Thread: Lebanese Dabke Help, Please

Hey guys! I have a slew of Dabke pieces here at home, but they're all of a 4/4 rhythm and I would like to find a 6/4 dabke song for a hafla this evening.

I've looked through my own personal library and don't seem to have any. Could anyone please recommend a song to me as well as an online source I can download it from? I don't mind paying for it - I'd just really like to have it for this evening.

Thanks a bunch!

Do we still have to bump things? ;-)

Hi Adishakti
I'm not quite sure what a 6/4 dabke is. Is that just a faster paced dabke rhythm than the more common dabkes such as, say, Al ain molayitain?
Have you heard Marhabtein w Marhabtein sung by Sabah? It's a faster paced dabke.
Dabket Lubnan sung by Fairuz is also a faster paced dabke. But I'm not sure if that's what you mean by 6/4...?

Regards
Priscilla

I remember hearing one by Kazem al Saher, from the album Qusat Habebein, "Eid el Hob" (celebration of love?) I think it's in Iraqi 6/4 (I don't know if that's the correct terminology, sorry). It was on almost every hit compilation from 2002 (my, how time flies!), so I'm guessing it's popular enough to be somewhere on the internet.

Wait, your post said LEBANESE party...moving on:

Ragheb 3alama did a good live-ish version of El Dal3ouna/El Dal'ouna. I think I got it from somewhere like Mazikana, but it's on his album "Allamteeni" (it might be spelled elsewhere as "3alamtini" or something similar). I remember it being a mix of the 6/4 and 4/4, but I haven't heard it in a while.

I have no idea what either song is about, but I hear both played at clubs.

That Kazem al Saher song is also listed as "Eid wa Hob" (celebration AND love?)

Originally Posted by kamilia

Ragheb 3alama did a good live-ish version of El Dal3ouna/El Dal'ouna. I think I got it from somewhere like Mazikana, but it's on his album "Allamteeni" (it might be spelled elsewhere as "3alamtini" or something similar). I remember it being a mix of the 6/4 and 4/4, but I haven't heard it in a while.

If you're talking about the song I think you're talking about, there was also a version recorded by Feiruz (can also be spelled Fairuz). To help with online searching, other spellings I've seen for it are Ala Dalouna or A La Dalona. I know it has 6/4 time signature, I don't remember offhand whether there's a 4/4 part or not. It has been about 2 years since I last heard it.

Thank you for the help, guys! I wasn't able to dig up these songs in time, but will do so in time for the next event.

Gotta love Bhuz. You guys are the best!

Originally Posted by *Shira*

If you're talking about the song I think you're talking about, there was also a version recorded by Feiruz (can also be spelled Fairuz). To help with online searching, other spellings I've seen for it are Ala Dalouna or A La Dalona. I know it has 6/4 time signature, I don't remember offhand whether there's a 4/4 part or not. It has been about 2 years since I last heard it.

I think in 3alama's version, there was a little 4/4 in between sections of the mawwal, so I guess it doesn't really affect the actual song.

I think Ala da Luna starts off in a 6/4 or 6/8 da luna rhythm ie

d-tktk-dd-tktk-dd-S

then goes into Ayoub for a few bars before going back.

http://video.google.com.au/videoplay...525600#1h5m30s

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGj6hq9g3kU[/ame]

I have a TON of Sabah dabke songs including Marhabtein w Marhabtein (Two Hellos and Two Hellos). I know...a funny name for a song. Here's a vid clip of Sabah singing "Two hellos": [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5YlehMTH5Y[/ame]


Another good one by Sabah is Falaha, which is in a 6/4 time signature...or 12/8 depending on how you look at it...unfortunately the song fades into the background. Here's a clip of Sabah + Nadia Jamal and her troupe dancing along with her: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aY-4SVHKVE[/ame]

I have Falaha if you want it :)

Originally Posted by jessedan

Hi Adishakti
I'm not quite sure what a 6/4 dabke is. Is that just a faster paced dabke rhythm than the more common dabkes such as, say, Al ain molayitain?
Have you heard Marhabtein w Marhabtein sung by Sabah? It's a faster paced dabke.
Dabket Lubnan sung by Fairuz is also a faster paced dabke. But I'm not sure if that's what you mean by 6/4...?

Regards
Priscilla

Originally Posted by Adishakti

Hey guys! I have a slew of Dabke pieces here at home, but they're all of a 4/4 rhythm and I would like to find a 6/4 dabke song for a hafla this evening.

I've looked through my own personal library and don't seem to have any. Could anyone please recommend a song to me as well as an online source I can download it from? I don't mind paying for it - I'd just really like to have it for this evening.

Thanks a bunch!

One thing that I see in debke often is that the "time signature" of their dance at times does not match up with the time signature of the music. Sometimes they will do easy "filler steps" during the verse and do the "killer hot debke frenzy" during the chorus.
Interestingly (to me anyway) this is consistent with some Romani line dances that I've learned. The steps will be in 4/4 yet the music is a 9/8 or other.

I do want it! I don't have Falaha. ..g.:

Priscilla

Originally Posted by Mark Balahadia

I have Falaha if you want it :)

How did you guys learn debke?
They keep doing it at the restaurant I go to. I somehow got caught up in a huge long debke line last night but I have no idea what I'm doing. I want to study up so that I can join in the fun next time.

It seemed like stomp left over right, stomp left over right, kick, stomp back, repeat but there was something with the timing where I couldn't keep up with it.

In Sydney there is a local Debke group. I have noticed in US universities there are sometimes debke groups.

I only know one debke type. Very simple. The direction you head is to your right side. You lift you right knee up and plant it front and diagonal right and lean forward with you left foot up and your bodyweight is on the right leg.

Then you step back with your left leg and have your right knee up while leaning back. It then repeats.