Thread: Need really modern music suggestions please!

Last night I was dancing at a local restaurant and there was a big ME family group there. I opened a set with Nebiti Minain el Hikaya (I know the spelling is atrocious) and the gentleman I presumed to be the head of the household started clapping, singing along, and came up to start dancing. He spies my cane, picks it up and starts dancing with it too... once the song was over, he asks the restaurant owner if he has more music to dance to with the cane.

I didn't mind because I'd had to work really hard all night to get the audience to have fun and get involved and this guy was a really good dancer. The owner goes to change the music and tells me, "I'm going to put on something a little more 2008" in this tone that implied to me that he didn't think my music was current enough. This ticked me off a bit because he never told me what he wanted musically, so I set up my sets with a mix of classical music and some relatively newer stuff, but I don't have any new pop music that's been released in the past 6 months or so. I think he may have also been a little ticked because I'm more expensive than the 3 week wonders he has dance there but he has people request me and he's not about to turn them down.

SO... I'm looking for your suggestions so I can throw some in there for next week's sets... I'm pretty open to most things except songs that are all house/techno.

have you tried the bdss IV cd? Has tons of Hoda and Saad, all very catchy, very good music to dance to. I could put together a set from this cd alone.

Of course, my sets can be quite eclectic...

I don't have any suggestions, but it seems to me if you play into his underhanded comment and get some modern music, you're giving him power that he doesn't deserve. If he straight up *asked* you (nicely) to have some modern music available, that'd be different...but if the customers like you and request you over the belly bunnies there's probably a good reason (or two or three).

Kina - I didn't even think to check there, you know? I use their vol. 2 CD for some upbeat songs, but I've been buying so many orchestral arrangements lately that I hadn't thought to look at their newer stuff.

Nasila - You have a really good point. I did go up to him afterwards and tell him that he had given me free range in music and if he had specific requests he should be up front and let me know. He said the classical stuff was fine, but new was good too. Personally, I think he was just trying to show off a bit because the belly bunnies don't know enough about music to bring their own stuff in. They just wiggle around to whatever he puts on.

So sorry, I put in BDSS IV when I meant V. NOT a fan of IV, but i do really love V, beautiful music, lot's of fun numbers, but also some orchestrated music with interesting composition.

And I adore Hoda.

I've had some frustration in that I can find newer music on E-music, but without knowing what the lyrics mean, I'm afraid to use it. One good one, though, that already has some translations out is Amr Diab's "El Lilady". I've used one song from it (the title track, in fact), but there are a few good ones there.

Thanks for the clarification Kina! I'd been staying away from the BDSS albums because I'd heard so many bad reviews, but I guess it's time to re-visit. :)

Thespisis - I had to laugh when I saw your post... I just downloaded the CD from e-music like 10 minutes ago! lol

Some pop music that I enjoy using - and it's not techno:

Sobry Alil by Sherin. Translation on my web site. Basic idea of the song is that an independent-minded young woman is telling the worthless guy to get out of her life.

Boussi Ba'a by Sherin. Translation on my web site. Same general theme as Sobry Alil.

Ah Wa Noss by Nancy Agram. Translation on my web site. Same general theme as both of the above. Dandash taught a cute choreography to this one the year it was released.

Shamandora by Mustafa Mounir. Strong Nubian flavor, but definitely pop music. I love this song!

Amarain by Amr Diab. Nice and bouncy and has some breaks. Translation on my web site. Title means "two moons" and it's a love song in which the guy is telling his woman her eyes are like two moons.

Wala A'Ala Baloa by Amr Diab. Translation on my web site. There are two versions of this, one that's pretty much "straight" and the other that has some electronic instrumentals and some rapping. I prefer the latter - it has a fun energy level.


All of the above are good for "get audience members up to dance with you" if you do that as part of your gig.

How rude of that guy to do that to you during your opening. And cane with Neptidi? How ignorant. I guess he was just having a good time but still...I would have expected any owner I worked with to tell the guy to sit down.

But still it is good to put some pop songs in your routine for audience participation. Hakim and Nancy Ajram are always good.

However if the like the more traditional music you might want to try live recordings. You'll feel like your in a club with a live band. Two of my favorites for audience type music is Belly Dance Yalla Bina Yalla through VOS,http://rashid.com/search_result.asp and Belly Dance NightClub.

In restaurant work for a predominantly middle eastern audience, the usual compromise is to start your show with your favorite "classic" pieces, then end it with the current pop stuff that the audience likes to get up and dance to. Then you're happy with your "classic" start and the owner and the audience are happy with the audience participation - which leaves them happy with the memory because it's the last thing they remember about you that evening.

