Thread: Leysh Nat'arak-appropriate to perform to?

Does anyone have a full english translation to this song? I know it has to do with the conflict between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East and have a feeling it might be a potentially heavy subject to dance to. Any thoughts?

Originally Posted by Tauremorna

Does anyone have a full english translation to this song? I know it has to do with the conflict between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East and have a feeling it might be a potentially heavy subject to dance to. Any thoughts?

I have no idea about the lyrics- but I stay as far away from anything political as I can- especially since I am American, and have no first-hand perspective on the situation, or the cultural and historical experiences behind it.

I would stay far away from that song. Try searching for it on youtube...maybe someone has posted something about the translation.

I second what Paula said, I wouldn't want to put myself into that situation.

Here ya go : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g6oz0KdNG8

Read the comments, there looks like a loose translation there.

I fell in love to this song as a baby dancer and was gutted when I realised that the very political subject matter made it a no-go for performance.

I did end up indulging and using it for class a few times tough, but never on stage.

shame you have to avoid a song because the lyrics are calling for peace based on common heritage, isn't it?

just very sad.

It is sad. I thought if someone was brave enough to dance to it as a social comment piece that would be cool, but I never felt it was my place to, well, comment.

I have seen this performed to at a hafla, the audience was almost exclusively western and had no idea what the song was about, so no drama there and I enjoyed it. I really do love it, rhythmically strong, stirring melody...

It's one of those ones where, if you are a Jew or an Arab, you could probably take the risk.

Exactly

Beautiful song with such a powerful message, but as a dance piece? No matter what our thoughts we are outsiders. The subject matter could (would?) offend Arab audience members, or they could assume that you don't know the meaning of the lyrics and you'd cause offence through perceived ignorance. Either way, I'd steer totally clear of it. I'd never, never, never use it over here even in a class situation, that's for sure!!!

I would stay entirely away from it for performing raqs sharqi, belly dance, middle eastern dance. in the middle east, this form of dance is regarded only as a celebration or something that is done for fun entertainment. It is NOT regarded as a dance form for making any kind of political or societal statement. All the middle easterners I know would be scratching their heads saying "What the f.....?" and would probably be annoyed or offended or at least wondering where the dancer got such a gawd-awful idea to dance to it in public. They (and I'm pretty sure this would involve Arabs, Jews, and others involved in any way with the current situation in the middle east) would consider that doing "belly dance" to that kind of song is trivializing their extremely serious concerns.

Leyla, that's a very valid point.

Leyla,

You are 100% right.

Thanks for the input from everyone. I'm still scratching my head over why Natacha Atlas has two versions of this song (TJ Rehmi remix and New Version) that could be danced to in a nightclub setting as well as a Dub version too.

hmmmm definitely a thread to think about - and i haven't even heard the song! my hmmm is about not being able to use belly dance to make a political statement...DANG. i was SO going there just as of this year, too! DANGIT.

i'd rather not have anyone think, as leyla said, "They (and I'm pretty sure this would involve Arabs, Jews, and others involved in any way with the current situation in the middle east) would consider that doing "belly dance" to that kind of song is trivializing their extremely serious concerns." -- that would be the polar opposite of what i would be trying to do by using belly dance as a means for political expression!
There's not much I won't do...but after reading this thread, I think we may have found it. Again, I say, DANGIT!


...
...not even fusion??? *batting eyelashes*

see...nope, i suck - i killed it, immediately after i typed that, i realized how out-of-sync I would find it if a pop star had a video that made some blatant political statement, but everything about the music, the dancing, and the video itself was just reeking of bubble-gum pop.

i know even that is not a correct comparison, but i got the image in my head of Brittney Spears performing a bubble gum pop hip-hop style dance to a song about battling AIDS or something. just not a go-there-able place...

i mean, hell, look what happened to the Dixie Chicks, and all they did was STATE an opinion in a sentence during a concert!

Making a policital statement about the situation in the middles east would probably be considered to be trivializing serious topics because oriental dance/raqs sharqi/belly dance is considered "trivial" in the sense of "only for entertainment and feel-good purposes" and that dancers are considered to be in almost the same category as prostitutes in the middle east. To a middle easterner, using belly dance to make a political statement about life/death struggles which happen to many in that area on a daily basis would be trivializing it or disrepecting it.