Dal’ouna

One of the most vocally challenging forms of Arab musical folklore is Dal’ouna, a traditional musical genre of the Levant region (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan) and Iraq. Dal’ouna can be performed at various different occasions and is often accompanied by Dabke, a popular Levantine dance we shall explore in the next section.

Enjoy these powerful vocal performances and recordings of Dal’ouna by Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf (below), Lebanese singer Najwa Karam, and Syrian singer Sabah Fakhri.

TARAB

Although each sub-region and country of the Arab world enjoys its own genres and rich musical traditions, it’s safe to say that millions of Arabs the world over hold a special place in their heart for Tarab, a pan-Arab, centuries-old, classical musical genre.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, Egyptian singers, composers, musicians, and poets such as Syed Darwish, Umm Kulthum, Abdel-Halim Hafiz, Mohammed Abdel-Wahab, Fayza Ahmed, Baligh Hamdi, Mohammed El-Asabgi, Riad Al-Sumbati, Ahmed Rami, Ahmed Shawqi, and others played a particularly influential role in the modernization and popularization of Tarab. Few would disagree that Umm Kulthum in particular was the most influential of all, as her concerts were broadcasted live on radio across all of North Africa and the Middle East on the first Thursday of every month for nearly 40 years. Each concert lasted several hours as millions of people gathered around in their homes and at coffee houses to tune in, relax, and enjoy the beautiful lyrics, vocals, and melodies.

So what makes this genre so special? Tarab is known for the strong, enchanting, emotional effect it has on its listeners. In his article on Tarab, Kay Hardy Campbell writes, “At its heart, tarab is about musical affect and relationship: a deep emotional response by a listener that leads to a feeling of connection between listener and performer.” There are three main reasons why the genre has such a powerful effect on its audiences. First, the lyrics are/were often written by the most distinguished poets of the Arab world, such as Ahmed Shawqi (known as the prince of poets), Ahmed Rami, Bayram al-ˇTūnisī, Joseph Harb, Nizar Qabbani, among many others. Whether the songs they wrote were romantic, nationalistic, religious, or otherwise, these poets and others like them always knew how to evoke the most powerful meanings with simple, careful word choice. Second, Tarab singers are known for their unique voices, which combine strength and power with softness, delicacy, and emotion. Third, Arabic music is one of the rare traditional musical styles of the world that contains Quartertones, which essentially means – without getting too deep into musical theory – that the Arab musical tone system is divided into 24 tones while the European musical tone system is divided into only 12, resulting in a completely unique musical experience.

FUN FACT: It’s said that Umm Kulthum was once told to sing while someone held a piece of glass close to her face. Her voice was so strong, it shattered the glass!

PLAYLIST: Abdel Halim Hafez – Gana El Hawa Concert | Mohammed Abdel Wahab – Kol Da Kan Leh | Asmahan – Emta Hata’raf | Farid Al-Atrash – El Rabie’ | Wadih El Safi – Al Laylo Ya Layla Performance | Nazem El-Ghazaly – Tal’a Min Beit Abouha Concert | Fairouz – Habaytak Bel Sayf Concert | Warda – Fe Yom we Leila Concert | Kazem El Saher – Hal Endaki Shak | Samira Said – Al Gany Ba’d Yomein

Raï

Out of the various musical genres of Algeria, Raï is arguably the most well-known internationally. Raï is an Algerian popular musical genre that emerged in the 1920s in the city of Oran. The most famous Raï singer is Cheb Khaled, whose songs have spread not only across North Africa and the Arab world but to international audiences as well.

Though less renowned internationally, Cheikha Rimitti was another iconic Raï singer who played a pioneering role in the genre and is now recognized as “the Queen of Raï” or “Mother of Raï.” Other Raï singers include Cheb Mami, Cheb Hasni, and Cheba Zahouania.

FUN FACT
Older generations of Raï singers, who sang more traditional styles of the genre, usually carried the name “Cheikh” (m.) or “Cheikha” (f.), meaning “leader” and usually denoting an older person, while younger generations with a more modern style chose to carry the titles “Cheb” (m.) and “Cheba” (f.), meaning “young.”

PLAYLIST: Cheikha Rimitti – Nouar | Cheb Mami - Lazrag saâni

Other musical genres of Algeria and North Africa: Hawzi, Kabyle, Chaoui, Chaabi (Algerian and Moroccan), Gnawa, Malhun, Gharnati, Gasba, Ma’luf, and more.

SAWT

Emerging in the 1800s, the Sawt genre is a traditional art form popular in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, and Bahrain, that relies heavily on various types of drums as well as the Oud. According to Kuwaiti musician and ethnomusicologist Ghazi Al Mulaifi, Sawt lyrics are often derived from old Iraqi poetry and literature as well as Classical Arabic poetry. This means that Sawt performers are incredibly skilled in the art of performing a captivating recitation of poetry.

Though decades apart, these two highly similar Sawt performances demonstrate the keen preservation of traditional music and culture by local musicians in Kuwait.

Dabke

Dabke is a Levantine folk dance popular across Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq with over 20 variations in style between and within each country. Holding hands or placing their arms on one another’s shoulders, Dabke dancers stand in either a line or semi-circle, performing a synchronized series of steps, hops, and jumps. Many Arab children of Levantine or Iraqi origin learn the dance from a very young age, since they often grow up watching their friends and family members spontaneously Dabke at any type of joyous occasion or gathering. Dabke is associated with a very unique musical style that centers the tabla and the mijwiz, among other instruments.

Here are some of our favourite Dabke performances for you to enjoy!

Tahteeb

Popular in Upper Egypt (Al-Saied), Tahteeb is a martial art which can also be performed as a dance. Rooted in Ancient Egyptian military traditions, Tahteeb involves the use of a long stick or cane. When practiced as a martial art, it consists of two adversaries waving their canes in the air and striking their own cane against that of their opponent in a repetitive, figure-eight motion. The sport is usually accompanied by music and is performed in front of an audience at various events. When performed as a dance, dancers usually maintain the striking of canes in their performance while including additional elements such as a choreographed series of steps and jumps and/or the spinning and twirling of multiple canes at once.

FUN FACT: Some athletes in Egypt are working to get Tahteeb recognized as an official Olympic sport! Read more about it here.

Watch a performances of Tahteeb here:

Khaleejy

Literally meaning, “Gulf”, in Arabic, Khaleeji is a dance that incorporates folk dances from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain. The dance is usually performed by women wearing bright, colourful, traditional clothing. While dabke focuses more on an intricate series of steps and stomps, Khaleeji dancing is more focused on arm movements and sways as well as hair flips from one side to the other.

Watch some performances of Khaleejy here:

Bara’

The Bara’ dance, normally performed by men, is one of the many traditional folkloric dances of Yemen and Oman. According to Yemeni scholar Aly Al-Mohamady, the dance finds its origins in ancient Yemeni military practices, particularly in the North-Western region. Before battle, soldiers would perform the dance to prepare themselves mentally and emotionally. Today, Bara’ dancers step, hop, jump, and spin to the beat of the drum while wearing traditional clothing and holding either a small dagger, rifle, cane, stick, or items resembling weaponry, depending on the variation of the dance.

Watch some performances of Bara’ here: