Thread: Sweet Sword Song?

...say that 3 times fast! LOL!

But seriously, does anyone have any recommendations for a good song for my first sword solo. I'm looking for something with some darkness and drama to it if you know what I mean. What's your favorite song to sword to?

Thanks!

Hi there sweetie! No suggestions for you, just wanted to say hi and I'm looking forward to the responses....I need a new sword song too!

It seems like a lot of people do sword dances to "Immortal Egypt" off the Immortal Egypt album by Phil Thornton/Hossam Ramzy. They have a whole series out - Eternal Egypt, Immortal Egypt, and Enchanted Egypt - that tend to be kind of slow and New Agey, but with some traditional rhytms and instruments.

I will be watching this thread, too, as I have been feeling like it's time to dust off my sword!

Some suggestions from a few months ago: http://www.bhuz.com/forum/music-trad...ggestions.html

I have a sweet sword song, but it's a homemade remix of a track off of Songs From the Victorious City and that exact version is unavailable commercially. However, the original song "Habebe" is pretty good for sword, too. AND it's available on itunes!

Wael Kfouri's "Aahat" from BDSS Vol II(?) is good, too - short, but good.

I have used Paul Dinletir "Ice Queen" before. Worked quite well with background dancers using veils :)

Oh, Ice Queen would be awesome! I'll have to check out some of the other suggestions.

I like dark, brooding pieces with hypnotic beats and wailing/moaning vocals for sword.

I've choreographed group sword pieces to:
Desert Dancer by Nicodema (on Rough Guide to Arabesque)
Solitude by Solace (on Ahsas)

Terrible video quality, but you can hear Solitude here:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P-gQLx4--0]YouTube - Lotus Arts Studio -- Solitude[/ame]

As a solist, I often use Exiled from Solace Ahsas CD, or Masraweya from one of the Wash Ya Wash CDs. That one's fun, it's very slow but breaks out into these weirdly happy boppy bits in places. Might not meet your drama requirement, though.

Recently saw sword done by a local dancer to a Raquy and the Caveman track, it was very good, I may explore that a bit.

I like 'Wusul Ila Baghdad' off Veena and Neena's Essential Bellydance CD. It's just under 4 mins, I think, and is a lovely taxim piece with some good rhythm and drum accents under it. Nice because you can switch from the sultry taxim to some dramatic moves/flutters to match the drum.

There's a nice track called Sapurey's Mantra on "Serpent's Garden" by D.J. Mosovo. It sounds very like Wusul Ila Baghdad, I'm not sure if it's the same song or just sounds similar.

I just uploaded Snake Charmer by Nox Arcana from the album Carnival of Lost Souls. I'm considering it for my next sword performance.

I'm not a sword dancer yet, but my teacher gave me a compilation that has "the sword dance" 1:34 long, Dream Dancer, Light Rain on it. Sounds really cool.

I like my sword moody :)

When I first started using sword, I used Light Rain's Serpentina (which is about 5 minutes)...but very pretty and mysterious sounding.

...and Dimashq (by Ahmad Fouad Hasan) off of The Rough Guide to Bellydance cd (not on itunes, but available via Amazon)...I'm not positive on the length, but I think it's a little shorter. I love this one because it has a sort of campy, "tinny," old sound to it - but it's very cool for sword. The cd has a lot of other good tracks as well.

The first song I ever saw a live sword piece to was Gameel Gamal. I want to say it was the George Abdo rendition.

I always through Beledy from Gypsy Fire would make a good sword song. Still earthy and old-school sounding, but the drum line has some drama to it.

I also like Move Your Belly from the album Electric Oasis. It's pop, but still has some interesting accents etc. to work with, as well as some clear "move now" and "work in place" cues.

I'm pretty sure that all three are available on iTunes.

Thanks bellies! I'm going to look up these suggestions tonight :)

I use Raks Africa on BDSS. I have a video in the gallery here on Bhuz, but beware--it's not my best performance...I'm almost embarrassed it's up here. *sigh*

Solitude by Solace (on Ahsas)

I've wanted to use this one for sword too. I actually think it's a bit "grim" and definitely theatrical but I've always thought at some point it just needs to be done :)

I think I would use this more as a theatrical stage piece than a regular upbeat festival/entertainment piece.

[QUOTE=jmdruadh;221291]
I also like Move Your Belly from the album Electric Oasis. It's pop, but still has some interesting accents etc. to work with, as well as some clear "move now" and "work in place" cues.
QUOTE]

Oh yes, I love that one too! It's quite upbeat and modern, so makes a nice change from my usual 'snakey' sword repertoire. I used that tune for a class sword choreo at last year's concert.

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

I have a sweet sword song, but it's a homemade remix of a track off of Songs From the Victorious City and that exact version is unavailable commercially. However, the original song "Habebe" is pretty good for sword, too. AND it's available on itunes!

I love "Habebe." I choreographed a sword and veil dance for one of my troupe dancers to that one. I got this mental image of a dancer kneeling with a sword on her head, holding a veil and doing snake arms... so then I had to choreograph the dance! ..l;,

Originally Posted by bintbeled

I love "Habebe." I choreographed a sword and veil dance for one of my troupe dancers to that one. I got this mental image of a dancer kneeling with a sword on her head, holding a veil and doing snake arms... so then I had to choreograph the dance! ..l;,

That's so funny - I've seen that same mental image listening to that song!

(My version has more gong!) ..l;,

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

That's so funny - I've seen that same mental image listening to that song!

(My version has more gong!) ..l;,

Cue the spooky music -- that's weird ( but in a good way)!

any good chiftetelli is good if you want slow and slinky, or saidi for earthy, but i personally like dramatic music on the fusion side

i've used 'nevi cengi harbi' by corvus corax to sword, cuz it's moody, dramatic, sexy and unexpected, definitely good for the slow balancey bits n floorwork.................i've also used 'an dro' arranged by 'the rogues', bagpipes, flute, and mild orchestration, very upbeat with a cool build, good for spins, shimmies etc.

I just bought this CD at a workshop this spring: Odyssey, A Dancer's Journey. It's compiled by Amaya and it doesn't have a dog on it! You know, you usually buy a CD, find 1 or 2 cuts you really like, 1 or 2 that are OK, and the rest are throw away? Not this one! It's even got a techno/modern twist of Zeina that I'm in love with.

Anyway, I'm dusting off and updating my sword work as well. And there's a piece call "Zen Arabianna". First time I heard it, I said, "SWORD". The only drawback is it's a few seconds over 5 minutes.

Kitty

Originally Posted by jahbie

I just uploaded Snake Charmer by Nox Arcana from the album Carnival of Lost Souls. I'm considering it for my next sword performance.

Ooh, I love Nox Arcana.
(they have a song called "Veil of Darkness..." guess what I'm doing with THAT one?!)

well, what do YOU do with a sword?
"dance for the king""my beautiful lebonnon" abdo, if you do no fast or shimmy work.
i do fast standing, slow floor, fast drumstanding.but i found out i do sword diff from others.if you use standing and floor, 2 by solace...ciebel, and #4 on rythem of the dance.

I like "Dimashq", although due to its old-fashioned production values, I am careful about how I bracket the song within a set. (Just so there's not a noticeable dip.)

I like "yearning" from BDSS 5

I really liked the "immortal Egypt" cd.