Thread: your favorite shimmy songs?

I'm putting together a compilation cd for class and I'm looking for some new songs for shimmy drills. Maybe something non-traditional, fun or funky. Doesn't even have to be Middle Eastern (oh, my!). Anything that makes you want to shake it up! Please. And, thank you!
xox, B

I like to use Psycho Dancer off of Arabian Spices. It's not too long - 3:12 but just screams shimmy the entire time.

Hakim's Nasra, the live version on The Lion Roars in America.

Um, Faten's dance class songs! "Banadeelak" is MADE for shimmying. I think I'll try to put it on Bhuz.

My shimmy playlist includes: Alaoui, Nari Narain, Boom boom, Nagua's Tabla (from Raks Sharki vol 2- Amar 14), the long oud piece Farid Al Atrash from Hossam Ramzy's Samya, an oud solo from one of the Brothers of the Baladi cds (Eye on the World?)

Actually I think I could use more oud music in my library...

Here's two of mine:

Move Your Belly (Arabesque?)
Qanoon Mood (Jalilah's Beirut Mood CD)

Sounds like I need to send you the "Dude, Where's my Oud?" CD we were talking about.

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

Here's two of mine:

Move Your Belly (Arabesque?)
Qanoon Mood (Jalilah's Beirut Mood CD)

Sounds like I need to send you the "Dude, Where's my Oud?" CD we were talking about.

Jalilah is my teacher and she uses that (Kanoun Mood) frequently for our shimmy drills. We do arm drills at the same time and practice projecting outwards and inwards. There's another song from her rhythm cd that she uses as well. The rhythm starts off slow so we do hip accents and then increases to a full shimmy. I can't remember the name of it at this moment.

BTW - I love the song Move Your Belly - esp the version on Dancer's Odyssey

Originally Posted by etoile

Jalilah is my teacher and she uses that (Kanoun Mood) frequently for our shimmy drills. We do arm drills at the same time and practice projecting outwards and inwards. There's another song from her rhythm cd that she uses as well. The rhythm starts off slow so we do hip accents and then increases to a full shimmy. I can't remember the name of it at this moment.

BTW - I love the song Move Your Belly - esp the version on Dancer's Odyssey

I had the pleasure of taking a workshop with Jalilah waaay back in the late '90s. How nice that you can take regular classes!

for the non-middle eastern music category .w.:.... I have :

Pump it- Black eyed peas
come on get up- janet jackson
Zenatogen- traveler
Stronger- Kanye West (for layering sharp chest isolations with the shimmy)


and anything by jamiroquai makes me want to shimmy......l;,..l;,..l;,

tfarrak al halawa, saidi goodness
big butts, by sir mix-alot, just cuz it's fun with enuf pauses to make it interesting
taiko, on the mystere album by cirque de soleil,....just listen to it, you'll understand :D

Well, this is very non-traditional, but I love System of a Down for shimmy drills. ..g.:..g.:..g.:

Gasolina by Daddy Yankee.

My teacher put this one on once and it worked SO good.
Propellerheads- spybreak
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-aqy9BYqDM&feature=related]YouTube - Propellerheads - Spybreak![/ame]

Non-traditional:

Shimmy hard (drums) -
Hanna Drumzilzia (Strictly BD Vol 5, Eddie Kochak)

Shimmy soft (oud/kanoun/etc):
Jemillah (John B)
Adawar (Mohamad Matar, Rough Guide to BD)

Not Traditional:
Tequila!!!!

I always loved to shimmy to Raks Africa from the first BDSS.

Another good set of songs for shimmying is Dhol Foundation Big Drum: Small World. It's Indian rather than Arabic, but it's a lot of really fast drumming.

I have some great club mix music that I've been liking lately, great for shimmy drills - my current favorites include:

Habibi - Boomtang
Ahlam 2 - Oriental Delight
IndiArab - Turbo Tabla
Al Urdun Remix - Guy Monoukian
Istanbul - REG Project
Mafina - Katia Harb
Telegrafin Telleri - Turbo Tabla
Daret Al Ayam - Electric Oasis
Babylon to Beirut - Beirut Biloma

Chicky from Oojami is good for shimmies, if you want something really fast and high energy, also if you want to work on layered shimmies that are slower and more controlled, The best of Farid el Atrache by Hossam Ramsy has a beautiful Oud taqsim that runs 8 minutes, starts off with a solo oud taqsim, then goes into a layered taqsim with a drummer playing Masmoudi behind the oud, it's great for slow shimmies and layers that need total control. One of my favorite oud taqsims!

The best of Farid el Atrache by Hossam Ramsy has a beautiful Oud taqsim that runs 8 minutes, starts off with a solo oud taqsim, then goes into a layered taqsim with a drummer playing Masmoudi behind the oud, it's great for slow shimmies and layers that need total control. One of my favorite oud taqsims!

This is the one that I was originally taught to drill shimmies to and I still go back to it.

I also like using Abdullah Chaddeh's qanoun music.