Arabic music (not elsewhere classified)

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Shadia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etx7_4AL-kI

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 1 January 2010 03:57 (fourteen years ago) link

I think that's a really good song, it's not so much about her own contribution. I guess I will have to pick up the 2 CD best of that came out a couple years back.

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 1 January 2010 04:05 (fourteen years ago) link

Just bought my first Sublime Frequencies disc, Choubi Choubi! Folk & Pop Sounds from Iraq. Seems very good. This label seems a little dodgy to me, tho? (according to PopMatters, the label "sometimes . . . just go(es) to Asian countries and tape(s) great songs off the radio")

Daniel, Esq., Friday, 1 January 2010 04:13 (fourteen years ago) link

Yeah, I don't know. I do think that in some cases the whole idea of copyright is fairly loose in the Middle East. Trying to track down the real copyright holders for Iraqi songs from twnety or thirty or more years ago probably isn't all that easy, though a couple people on that compilation do have actual releases available through importers. They seem to be smart enough to stay away from most big name artists with major label backing. Anyway, I wouldn't not buy Sublime Frequencies CDs.

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 1 January 2010 04:20 (fourteen years ago) link

Oh, yeah. I bought a total of four Sublime Frequencies discs at the Smithsonian today: Choubi Choubi!; Bollywood Steel Guitar; Thai Pop Spectacular (1960 -- 1980s); and Siamese Soul: Thai Pop Spectacular Vol. 2 (1960 -- 1980s).

Daniel, Esq., Friday, 1 January 2010 04:23 (fourteen years ago) link

This singer, Salah AbdulGhafour, is my favorite on that compilation (probably my favorite Iraqi singer though I don't know that much about Iraqi music):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umBIxTKOr-g

This is a bit less wild than most of the stuff on that CD though.

I think this is him again with dancing girls:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51rEdNfIm4g

(Roots of reggaeton. . .)

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 1 January 2010 04:26 (fourteen years ago) link

And this is my favorite song of his (actually just a cover of a standard):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgVLw8iEhec

(I had lost track of this, or it had disappeared, but here it is again.)

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 1 January 2010 04:33 (fourteen years ago) link

Yow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9Yya-4bWUk

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 1 January 2010 04:40 (fourteen years ago) link

O_O. Diggin' the music, too. The visuals help, tho.

Daniel, Esq., Friday, 1 January 2010 04:47 (fourteen years ago) link

one month passes...

I am listening to an album, Rhythms (generic name, unpromising cover) by Ahmed el Hifnawi, Oum Kalthoum lead violinist (or however you would describe it), the one who took the solos and kept the violin section in order, etc. This is the last of three of his CDs I just picked up. (A fourth that I ordered was apparently unavailable.) In addition the more conventional instrumentation on the first two CDs, this one has that great electric keyboard you hear in a lot of Egyptian recordings from the late 60s through the 70s. In fact, I'm surprised by how much the keyboard is featured here--happily surprised, not because I don't like el Hifnawi, but because I'm always asking: why didn't they record more instrumental jams with those electric keyboards? One downside is that these are studio recordings and the approach is more "serious" and cautious, so the keyboards aren't played with the abandon one hears on live recordings, but just in terms of timbre, it's pretty great. And funny how nothing about the title would clue one in to the fact that this is keyboard heavy; if anything I might have expected more emphasis on percussion, obviously. Alas, no credits in English on this thing, and very little in the way of liner notes even in Arabic.

This collection of el Hifnawi reissues appeared a couple years back. I don't think I've ever seen any solo el Hifnawi on CD since I've been looking for such things. You can peruse them at http://www.rashid.com/enter.asp

_Rudipherous_, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 01:46 (fourteen years ago) link

I should probably research the upcoming Sunday February 28 Masters of Persian Music with Kayhan Kalhor on kamancheh and Hossein Alizadeh on tar and young vocalist Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh, leading disciple of the renowned Mohammad Reza Shajarian, show at the Kennedy Center

curmudgeon, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 06:19 (fourteen years ago) link

Whatever you think is best.

Just a quick note about that Rhythms CD, since I put so much emphasis on the electric keyboard. Before y'all run out and buy it, I should let you know it's only on the first track. (It's still a good album.)

_Rudipherous_, Thursday, 25 February 2010 23:30 (fourteen years ago) link

As far as Persian musicians go, at the moment I'm most interested in hearing Hossein Alizadeh.

