Thread: Music cues: cabaret vs folkloric vs tribal

What cues in the music make you say "That's great music for ____!"?

I mean beyond language. Do you find music that you would perform 2 or even all three to if the mood struck you?

Orchestras and accordions always make me think of cabaret, and clarinet usually makes me think folkloric or tribal. Not sure why.

(Asking b/c I just heard this on hipdrop.com and thought it'd be good for any.
Various - El dabka [6:47] - Crazy Songs)

really screechy nay and mizmar say folkloric to me (no brainer there).

Tribal--I have no freakin' clue.

Big orchestral pieces with really dramatic, romantic violin, accordian, quanoon--that says orientale/cabaret/sparkle dancing to me.

I'd say anything with a gritty, industrial sound says tribal fusion to me.

And I'd say that modern Middle Eastern pop music calls for more or less cabaret style dance, even though it's not traditional music. I guess that's what I've done and seen other dancers do with pop music. I don't know. Could you do tribal style dance to a Haifa or Nancy Ajram song? Maybe folkloric. Come to think of it, I have seen a Meleya Leff group dance to a Haifa song.

When I hear ME pop music I think of our summer haflas (eat and be marry party). Que the Will Smith song "summertime" song to know what I'm talking about.

Definitely big orchestra pieces for Raks sharqi!!! Pop songs for party dancing. Accordion for balady, mizmar for saidi, violin, oud and nay for taxims of course tabla for drum solos!!!!

Tribal is not my cup fo tea!!!

Given that tribal is such a huge area, it's hard to say "This music is for tribal". (I am not into any of the more alternative music choices myself.)

Anyways, my personal take is that cheerful folk music in an medium 4/4 (or 2/4 or 8/4) is more suitable for tribal - it's just hard to improv in a group to music that has a lot of changes (especially in speed or stops) a lot of emotion that seems to tear up the dancer - this requires so much individuality to do it justice that it's not so suitable. I find folk songs with accents that one can catch with a group perfect. The Sultans or the CD Fire Dance (Hagopian and Tekbilek) are super - Istemem Babacim is the my favorite song right now - and I rather like Raks Layla. I know that is in contradiction to all prejudice - but I don't think that very even music is good for tribal, it is way too boring, and I need something in the music that I can dance to - it's so fun to signal changes that are also changes in the music. And, vintage music - George Adbo and such is not half bad for tribal, either. (Needless to say, those who pick George Abdo also will pick costuming that goes with the music.)

I am not too much into Arabic pop - but why wouldn't I be able to dance tribal to it? Fat Chance dances a lot Khaled, as long as it's good, modern music with the right feel - hey, why not?

Dancing ATS to Om Kalthum - that sounds just wrong.

Clarinet doesn't make me think "tribal", but new agey/heavy percussion does. I agree that orchestras and accordions are very "Egyptian cabaret", but the clarinet .... oooohhh I l-o-v-e the clarinet .... I'll dance to any time I can, but especially if it's slow sultry.