I wanted to ask the forum members about this old Muwashah
in Rast we've been learning in our class in Hebrew but it
must be based on an Arabic song, even though, for the life of me,
I cannot find the original anywhere.
All we could find was this song by Um Kalthum which has
the same repeated instrumental interlude, but that's where
the similarities end.
Here's the only recording of this Muwashah I could find by
Tif'eret Hamizrach.
Any help would be appreciated!John Erlich - 5-15-2012 at 11:02 AM
Hi Nate,
I don't know where you live and what info you have access to, but I often find the names of the original Arabic songs for Hebrew "pizmonim" in song
books like the one I've posted below. If the song was written recently (as I would guess in the case of the Tiferet HaMizrah piece), you would need
to find a book recently published.
If you like this kind of song (they make up my main repertoire), you should consider investing in some of these books. The better ones typically list
the name of the Arabic source melody.
Good luck,
"Udi" John
Oudism - 5-15-2012 at 12:25 PM
It is a song in the form of a Muwashah written by Ahmad Rami and composed by Riad al sombati in 1946Oudism - 5-15-2012 at 02:00 PM
written by Ahmad Shawqi sorry not Ahmad Rami
It is a song praising the Prophet Mohammad and Islam as a religion. Rambaldi47 - 5-15-2012 at 02:13 PM
Thank you, John! I'll definitely look into investing in this book and others like it.
Thanks to you, Oudism, as well. Could you please write the title of the song in Arabic?
Do you know whether there are recordings of it online?Oudism - 5-15-2012 at 02:26 PM
Thanks again, Oudism, but you've linked to the same song I've linked to in my original post.
While this song starts the same, the melody throughout is different, following
a similar progression as that of Mala Al Kassat of Rast-Saba-Rast, which makes me
think that it is perhaps a much older Muwashah composed around the same time. John Erlich - 5-16-2012 at 10:03 AM
written by Ahmad Shawqi sorry not Ahmad Rami
It is a song praising the Prophet Mohammad and Islam as a religion.
I checked, but I couldn't find the song "Y-h Ribon Ha'Olam" in any of my sifrei pizmonim. It's probably too new. I do have the Tiferet HaMizrah
cassette with this song ("HaKol 'Ovdim Lekha"). I have attached a scan of the Hebrew lyrics. Note that the source melody is identified as, "Muwashah
Dini." Assuming that they mean the Arabic word "din" (= "religion"), not the Hebrew word (= "judgement" [a "judgemental" muwashah??!! ]), then Oudism's description seems to be about right. This is an interesting mystery,
indeed!
One thing: Apparently, the composer of the lyrics, Menachem Mustacchi, is listed in the White Pages as living in Brooklyn, NY, USA. Why not give him
a call?
Peace out,
"Udi" John
Rambaldi47 - 5-16-2012 at 10:49 AM
Many thanks, John! According to this PDF, this muwashah is called Ya Miryam,
composed by Sheikh Hamza Chakour and was performed by Al Kindi Ensemble & Munshiddin Choir of Aleppo
at a joint concert of Christians and Muslims in praise of the Virgin Mary.
I'll try contacting Mr. Mustacchi. I know that I've seen his credits in the Hebrew version
of Dawr Asl El-Gharam, Nisa Va-Ram (=lofty & esteemed), which was recorded by David Shiru. John Erlich - 5-16-2012 at 11:06 AM
Many thanks, John! According to this PDF, this muwashah is called Ya Miryam,
composed by Sheikh Hamza Chakour and was performed by Al Kindi Ensemble & Munshiddin Choir of Aleppo
at a joint concert of Christians and Muslims in praise of the Virgin Mary.
Ahhhhh...
If you are correct about the name of the song, then this would explain why Mustacchi, an Orthodox Jew, didn't--and would never--speak or write the
name of the song, because of the way Christians (but not Muslims) regard her, "Mother of G-d," since this doctrine is blasphemy from an Orthodox
Jewish point of view. From a traditional Jewish perspective, to utter (or write) her name would thus be to risk violating the commandment against
other G-ds (Exod. 20:3 / Deut. 5:7). Interesting!Rambaldi47 - 6-22-2012 at 02:48 PM
So I've managed to find an old recording on my brother's computer of the original.
(he's got a treasure trove there of tons of Classical Arabic Music.)
It's only named Muwashah Rast Ibrahim Alfa'an. I can't find any more details online.
Ibrahim Alfa'an doesn't seem to be the right spelling. In a different folder,
the singer is named Ibrahim Alfayuni. If someone here has any information
and perhaps a better recording of this muwashah, It'd mean the world to me.Rambaldi47 - 6-5-2018 at 12:43 PM
My apologies for reviving such an old thread.
I now believe that the performer in the old recording is indeed Sheikh Ibrahim al-Farran and his bitana.
This AMAR podcast from a couple of years ago about Tawshīḥ Mā shamamtu al-ward in Sikha mentions his performance
of the tawshīḥ, with the original recording at the end of it. The voices in both recordings clearly match from all aspects.
]), then Oudism's description seems to be about right. This is an interesting mystery,
indeed! 
