Thread: Favorite Lebanese Songs for an American audience?

Doing an event for an small party that is doing a Lebanese themed party.

Looking for a nice veil piece and then an audience participation piece.

I just cannot find them in my collection..

I have the entry piece and a cane song but need 2 more...

thank you :-)

Do you want instrumental pieces? Emad Sayyeh has a lot of albums; one of his songs is equal to a baby singing called "Baby Bellydance" and would probably be cute to share with an audience. Then there is another Lebanese singer who sings mostly ballads - Issam Ghandour.

I HATE Emad Sayyah.

My go-to piece for western audiences while still remaining fairly traditional is Gawaher from Dr. Samy Farag. This piece actually was a big hit at the Lebanese club where I work, too. The full piece is 15 minutes, but it's easily cut in several places.

It is on itunes, but you do have to buy the whole album to get it.

iTunes Store - Dr. Samy Farag - Midnight Magic

There's some discussion here: http://www.bhuz.com/forum/music-trad...ese-songs.html

Forgot about Samy Farag, Tamra. Sorry to hear you don't like Emad Sayyeh!

Originally Posted by Fotia

Forgot about Samy Farag, Tamra. Sorry to hear you don't like Emad Sayyeh!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Emad Sayyeh is plinkyety-plink music, for the most part (though, again, at the club there was this one song that they loved)...

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Emad Sayyeh is plinkyety-plink music, for the most part (though, again, at the club there was this one song that they loved)...

We have a lot of fun with his songs here. To each his own, however But Samy - now that's a Cadillac song among songs!

Emad Sayyeh has some good stuff for class- nice steady beat- but I don't listen for fun...

but you can't go wrong with anything from Fairuz- Shatty Ya Dunia is my favorite. but maybe I'm old fashioned...

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

I HATE Emad Sayyah.

My go-to piece for western audiences while still remaining fairly traditional is Gawaher from Dr. Samy Farag. This piece actually was a big hit at the Lebanese club where I work, too. The full piece is 15 minutes, but it's easily cut in several places.

It is on itunes, but you do have to buy the whole album to get it.

iTunes Store - Dr. Samy Farag - Midnight Magic

I've always had great luck with Gawaher with American audiences as well. It's a kick ass routine for the dancer but that's why Americans love it. It went over great at Chaldean weddings as well.

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Emad Sayyeh is plinkyety-plink music, for the most part (though, again, at the club there was this one song that they loved)...

I agree, Emad Sayyeh is great for students no matter what level. But not for a professional show. Not enough meat.

Of course, Lebanese audiences love Egyptian music. So don't feel you have to stick to Lebanese music. So, if your set on the music you already have, try Neptidi M'neim El Hikaya by Abdel Halim Hafiz or really any Abdel Halim song for a filler song.

Your cane song should really be your audience participation piece. A Lebanese audience loves to get up to dance with cane, but make sure you pick a depke piece, not saidi. Somewhere on bhuz I remember posting the names of all the songs on this video.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRxgy9DUuXA]YouTube - Hwida el Hachem .Belly Danse.هويدا الهاشم اØ*لى الراقصات[/ame]

Check out Belly Dance Nightclub for popular songs played in Lebanese clubs. The version is live but it gives you a nice selection of songs and most are popular enough you can find other versions. Anything by Setrak is great too.

If you don't want to do the kick ass routine Gawaher, I would suggest doing your entry, Neptidi for veil or a lovely rhumba and great dramatic piece like Miserlou. Definitely add a Lebanese debke/cane piece for your audience then end with a drum solo.

Lebanese audiences love energy. Keep the show active.

I just love Walid Toufic's Neqsim El Amar. [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B000PMGOV2/ref=pd_krex_listen_dp_img?ie=UTF8&refTagSuffix=dp_ img]Amazon.com : Music Sampler[/ame]

omg that hair. that headdress. those shoulder pads with fringe. but the dancing is good :)

this is all wonderful information thank you...

i really like Walid Toufic's Neqsim El Amar. Gonna buy that one now.

knowing that Egyptian music is fine is a relief. That is pretty much all I have!

May pop in an Egyptian song I know.

Thank you Thank you!!!!!!

I don't know if Harremt Ahhebak (spelled any number of different ways) is necessarily Lebanese, but I always associate it with Lebanese bands, since they all know how to play it around here. I'm not sure from the original post whether the audience is actually Lebanese or the party just has a Lebanese theme, but I think it's a good general public song, in addition to being popular with actual Lebanese people :)

Originally Posted by ravenadesigns

Doing an event for an small party that is doing a Lebanese themed party.

Looking for a nice veil piece and then an audience participation piece.

I just cannot find them in my collection..

I have the entry piece and a cane song but need 2 more...

thank you :-)

For an American Audience, "Ya Mustafa" by George Abdo would be great for audience participation. Many Americans who are "of an age" to have sung folk songs in the 50s and 60s know this song.

excellent!

This is a Lebanese themed party ;-)

Originally Posted by badriya_al_ahmar

I don't know if Harremt Ahhebak (spelled any number of different ways) is necessarily Lebanese, but I always associate it with Lebanese bands, since they all know how to play it around here. I'm not sure from the original post whether the audience is actually Lebanese or the party just has a Lebanese theme, but I think it's a good general public song, in addition to being popular with actual Lebanese people :)

That's a Warda song. Very popular with ME audiences. A good pick.