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 26 February 2010 11:15 (fourteen years ago) link

But I think I'm more interested in his more "experimental" work, like his electrified instrument: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/halizadeh2 or his fusions with western classical: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/halizadeh, just because I don't totally relate to Persian classical music. In fact, I've decided my strategy w/r/t to Iranian and Turkish music should be to go for the impure material (whether westernized or experimental).

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 26 February 2010 11:53 (fourteen years ago) link

The very interesting Iranian label Hermes Records also carries dozens of CDs on which Alizadeh appears in some capacity or other:

http://www.hermesrecords.com/catalo.htm

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 26 February 2010 12:03 (fourteen years ago) link

Also that work I said is electrified is not. Not sure where I got that idea.

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 26 February 2010 14:23 (fourteen years ago) link

Hossein Alizadeh is interesting. Watched a Youtube. The Masters of Persian Music tour that he is on, I see includes more than just DC on Sunday. I saw references to Boston and elsewhere online. I think I might have to miss it now though.

curmudgeon, Friday, 26 February 2010 16:05 (fourteen years ago) link

RFI: music like tanger music?

bamcquern, Wednesday, 3 March 2010 01:12 (fourteen years ago) link

Can't help there.

Of the three Al Hifnawi CDs I bought, so far I like this best:

http://www.allegro-music.com/sku_images/HMC31387.JPG

The Grand Melodies of Om Kalsoum. He's performing here with her orchestra (of which he was a member, of course), but it sounds to me like a slightly more stripped down version of it than you hear in a lot of her mid-to-late-career recordings, which is a good thing in my book. For one thing, there seems to be a bit more heterophonic stuff going on, at least on some cuts. This collection focuses on songs from the late 30s and 40s (also I good thing, imo). Anyway, I think this is an excellent instrumental introduction to the old classical/popular Egyptian music. It might just work as a way to ease people into approaching Oum Kalthoum's vocals somewhere down the line. If it isn't obvious, Al Hifnawi's violin takes the place (to the extent that's possible, etc. etc.) of Oum Kalthoum's voice here.

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 5 March 2010 01:52 (fourteen years ago) link

it sounds to me like a slightly more stripped down version of it

Could just be the arrangements and not actually a change in the size of the orchestra. Plus, given the quieter dynamics of Al Hifnawi's violin playing, it can't really let itself get as loud as it would in accompanying Oum Kalthoum's amplified voice.

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 5 March 2010 01:59 (fourteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkf5czm7k8I

_Rudipherous_, Saturday, 20 March 2010 05:31 (fourteen years ago) link

three weeks pass...

This very odd cover makes me want this, though I'm pretty sure I don't like Haifa Wehbe: http://www.melody4arab.com/music/lebnan/hifia_wahby/haifa_baby_____________________/q8lots12698933421.jpg

_Rudipherous_, Friday, 16 April 2010 09:22 (fourteen years ago) link

three weeks pass...

Ghazal is doing a 6 city tour of North America with Afghan pop singer Jonibek. They'll be at the Sheraton in Tyson's Corner Virginia out side DC Friday May 21 and in a Marriot in Melville, NY (Long Island) Sat. May 22

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3ye_Jp4iDs

curmudgeon, Thursday, 20 May 2010 03:58 (thirteen years ago) link

Not being facetious, but this might better go on an Indian or Persian music thread. Afghan music is more closely related to those. Of course I haven't looked at these particular artists so maybe there is some connection I'm missing.

_Rudipherous_, Thursday, 20 May 2010 04:24 (thirteen years ago) link

Oh, that song sounds pretty good, and she's really cute as well.

_Rudipherous_, Thursday, 20 May 2010 04:25 (thirteen years ago) link

I wasn't sure where to put it-- I think I mentioned the show on the global whirled thread but then decided it might be better elsewhere. There's no Afghan thread and I do not know enough about that music to say whether it is more like Persian or Indian than Arabic.

curmudgeon, Thursday, 20 May 2010 13:00 (thirteen years ago) link

two months pass...

This is great! I have this on cassette!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt4fO5NYfck

Milhem Baraket. Did I already post a version of this song, I can't remember?