I'm with leylalanty--there's no reason not to mix some good ol' classics (or some nice orchestral oriental stuff) with the pop later in the set...and I think the suggestion that the owner was partially just showing off is probably hitting the nail on the head. :-) *Most* owners, if they actually watch for a few minutes will recognize that their clientele--even the American GP, can tell the difference between a true pro doing a well-put together show with some variety and a belly bunny jiggling to pop music. So that said, I don't think you should change your entire approach/set, but there's nothing wrong with him wanting you to toss in some fun/newish pop stuff toward the end (nor with him wanting to be sure that the sound/quality of the recordings you use is suitable to the sound system--as an aside, sometimes these great old recordings, as wonderful as they are, just don't sound good enough cranked up loud through a modern sound system in a "chic" restaurant environment.)

Pop is good for getting the audience up and going, but let's face it, it also can get dated. Honestly, if I were a restaurant owner I might feel like "Good god, I have to hear Amr Diab's sing 'Nour El Ain,' Tarkan's 'Simarik,' or even "Ah W Noss" one more time I'm gonna lose it." The first two songs are creeping up on a decade old, and the third is about 6 years old and has been played to death. So...does it hurt to add a pop song or two every now and then? Still it IS hard to get the newest, latest-and-greatest stuff here.

Heh heh...you could always turn it back on him. Try putting one or two "newer" songs in your set, but then also just let it slip sometime that it's so hard to get the latest stuff here in the states. Maybe he'll help hook you up with where/how to find the new stuff. ;-)

For pop, I think all those "Now Dance Arabia" CDs are well worth buying because they're essentially the Solid Gold Hits albums of today; the stuff on them's going to be fairly current to the year of the album.

Ah, it never seems easy to deal with these restaurant owners - I'm so glad to hear that you are asking for and receiving a fair wage! In my experience, audiences LOVE the classics and will typically sing over my instrumental versions. Depending on the ethnicity of your audience, try Diana Haddad, Carol Samaha, Najwa Karam and Nawal Zoughby for some popular pieces to add to your mix. Our Lebanese families seem to really like Nawal Zoughby and our Turkish families still appreciate Tarkan - Sabra*

For Oriental, Amir Sofi is awesome. I also concur with the BDSS selections and "Now Dance Arabia."

There are some old songs though that audience never seem to tire of, such as Sawah.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Some pop music that I enjoy using - and it's not techno:

Sobry Alil by Sherin. Translation on my web site. Basic idea of the song is that an independent-minded young woman is telling the worthless guy to get out of her life.

Boussi Ba'a by Sherin. Translation on my web site. Same general theme as Sobry Alil.

Ah Wa Noss by Nancy Agram. Translation on my web site. Same general theme as both of the above. Dandash taught a cute choreography to this one the year it was released.

Shamandora by Mustafa Mounir. Strong Nubian flavor, but definitely pop music. I love this song!

Amarain by Amr Diab. Nice and bouncy and has some breaks. Translation on my web site. Title means "two moons" and it's a love song in which the guy is telling his woman her eyes are like two moons.

Wala A'Ala Baloa by Amr Diab. Translation on my web site. There are two versions of this, one that's pretty much "straight" and the other that has some electronic instrumentals and some rapping. I prefer the latter - it has a fun energy level.


All of the above are good for "get audience members up to dance with you" if you do that as part of your gig.

I use most of these, and love them. But aren't they nearly 10 years old now?

When i started dancing, about 8 years ago, it was all Amr Diab, Hakim and Sherin. I still use them, but I'm afraid I'm starting to look dated now.

For a while it was all about Nancy Ajram, but now she's a little bit last week, right?

Sometimes I check out whatever's on the front page at Mazikana.com to get a feel for what's current, but without translations I've never been comfortable using any of it.

Saad seems to be 'right now' and I ADORE him, but his stuff is cheeky and low-class and isn't suitable for all venues. Same with Haifa Wehbe, right?

love love love hoda

Lauren, how do you get hold of the tracks you find on that website ?

On Mazikana? Click on the first letter of the artist's name, find your artist, then your album, then your track. Right click on the little lightning bold logo to download an MP3. They have lots of full-length Um Kalthoum tracks!!!

Not sure it's a fully legal site, but copyright being what it is throughout the middle east, I'm also not sure it matters.

(and I was wrong, it's Mazika.com that has the top tracks listed on their home page, but Mazikana is where I get the actual music).

Thanks Ladies! (and gentlemen, if there are any I missed). I am always in the look out for new music, and I picked up a bunch off of this thread.

Thank you Lauren_ for starting it!

Hi Guys,

I love shereen. She has one song that I love , Eih Eih is great. i also like saad a lot and there's an Egyptian singer, Shando that am loving currently. Rico is great too.

I like DJ Nader because he mixes modern beat with old favorites that the audience will know.

Good luck!

i think anything pop would work. but for really modern, i like dj kambo.

Originally Posted by princessisabella

Hi Guys,

I love shereen. She has one song that I love , Eih Eih is great. i also like saad a lot and there's an Egyptian singer, Shando that am loving currently. Rico is great too.

I love Rico (sometimes spelled Riko, if you're looking for mp3s or video)--his songs definitely get everybody up and dancing!