jdowning
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A Tale and a Question
In 1963/4 I lived and worked for a short time in Cairo. One evening, I decided to go into Cairo for a break from work and picked up a taxi at the
local train station. As I entered the cab the radio was switched on and I very briefly heard a beautiful performance of a song that seemed to me at
the time as coming from 16th C Renaissance Europe - except that it was being sung in Arabic (?). I asked the taxi driver about the music and he
responded by saying that it was just 'old classical stuff' (or words to that effect) and immediately switched the radio off! Perhaps he thought that I
was complaining about the radio being on but I have always wondered since then if I had just imagined this perceived connection between the sounds
that I heard on the cab radio that evening and the more familiar (to me) songs of the European Renaissance.
Recently I came across a research paper (in English) by Habeeb Salloum " The Arab Muwashsha and Zajal Poetry and their influence on European Music and
Song" where the author speculates that the kharjas of the muwashshahat (very similar to zajal), may have given rise to the villancico song in Spain.
He also recounts recently watching live performances on Moroccan television of these two poetic art forms.
Is this what I may have heard over four decades ago in Cairo? Are there any good audio examples that others can recommend that I can download in order
to judge for myself? Thanks for your interest.
John
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pauldata
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Fascinating; love to learn more about this myself...
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ALAMI
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Interesting investigation: what was the tune you heard in Cairo back in 1964 ?
Zajal as I know it in the Middle East is a form of improvised poetry, usually a duel between two poets-singers, it has a kind of mawal tune, it is
very common and still well alive in the lebanese mountain where Zajal takes place during a big banquet of Mezze and araq.
I am not familiar with the Moroccan form of Zajal but if you can post a sample of the 16th century music who sounds like what you're looking for, it
may be very helpful
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dandana
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Hi Jdowning;
Have you ever listened to Said Chraibi's orchestral andalusian works? I'm not talking about the classical 2mowashahat" but his own compositions. Give
them a try, you could find what you're looking for somewhere between the lines!
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jdowning
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Thank you all for your response and comments. Unfortunately I am very much 'groping in the dark' at this point as after 40 years I cannot even
remember if it was a duet being sung (if it was, it didn't sound like a duel between singers) and I have no knowledge at all about classical Arabic
song formats. I would, perhaps, need to listen to a number of sample audio clips of classical Arabic song performances (not necessarily zajal or
muwashsha as these may not be what I am looking for) in order to form a judgment. So any suggestions and links to sites where sound file samples might
be available would be welcome as I really don't know where to start looking.
I am very interested in the connection between early Arabic culture and the important influence it surely must have had in the development of art
(particularly music, song and dance) and sciences of Western Europe so am always looking for any evidence that might support my convictions. For
example, I was born and raised in a small village in Britain where - before the days of TV - an ancient tradition of Morris (i.e. Moorish) dancing was
(and still is) a popular form of entertainment on special occasions. Local men dressed in white with bells tied around their knees, ribbons in their
hats etc. dance in formation. The dancers take their task very seriously - carrying on the same tradition from year to year - although likely unaware
that the dance probably originated in Moorish Al Andalus or North Africa and was brought to Britain some time during the 'Middle Ages'.
I have a nice recording on CD of the early Spanish vihuela song repertoire by Shirley Rumsey (Naxos 8.550614) but cannot post clips of this for
obvious reasons. (maybe there are sample clips available from the Naxos site - I haven't checked). There are likely alternative examples of the
Spanish repertoire by other artists.
So, all a bit vague and not very helpful on my part. All suggestions and comments gratefully received!
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Brian Prunka
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I'm sure this isn't what you heard, but it sounds like it might be close to what you're looking for: the singer Hayet Ayad has recorded some medieval
spanish/andalusian/sephardic music. She has a beautiful voice. The recording I have is 'from the deserts of the east to the gardens of spain' or
something to that effect (original title is 'Du desert d'orient aux jardins d'Espagne'). She has another recording where she does medieval cantigas
and andalusian nawba. Hard to find in the US, though.
-Brian
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jdowning
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I have just checked out the Naxos site and they allow free listening to all audio tracks but only 25% of each track (after registration). Tantalising
but good marketing strategy for selling records!!
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jdowning
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Samples from "Du desert d'orient ....." by Hayet Ayad can be heard on her website http://www.hayet-ayad.com. Nice voice. Could not find any Said Chraibi clips though.
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dandana
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A friend of mine has some works of Chraibi; I'll see if I can get you some examples.
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jdowning
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Thanks dandana - I have since listened to some clips of Chriabi but these have all been oud not song performances.
I suspect that what I may have heard that impressed me over four decades ago may have been classical Egyptian song (?). There are lots of examples on
line - but where to begin?! From what little I have heard so far I like the sound much of it - even though the poetry or 'lyrics' are lost on me (as
one who cannot speak Arabic). It looks as though I have an interesting learning project ahead of me!
John
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dandana
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Hello John;
I don't think that what I'm going to tell is what you're looking for, but it's a little bit related to the kind of music we're talking about.
1/I'm thinking about one instrumental piece of music of Craibi's I heared once ( I think it was Souk de Fès = Market place of Fas, within a CD called
Holm bi Fès = a dream in Fas, alSur productions).
2/another one is Mahmud Turkmani's CD, Zakira (Memory). Excellent. This one is sung and not purely instrumntal. It's a transitional musical mixture:
personally I see many genres within. It's not easily categorized! Here a citation about it:
The basis for Turkmani's compositions is the muwashah, a form of love poetry in a musical setting which is very popular in classical Arabic music. In
the traditional muwashah the singing voice is accompanied by Arab instruments like the oud, the qanûn (a boxed zither), the stringed kamantche, the
ney flute and diverse drums (riqq, mazhar, darabukka). Turkmani has slightly extended the instrumentation using a second oud, cello and double bass.
In the rhythmic and melodic field he relies on the Arab tradition. Says the composer: "You hear something you have always heard, but now you hear it
as if it was for the first time. I try to make good use of the infinite liberties of homophony and heterophony. While keeping the melody (the main
line) in its original form, I add a second, third, fourth line and so on. These new lines are like the shades of the main line." The result is
something that never existed before: Arab traditions transformed into a totally new musical language. Turkmani has discovered a world of sounds
previously hidden behind the strength of a traditional heritage.
Hope being helpful 
dandana
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ALAMI
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Hi John,
Just thought that this article on
ANDALUSIAN MUSIC AND THE CANTIGAS DE SANTA MARIA
may be somehow related to the subject you were investigating
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jdowning
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Thanks for the information ALAMI - I shall add the article to my growing files about the influence the musical culture of 'Moorish Spain' very likely
may have had on the development of Western music during the 'Middle Ages' - the trouvere tradition of Southern France etc. Fascinating stuff - but
difficult to research after about a millenium - so lots of interesting speculation involved.
Trusting that the unusually excessive heat and humidity in your part of the world is abating and that your ouds are 'singing' again.
John
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Koya
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Cantigas of Yava
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&am...
 
Koya
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kwamethomas
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John,
I think everyone's steering you right with the al-Andalus direction. I was really struck with the 13th-14th century sound of Arabo Andalusian Nuba
(also spelled Nouba). You can find some on ITunes, under Mohamed el Arabi Serghini. The lack of quarter tones, and the similar rhythmic modes reallly
make it sound like medieval European music to Western ears. Where's the leather mugs and turkey leg?
Tom
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