Thread: Picking Your Brain For One More Song

I've got a gig coming up on Saturday - it's a birthday party for the husband of one of my former students. They're doing an Arabian Nights theme, and I've been hired to bring the dancing mojo with a 25 minute set. Strictly a GP audience, for what it's worth.

When I do the "full set", I like each song to convey a different mood or style, but I'm blanking on what to choose for the 3rd song. I keep going over all my music and feeling a little meh about everything. So I cast out to my fellow Bhuzzers for some suggestions. Here's what I've got so far:

1. Big Entrance/Orchestral Song - Escape from Cairo
2. Prop/sword song - Aahat
3. ??????
4. Drum Solo - Tabla Solo I from Ya Bahaia
5. Guest of Honor/Audience Participation - Inzal Ya Gameel (Happy Birthday)

I'm thinking either super folky or funky fresh to mix it up for the 3rd song? Or maybe even some good old Om K? It needs to be not much longer than 4 minutes, and preferably something well known so I don't have to learn a completely unfamiliar song in a few days.

Please help unstick my brain!

Or, how about a veil piece to Phaedra Pharonica or the Sensual Chifti or the Move your Belly song? It's a little slower, but great for isolations and even getting someone up to play along for just a few minutes....

I would do baladi, but then, given a choice I would always do baladi ;-)

Jewels - The only problem with a veil piece would be that the sword song before it is rather slow, so I want to perk them up again.

Badriya - I've done a similar set before for a more multicultural crowd with Taht Il Shibaak in the 3rd spot. I wasn't sure if this all GP audience wouldn't be covering their ears at Fatme's voice, though (some of my non-BD friends have told me they think her voice is like nails on a chalkboard to them). Any suggestions for a baladi piece that's a little easier on western ears?

How about changing up the order, 1st song, veil, drum solo, sword, ending song?

Originally Posted by jewelsdances

How about changing up the order, 1st song, veil, drum solo, sword, ending song?

Well, there's a lengthy veil into at the beginning of my first song, so I'm not wild about picking it up again for the very next song.

I'm such a picky bastard, I know! ..l;,

Your set sounds similar to what I often put together for shows - even some of the songs are on my list! My "middle music" list might have something you can use. I often play finger cymbals with some of these songs (esp. if I don't play them in the opening, though with Escape From Cairo I usually do about halfway through).

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Occasionally I'll shorten something to make it fit with my set. For example, this last weekend I took "Mali" from over 5 min. to just over 3 min.

I'd do something more up-beat. I think you could work a baladi or maybe a pop baladi, throw your finger cymbals on.

I vote for breaking the tension from the sword -- and closing the distance that creates between you and the audience -- with something lively.

Balady would work. Or shaabi --

Like....anything by Saad!! (I'll always vote for anything by Saad, though)

Or -- don't you dance to Kiss my WaWa? (I know that's wrong, but you know what I mean!)

Something that lets you bop around the GOH, visit with sections of the audience. I usually ham it up for cameras and pose for shots with the GOH at this stage, too. I think of it as setting the stage for getting them up to dance. Or start getting them early if it turns out to be a large, lively group or has lots of kids.

(but in my sets I've always done that part next, then ended with a drum solo and exit music, so YMMV)

I second Lauren's suggestions

I think I'm feeling the baladi! Any song suggestions for something more urban baladi as opposed to old skool baladi? I have iTunes.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Or -- don't you dance to Kiss my WaWa? (I know that's wrong, but you know what I mean!)

Bous El Wawa.

How about El laila Helwa? There's a version off of Dunia El Raks. The song is very upbeat so good for audience participation, goes into beledi then fades out so you can go into your drum solo. It's about 6 minutes though.

Or my new favorite song Neqsim el Amar by Walid Toufic on his Top Hits CD. That will get the crowd to it's feet. You can do cane with it or just dance to it.

ehab tawfik has an absolutely gorgeous song that has baladi feel but flows into something a little more upbeat than traditional. unfortunately, i have no idea what he's singing about. also hakim and saad are always good choices. you can play around with the audience. hakim's ha boussou always works for any audience due to the kissy kissy.

also, how bout doing intro, sword, drums then two songs with the audience. one shorter one just with the guest of honor, then another one to get everyone off their butts.

ehab tawfik - ya ashq amar....something along those lines. i can just cry how much i love that song. it didn't come out of my car stereo for a month.

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I actually wound up going with Bel Arabi by Saad. More shabbi than beladi, but it seemed to fit my mood at the time.