# Arab music.



## KaerbEmEvig (Dec 15, 2009)

Arab classical, arab jazz and any other arab music. Do you guys listen to this kind of music? Arab classical music has richer melodies than western classical music (opinion of professor from Yale).


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

I prefer Arabic music, rather than cross-cultural/fusion music performed by Arabs like you posted. I also include Turkish, Persian and other Middle Eastern musics in the same category.


















Saying this, I haven't explored Arabic music anywhere near to the same extent as I have Indian music or some Sub-Saharan African cultures like the Shona music of Zimbabwe.

There's also a cool band from Saharan Africa that use Western electric instruments. Unfortunately, I can't remember their name right now. I remember they played the Jazz World stage at Glastonbury a few years ago and they were all wearing desert/Bedouin clothing.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

After hearing many works of XXth century composers inspired by Arabic music I struggled to hear some traditional stuff from those parts of the world, but didn't found anything interesting. As much as I don't care for Abduls and Muhammeds playing piano and composing European classical music I'm still very interested in exploring some truely Arabic music, so I'll be following this thread. I already liked some of this stuff that Argus posted.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Ach, one more thing:


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Argus said:


> I prefer Arabic music, rather than cross-cultural/fusion music performed by Arabs like you posted. I also include Turkish, Persian and other Middle Eastern musics in the same category.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


maybe konono n.1?


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

norman bates said:


> maybe konono n.1?


No, but I will check them out. I've not heard much electric kalimba.

Anyway, I've found them. They are called Tinariwen. A band of Tuareg musicians from northern Mali.


















Quite a lot of blues and rock influence in their music.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Sounds alright (much better than the western contemporary, weird electronic fart variety). Some CDs of ancient music from that part of the world (i.e pre-1500) are available. I remember seeing several advertised, performed by early music ensembles.


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## goingunder (Sep 18, 2011)

Marcel Khalife makes concertos featuring Arabic instruments like the Oud or Rababa




(other movements in related videos)
…





As for songs, I mostly listen to Fairouz's old songs with the orchestras composed by the Rahbani brothers because they have any musical depth. In fact, Arabs in general only regard music as song. It's the form that is respected and cared about. So much that today they rarely call it "music" & I'm despised by that. Today, only very few musicians make any interesting music, and almost all of them aren't popular.


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2011)

This is an excellent recording that I listen to quite frequently. I didn't specifically seek it out, but I saw it at the library, and seeing that it was recorded by Jordi Savall, I checked it out. I loved it so much I bought a copy.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I'm quite fond of Middle-Eastern... Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Indian music as a result of my exposure to and love of medieval music. Middle-Eastern influences can be found throughout early European music... especially in Spain (as a result of Muslim presence until 1492) as well as in the east in the Byzantine Empire due to its proximity with the Persian Empire and its links with the trade routes (silk road) to India and Asia. Jordi Savall has produced a number of discs of this oeuvre.

If you are interested in this music, Kayhan Kalhor is someone to look for:






The Masters of Persian Music:






Anouar Brahem is especially interesting. Born in Tunisia he straddles various traditions. He performs traditional Middle-Eastern classical and folk music:






But he also merges these with French classical (Satie), folk, and jazz traditions:






You might also check into the group, Ghazal which included Kalhor. They combined elements of Persian with Indian folk/classical traditions:


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## goingunder (Sep 18, 2011)

Indian isn't really Arabic; Persian and Turkish are close though.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Persian isn't Arabic either. To suggest that they are would be akin to suggesting that the Germans are pretty much the same as the French. I actually have an interest in Middle-Eastern culture as a result of my studies in art history (and to a slightly lesser extent, literature) and I am far more interested in Persian art and literature (which is probably far richer) than Arabic. Of course there are links across the whole Pan-Arabic/Islamic/Middle-East from Arab Andalusia (in Spain) through India under the Mughal Empire... and beyond. They traded along the spice route with China and Japan and Korea. The Persian Empire outlasted both the Greek and Roman Empires in spite of devastating losses to the Greeks, including Alexander the great. They remained the arch-rival in the East of the Roman Empire and later the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire. A disastrous war with the Byzantine Empire proved the final demise of the Persian Empire as they were greatly severely weakened and soon after fell to the invading Arab-Islamic forces. Persia fell under the control of various outsiders, from the Arabs to the Mongols to the Turks, but in spite of this occupation their language and culture thrived through the poetry of such writers as Saadi, Rumi, Hafez, and Firdowsi. Under the Mongol rule of Timur (or Tamerlane) Persian culture and language continued to reassert itself so that by the 1400-1500s one might speak of a "golden age" of Persian art and architecture. In terms of music, surely there are distinct differences between Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Afghan, Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan, Arab-Andalusian, and Byzantine (etc...) traditions, but there are also many similarities. Undoubtedly, it would take a musicologist years of study to really grasp the differences, the similarities, the influences, and the history of this musical tradition... which is quite likely no less rich than it is in art and literature.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Oud player Rabih Abou-Khalil, who has a large catalog of recordings on the Enja label.
He plays a fusion middle eastern/jazz fusion with folk influences. My favorite CD is probably Al Jadida w/ Sonny Fortune.


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## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> I'm quite fond of Middle-Eastern... Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Indian music as a result of my exposure to and love of medieval music. Middle-Eastern influences can be found throughout early European music... especially in Spain (as a result of Muslim presence until 1492) as well as in the east in the Byzantine Empire due to its proximity with the Persian Empire and its links with the trade routes (silk road) to India and Asia. Jordi Savall has produced a number of discs of this oeuvre.
> 
> If you are interested in this music, Kayhan Kalhor is someone to look for:
> 
> ...


I have to thank you, really. I didnt realize that arabic and persian music had soo much substance! I really really liked those first two you posted, I ended up listening to the second part to that piece. Soo sublime, what a true work of art. 
Now I will slowly expand from this to find other masterpieces like the ones you posted. Good Stuff!


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## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

I think I am slowly converting - I found this to be the most emotional and expressive music ever played. The male that sings this with such a soft whisper is out of this world. It is a very somber work, so moving.


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

I know some Arab singers like Omme Kolthum, Elissa and Nancy Ajram.
For Arab classic music I find Civilization V (video game) has very interesting Arabic-MiddleEast music

Persian classic music has older roots and have more variety but I haven't listened to it much.


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