Thread: What are "the new classics" in BD music?

A while back there was a thread on "songs dancers ought to know" to identify the "classics" for our dance. The most cited songs were:

Ah Ya Zein
Hani
Hebinna
Mashaal
Sallam Allay
Set el Hosen
Shashkin
Tamra-Henna
Wahashtini
Zay al Hawa
Zeina

(You can see the whole list at Articles-Madison Bellydance Alliance)

Most of these songs are pretty old. If I'm not mistaken there's nothing on this list newer than 30 years old or so, and some are much older than that. Nothing the matter with that; they are classics.

But are there any songs you can think of that have come out since 2000 that you believe might be around 30 years from now? Are they the things we think are overplayed now ("Yearning", for example)? Are they songs from the newer parts of the genre (Sha'abi? Tribal-focused electronica?) Or are they from a newer composer or newer artist (perhaps Mohammad Al Hasan Abo Abid or Ramy Ayach)?

Give it some thought. What do you think we'll be recommending to young dancers from that long ago time at the turn of the century?

Off the top of my head, I would suggest "Nour al-ain" and "Amarain" by Amro Diab (even though they predate the 2000 cutoff), "Oul tani keda" by Nancy Ajram, "Sidi mansour" by Saber al-Robaey (technically an older song, but his version came out in 2000), "al-Hantour" by Ameena and/or Saad al-Soghayer, and "Mashkalni" by Rashed al-Majed. Tarkan's "Şımarık" also came out before 2000, but it's one of those songs that everybody knows.

oh goody! a music thread!

I don't have time right now, but when I get home (and have access to my music collection to verify titles) I'll post some.

I would off the top of my head include El Enab by Saad Soghayir (sp?)

In the 1980's and 1990's, there was a fundamental change in pop music in Egypt. I realize that what I'm about to say is very much oversimplification, but around the 1960's and 1970's there were two sorts of pop genres - 1) the "classical" genre as represented by Oum Kalthoum, Warda, Farid al-Atrache, Abdel Halim Hafez, etc that ordinary people would sit and listen to; and 2) the "folksy" genre as represented by Ahmed Adaweyya and other shaabi artists that ordinary people would sing along with. The great Egyptian dancers of the 20th century used mostly #1 for their shows, with maybe just one #2 in the set to inject variety and wake up the audience.

In the 1980's and 1990's, #1 kind of faded away from the current pop music scene, and the focus shifted to music that was well-suited to boogying around in dance clubs. In order to be suitable for clubbing, music needs to have simple rhythmic structure and repetitious musical format. Deep emotional content and complex orchestration that make for compelling raqs sharqi performances don't fit that market.

For belly dance performances, it's hard to deliver a deeply emotional, soul-sharing tarab performance to the sort of bouncy party music that has dominated the Egyptian pop music scene in the last 20 years. The bouncy current pop stuff works fine for student troupes, because many belly dance students aren't yet ready for complex rhythmic shifts and need simple music with simple beats. But it's not such a great choice for solo Oriental. This is a long way of saying I can't think of any recently-produced music suitable for status as "new classics".

And y'know, that music issue and student troupe choreography format is probably at the root of why so many belly dance students think belly dance easily described as just a movement vocabulary that can be done to any old music, without understanding what a "real" raqs sharqi performance is about. If teachers are teaching only troupe choreographies to musically-simple pop songs to perform at haflas and county fairs, without teaching how to go the next step to a musically-complex, emotional solo performance, then how will the students ever learn what it feels like to do "real" raqs sharqi?

Originally Posted by *Shira*

In the 1980's and 1990's, there was a fundamental change in pop music in Egypt. I realize that what I'm about to say is very much oversimplification, but around the 1960's and 1970's there were two sorts of pop genres - 1) the "classical" genre as represented by Oum Kalthoum, Warda, Farid al-Atrache, Abdel Halim Hafez, etc that ordinary people would sit and listen to; and 2) the "folksy" genre as represented by Ahmed Adaweyya and other shaabi artists that ordinary people would sing along with. The great Egyptian dancers of the 20th century used mostly #1 for their shows, with maybe just one #2 in the set to inject variety and wake up the audience.

In the 1980's and 1990's, #1 kind of faded away from the current pop music scene, and the focus shifted to music that was well-suited to boogying around in dance clubs. In order to be suitable for clubbing, music needs to have simple rhythmic structure and repetitious musical format. Deep emotional content and complex orchestration that make for compelling raqs sharqi performances don't fit that market.

For belly dance performances, it's hard to deliver a deeply emotional, soul-sharing tarab performance to the sort of bouncy party music that has dominated the Egyptian pop music scene in the last 20 years. The bouncy current pop stuff works fine for student troupes, because many belly dance students aren't yet ready for complex rhythmic shifts and need simple music with simple beats. But it's not such a great choice for solo Oriental. This is a long way of saying I can't think of any recently-produced music suitable for status as "new classics".

And y'know, that music issue and student troupe choreography format is probably at the root of why so many belly dance students think belly dance easily described as just a movement vocabulary that can be done to any old music, without understanding what a "real" raqs sharqi performance is about. If teachers are teaching only troupe choreographies to musically-simple pop songs to perform at haflas and county fairs, without teaching how to go the next step to a musically-complex, emotional solo performance, then how will the students ever learn what it feels like to do "real" raqs sharqi?

