Classical Arabic music: Muwashshahat
This episode is dedicated to one of the oldest forms of classical Arabic song. Muwashshah (singular or Muwashshahat in plural. The term comes from the Arabic word for“ to girdle, to a scarf, a necklace to decorate ”and Is originally given to an Arabic form of poetry that originated in 10th century Arab Andalusia in the Iberian peninsula, characterized by the absence of the strict rules of classical Arabic poetry and the inclusion of colloquial expressions and even foreign words. The music based on this poetry adopted the same name Muwashah. However, the musical form as we now know by this name originated between Syria and Egypt of the 18th and 19th century and -apart from few old poems used as in the lyrics- has little to do with medieval Iberia. nor with other forms of music based on the old poetry form in North Africa (Morocco for example) . The “Muwashshahat” “serve as a basis of much classical middle-eastern Arabic music and has been performed since th 19th century n many styles (for example as part of the classical suite “wasla” or later even as learning material.. The musical form is characterized by refined and vocally demanding melody based on complex long rhythmic cycles (see here for example) often filled with catchphrases and expressions such as: Aaah, Yela lala ya lelli, amaan..etc. The Muwashah is therefore often sung in a group and often takes the form of a call and response singing between the singer and the choir, giving the opportunity improvise and add embellishments . Especially Old records show this lively way of performing more than the moderner scholastic performances of some music ensembles. the city of Aleppo in Syria was particularly known for keeping this special tradition alive. There the muwashshat were even performed at weddings and religious festivities (even though the text is not religious and is about beauty. love and desire and the enjoyment of wine which is a characteristic of Sufi poetry in which the earthly and sensual pleasures metaphorically acquire a spiritual charge and meaning.
Most of the compositions were anonymous, but that changed at the end of the 19th and early 20th century when a striking number of compositions were made in Egypt (eg by Mohamed Othman, Daoud Husni, Sayed Darwish) and Syria which produced the last great composer of this genre, Omar Al Batsh, who died in 1950. We will listen to different performance showing the diversity in styles from the Levant and Egypt.
Music concert Sabah Fakhri (Aleppo
Traditional feest Aleppo (1980s):
Egyptian TV/Radio ensemble (1960s):
Tracks
- Ramani bi sahmi Hawahu / Arrow of love caught me (Composed by Dawood Hosni Cairo 1870-1927) : Hassan Haffar and Aleppo ensemble. 02:57
- Fika Kol ma arah hasan (All that I see in you is beauty) (Anonymous): Louis Hage/Aida Chalhoub 02:00
- Jalla man qad sagha bardan / Tarraz arrayhaan – Ensemble Morkos (Lebanon1990s) . 03:13
- . Qatili (: Ensemble Morkos (Lebanon) 02:48
- Qatili : Sayed El-Safty (78 rpm recording Egypt crica 1912 03:15
- . Kahala as-sihru, Laure Daccache ( Egypt 1950s) 03:25
- . Ejma’au bilqurb / Jall man qad saou’warak , Sabah Fakhri (Syria-Aleppo ) 05:35
- Wasla Yakah: SUite in maqam Yakah of 4 Muwashshahat (composed by Omar Al-Batch, Aleppo 1885-1950) : Saahi Qum Lil-Hani (Friend,let’s go to the tavern), Husnuki N-Nishwan (Your intoxicating beauty), Mubarqa’u L-Jamali (Hidden Beauty) and Bi’abi Bahi (O Your Dazzling beauty). performed by Hassan Haffar and Aleppo ensemble. The Aleppo suites live Paris 1999) . 12:35
- Qultu lamma ghaba (composed by Omar Al-Batch) : performed by Hassan Haffar and Aleppo ensemble. The Aleppo suites live Paris 1999) . 07:52
- Al- Oyoun el-Kawasir (Anonymous) : Aisha Hassan (Egypt 1960s) 03:48
- Al-‘azara al-maissat (Anonymous) : Beirut Oriental ensemble 05:02
- Hayyara Al-Afkaar (He made me confused) (Anonymous) : Beirut Oriental ensemble 02:35
- Hayyara Al-Afkaar Sayed El-Safti (78 rpm record circa 1910) 04:00
Produced by:
