to dream and be themselves no matter what they are told. It is a story of inspiration and self-confidence that music has brought to this country in particular.You can listen to Hamza Namira’s “Wa Ollak Eh”(And What I Say) here
You can view similar posts here
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