What a wonderfully well-thought-out response.

Shira, not ANYTHING?

I mean, I think your analysis is generally good, but not ANYTHING?

How about something like this:


Amazon.com: Escape From Cairo: Mohammad Al Hasan Abo Abid: MP3 Downloads

Originally Posted by tigerb

Shira, not ANYTHING?

I mean, I think your analysis is generally good, but not ANYTHING?

I should clarify - I'm NOT saying everything recent is lacking in classical appeal. All I meant was that there weren't any titles that I feel drawn to mention on this thread as classics in the making. But, I don't claim to know every song that has been released in the last 10 years, and I'm sure there are some great candidates that I just haven't discovered yet.

There ARE a lot of recent songs I personally enjoy, and use in class for drills, improvisation exercises, warmups, etc. I'll also include these in my performance sets for "audience participation" segments. But I don't feel drawn to call any of them "new classics".

Well said Shira! I wish I could have given you multiple "LIKES". What you said, I think hits exactly on why there has been a major shift in the dance in the last decade. It's all about the music.

Right now, I can't think of anything either, as a lot of songs I can think of are really just remakes of the classics, such as Nourhan's Habibi Ya Aina.


Perhaps some of the newer oriental pieces? Instrumental pieces that are composed specifically for dancers. Like Layali El Sharq.

I agree, Norma. I like Layali al Sharq. I also like several remakes of old ME and "mixed" classics that appear on some of Yousry Sharif's compilations. I particularly like "Alf Leyla Wa Leyla" which is NOT the same as the Oum Kalthoum 1001 nights... it's actually the music from the ballet Scheherezade, which I wouldn't have recognized if my ballerina dance partner hadn't whipped out her copy of the ballet and proven it to me. But anyway, I love the music.

What a great question - and yes, I'm stumped.

I return to the classics again and again because there is a theatricality in their composition that works for performance. My checklist regarding song structure: strong beginning, escalating drama, interesting rhythmic changes, a climax, strong ending. And of course appropriate content, and especially universal content, e.g. a love song, won or lost, a theme to which many folks can relate. Finding new music that fits my criteria is difficult.

This thread is making me think I should go back and listen again to some of the CD's produced by dancers such as Leyla Lanty, Outi, and Keti Sharif. At the time I listened to them I was looking for something else specific and skipped quickly past the tracks that didn't suit my needs of that particular moment. I should go back and listen to them all again to see what nuggets I may have missed on my previous listens.

Anything by the Henkish Brothers is an instant new classic to me! I also really love the albums produced by Samasem, Leila, Outi and other dancers. Which makes sense--dancers produce the music dancers want to dance to!

I think Setrak's Layali Zaman has all the makings of a classic.

I would also mention Tales of The Sahara, although technically that song has been around since at least the early 90's with Dani Boutrous, it didn't really become popular until the BDSS.

Also another song I didn't see on list is Loubet El Hob, also another oldie but better known among newer dancers as Gala Orientale by Horatio and Beata.

And Gawaher by Dr. Samy Farag also from the 90's.

Tales of the Sahara was also popularised a bit by Hadia, I think, as she taught a choreography to it that has done the rounds.

Love these discussions! Majencii (plural?) and "real" Raks Sharki music is what I am drawn to again and again. I just love the grande feeling of Oriental music, Egyptian-style.

On my list of more recent classics are (correct my ignorance if some of these are already classics):

Layali Rouqash from Dancing with Genies (Henkesh brothers) is a masterpiece.

Anything by Sayed Balaha

Sahra Saeeda from her self-titled album

Batswannas Beek (Warda)

Faddah (Hossam Ramzy)

Basboussa (many versions and names)

Hollom (Amir Sofi)

Nihayet Nihavent (Asena) or Gala Oriental (Ciffuentes)

Warda (Asena)

Ok, time to stop since this list is too long!

I haven't heard of Layali Rouqash before. I found a clip on youtube. Nice song.

can't forget Yearning.

I'm taking notes and firing up the iPod!

Talisman.

I bet in 50 years time the go-to song for a vintage performance set in 1990-2000 will be I Put a Spell On You though.

Originally Posted by Emma

Talisman.

I bet in 50 years time the go-to song for a vintage performance set in 1990-2000 will be I Put a Spell On You though.

I sure hope that isn't the case!

Originally Posted by norma

I haven't heard of Layali Rouqash before. I found a clip on youtube. Nice song.

I'm dancing to it at the Wisconsin State Fair tonight. It's my current go-to orientale piece.

Originally Posted by laura 2

I'm dancing to it at the Wisconsin State Fair tonight. It's my current go-to orientale piece.

I can't believe this one has slipped my radar! Where can you get it?

Originally Posted by norma

I can't believe this one has slipped my radar! Where can you get it?

Dancing with Genies

Originally Posted by tigerb

Dancing with Genies

Thanks I finally found it on Amazon. I decided to get the CD with the liner notes instead of the mp3 version.

Originally Posted by norma

I can't believe this one has slipped my radar! Where can you get it?

It's always so interesting to see how differently and similarity dancers interpret the music!

Originally Posted by norma

Thanks I finally found it on Amazon. I decided to get the CD with the liner notes instead of the mp3 version.

I sent to you a message 2 days ago,(i think there is a problem about messages)i have mp3 vers. :)