Aisha Azar

Dear Forum members,
I am finding myself musically depressed these days. There is very little of the newer music, even the Egyptian stuff, that inspires me to dance. I find that I have to go back to my older tapes to find anything that has... well... this certain kind of depth and essence. I am talking about stuff done by Hani Mahennah, Baligh Hamdi, and a few others. There is just SOMETHING in the way the music is out together that seems to be lacking in the newer stuff for me. It sounds, I don't know, too clean or something. Someone told me that this COULD be just because the mastering of the music is digital, and they may be right, but there seems to be something else missing that I can not out my finger on. Does anyone else understand what I am trying to say here, and have you heard any new music that has IT?
Regards,
A'isha

Aziyade

ARe you talking about the difference between like an old 45, with pops and cracks in the sound, and compared to the crisp clean sound of a CD?

Or are you talking about how the sound of the musical compositions themselves are different -- like the diff between Big Band music and Rock n Roll now?

If it's the second, I understand. I miss those big huge orchestral productions, but I guess that's just not what the artists want to do now. Is this the Arab version of "classical" music, and will it only be played on NPR stations now?

OT: I was so happy in the US when Brian Setzer brought back the Swing "revival" again, and you started hearing more swing dance music. But I guess that fashion is over again.

Aisha Azar

Dear Aziyade,
I am talking about the complexity and richness of the music itself. As you say, the orchestral music, with a variety of things happening in the back of the music that makes it so wonderful to interpret. I still hear this quality on some of the videos from Egypt, even into the new century, but do not know how or where to get my hands on the music. The feeling and sound that I am thinking of is mostly from the 60s-80s for the most part, with a few pieces being from the 50s. Someone also told me that record albums do have a tonal quality that makes the music sound somehow richer than what can be accomplished with digital music, and that might actually be part of it as well. It sounds like you know what I am talking about exactly! If you know of any new music that has that quality, I would appreciate a push in the right direction.
Regards,
A'isha

sedoniaraqs

A'isha, are you looking for suggestions for purchases? I have a few more obscure that you might possibly have not run across.

Dancing with Genies, produced by Serpentine.org (Yasmin)
Cry to the Moon (ditto, and both of these come with delightful little booklets)
Leila Haddad's "The music of Mohammed Sultan" (I like track #2 Khalikou Shededin)
Leila Haddad's "Ahla Leila" I think also by Mohammed Sultan.
Cairo Orchestra's "A tribute to Om Kalthoum"
Raks Sharki vol 1 (not Jalilah's) Mohammed Ali/Egyptiskt Kulturcentrum Kairo Bazar -- I just got this and haven't listened to it all but I like what I've heard so far. There are some synthesizers in it though.

I also do not like much of the hottest "modern Cairo" music coming out right now. It is too synthesized, whereas I like violins, oud, kanun, etc. I really don't even like accordian so much even though it is very traditional.

sedoniaraqs

If I had to pick the best of the above list, it would be Dancing with Genies.

And in terms of what to avoid, I would suspect you would not like either of Leila's cd's (Sukara belly dance and Helwa Egyptian belly dance). They are well recorded, and very representative of the music Egyptian dancers use in their shows, but it is very "new" and synthesized.

Sedonia

Aisha Azar

Dear Sedonia,
Thanks for the guidance in choosing some new music! I will look at Rashid Sales Co. tomorrow to see if they carry any of the titles you suggested.
Regards,
A'isha

sedoniaraqs

I don't think they carry Serpentine's music. I ordered it off their website: www.serpentine.org

belly_dancer

oh my god..my FAV Leylet Hoab version is a copied cd (do not even KNOW how I ended up w/ it or where it came from...)
it has the crackly sounds of a record... & for lack of words... a "richness".... there is also a fab violin taxim with it...... WOW
BTW I LOVE Brian Setzer!!!

Sofia

I have been looking for that song (have the original but that does not serve for dancing). Is this version with a singer?

Thanks for the info

Aisha Azar

Dear Sedonia,
Thanks, I will get in touch with them at the website.
Regards,
A'isha