_Rudipherous_, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 03:10 (thirteen years ago) link

More earlyish George Wassouf:

http://www.youtube.com/user/rmi3000#p/u/290/Lh2Aj4R_pDo

_Rudipherous_, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 03:28 (thirteen years ago) link

No pretty sure that's the first time I've found and linked to that Melhem Baraket song.

_Rudipherous_, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 03:50 (thirteen years ago) link

The way the song unfolds and builds is just impeccable. I like the way the lines get repeated and there is a different melody for each line (is there?), which incidentally may mean that this is following a relatively classical sort of approach to song structure. If I remember my Ali Jihad Racy.

I'm pretty sure he writes most of his own material, incidentally.

_Rudipherous_, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 03:57 (thirteen years ago) link

Not that it's considered polite to mention such things on ILM.

_Rudipherous_, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 03:58 (thirteen years ago) link

Listening again: these rhythms feel soooooo comfortable to me and they have from the beginning as far as I can remember. I may not actually dance to this, but I definitely dance inside, and it's hard not imagine some sort of movement, though I don't think I'm quite up to doing what the music asks for. Too bad the audio is even worse than what I have on cassette.

_Rudipherous_, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 04:01 (thirteen years ago) link

Love the seemingly compulsive ornamentation on the keyboard parts too.

_Rudipherous_, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 04:03 (thirteen years ago) link

You guys have no ears!

_Rudipherous_, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:01 (thirteen years ago) link

I realize abuse is not actual helpful, but come on.

_Rudipherous_, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 13:02 (thirteen years ago) link

It's a shame the way the distinctive Arab sounding (monophonic? I think it's monophonic) chorus came to dominate so much of this music. I'd probably listen to far more Arabic music if it weren't for this chorus sound being all over the place. Right now I am checking out clips from some Sabah and Wadi el Safi CDs. I love the lead vocals. I like the material being sung. But the choirs are kind of annoying. It's not that I can't tolerate them, but I don't need to hear dozens or hundreds of albums with that same sound. And if it's so essential, why did Oum Kalthoum successfully do without it for most of her career?

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 1 August 2010 13:48 (thirteen years ago) link

If I were the Arabic Music Czar. . .

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 1 August 2010 13:54 (thirteen years ago) link

Way to ruin a lot of great music, guys!

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 1 August 2010 13:57 (thirteen years ago) link

This is the sound that has pretty much dominated Arabic popular music since, at least in Egypt (but Egypt tends to export the most music to the rest of the Arab world). I'm pretty sure this track is from the original "new sound" album. This is the sound that initially drew me to Arabic music, really, although I pretty immediately liked some other things once exposed to them (not Oum Kalthoum though).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FUb4PomhOI

I find rmi3000's channel fascinating because it covers the early history of "new sound" which is where my personal history with Arabic music begins (give or taking a very small amount of dabbling before that).

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 1 August 2010 15:52 (thirteen years ago) link

Just kinda lazily wrapping up loose ends here, I think.

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 1 August 2010 15:52 (thirteen years ago) link

One of my personal nicknames for this music at the time I was listening to a ton of it was "clap clap music."

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 1 August 2010 15:54 (thirteen years ago) link

Well then, here's Milhem Baraket performing what I'm pretty sure is just a song everybody covers, but I'm not sure exactly how old it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvFuNdTGki8

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 1 August 2010 16:27 (thirteen years ago) link

a song everybody covers

Every Lebanese male singer anyway.

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 1 August 2010 16:40 (thirteen years ago) link

I mentioned Nour Mehanna upthread, but I never linked to any yootoobs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91XirXm2t3o

Pretty amazing vocalist. (Syrian.)

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 1 August 2010 17:21 (thirteen years ago) link

Also does stuff like this, and various others points in between a more classical/traditionalist approach and pop:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3Q_113ENN0

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 1 August 2010 17:25 (thirteen years ago) link

Lebanon 80's Top 100 Arabic Hits:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0SxMRLcdjc

I recognize #39 (in fact, I wish I knew who it was), so it was still kicking around on mixes in the first half of the 90s.

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 1 August 2010 19:58 (thirteen years ago) link

I love it when Rudipherous talks to itself.

bamcquern, Sunday, 1 August 2010 20:40 (thirteen years ago) link

It's sad that no one else here (including me) knows anything about this music to converse with him. I wish more folks familiar with Arabic music who could converse in English knew about this board.

curmudgeon, Monday, 2 August 2010 01:53 (thirteen years ago) link


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