Music, Dance, and Theatre
The Oud
An instrument that has become widely popular among Arab
musicians is the oud. It is an old string instrument (around 3000 BCE). It has
spread throughout the Middle East, and is believed to be the ancestor to the
guitar and related instruments. The oud can have one or three holes, has a
round back, a bent pegbox, no frets, and most have 11 strings. The oud that is
played in the modern era has been around for about 500 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK5FJZOi9u4
The Dabke
The Dabke is a folk dance that is popular in countries like
Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. It is a dance that has been based upon the building
of homes. The roofs of homes used to be built with tree branches and mud, and when
the seasons changed, the mud would crack and need to be fixed. This would call
for the members of the house and neighbors to climb to the flat roof and stomp
around so that the mud could be fixed. Today it is a dance that is done holding
hands in a line, and has become an upbeat dance.
Below is a "how to" for Dabke:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYxQMbsmPaw
Khayal al-Zill
The Khayal al-Zill is a type of shadow play. It is
translated as “shadows of fancy”. It is what is known as Karagoz in Turkey.
Khayal al-Zill is known for its epic stories, its satirical tales, and its
ability to keep audiences entertained throughout the Middle East. It is a
loveable form of theatre that is often sought out during the month of Ramadan.
Sources:
Images:
posted by Josh Owl @ 10:57 AM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
The Middle East has so much culture that has developed over the years that we rarely hear about. Although i have never heard of the Oud, I have seen it before and never knew that it originated in the Middle East. I also would not have even guessed that the folk dance originated from having to stomp on their roofs! It seems like such a little fact but the little pieces of knowledge that give traditions their origin are always the most interesting in my opinion. The Kahayal al-Zill shadow play seems like a skill that may have been lost over the centuries with the development of new technology but it seems that the tradition has kept it going. In modern day is this style of theater still in use or is it usually reserved for the month of Ramadan?
I never have heard of an oud before and I was not aware that it was a popular instrument amongst Arab musicians. It was really cool to learn that it is the ancestor of the guitar and that such an old instrument has a place in modern Arab music today. Also, I have never heard of the Dabke dance before. This dance shows how the Middle East truly does place a large importance on their community instead of thinking about themselves individually. When do people do the Dabke dance in Turkey today? Do they do it only special social gatherings or holidays? I am surprised to see that people in Turkey are still interested in Khayal al-Zill due to recent advances of technology. It is truly fascinating to learn about the traditions of the Middle East because there are so many and learning how these traditions are formed allow one to truly better understand their culture.
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