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Celebrating the Golden Age of Arab MusicCelebrating the Golden Age of Arab Music

Aswat (Voices)Aswat (Voices)Teacher Resource GuideTeacher Resource Guide

08l0908l09 Youth EducationYouth EducationCreative Teachers...Intelligent Students...Real LearningCreative Teachers...Intelligent Students...Real Learning

This Teacher Resource Guide is a product of the University Musical Society’s Youth Education Program. Researched, written by Bree Juarez. Edited by Bree Juarez and Claire Rice. All photos are courtesy of the artist unless otherwise noted.

About UMSOne of the oldest performing arts presenters in the coun-try, UMS serves diverse audiences through multi-disciplinary performing arts programs in three distinct but interrelated areas: presentation, creation, and education.

With a program steeped in music, dance, theater, and education, UMS hosts approximately 80 performances and 150 free educational activities each season. UMS also commissions new work, sponsors artist residencies, and organizes collaborative projects with local, national as well as many international partners.

While proudly affiliated with the University of Michigan and housed on the Ann Arbor campus, UMS is a separate not-for-profit organization that supports itself from ticket sales, grants, contributions, and endowment income.

UMS Education and Audience Development DepartmentUMS’s Education and Audience Development Department seeks to deepen the relationship between audiences and art, as well as to increase the impact that the perform-ing arts can have on schools and community. The pro-gram seeks to create and present the highest quality arts education experience to a broad spectrum of community constituencies, proceeding in the spirit of partnership and collaboration.

The department coordinates dozens of events with over 100 partners that reach more than 50,000 people annually. It oversees a dynamic, comprehensive program encompassing workshops, in-school visits, master classes, lectures, youth and family programming, teacher professional development workshops, and “meet the artist” opportunities, cultivating new audiences while engaging existing ones.

For advance notice of Youth Education events, join the UMS Teachers email list by emailing [email protected] or visit www.ums.org/education.

Cover Photo: Simon Shaheen, artistic director of Aswat.

UMS greatefuly acknowleges the following corporation, foundations, and government agenies for their generous support of the UMS Youth Education Program:

Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs

University of Michigan

AnonymousArts at MichiganBank of Ann ArborBorders Group, Inc.Bustan al-Funun Foundation for Arab ArtsCFI GroupCommunity Foundation for Southeast MichiganDoris Duke Charitable FoundationDTE Energy FoundationThe Esperance Family FoundationGM Powertrain Willow Run SiteDavid and Phyllis Herzig Endowment FundHonigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLPJazzNet EndowmentWK Kellogg FoundationMasco Corporation FoundationThe Mosaic Foundation, Washington, D.C.THE MOSAIC FOUNDATION (of R. & P. Heydon)National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the ArtsNational Endowment for the ArtsPerforming Arts FundPrudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12 Education Endowment FundTargetTisch Investment AdvisoryUMS Advisory CommitteeUniversity of Michigan Credit UnionUniversity of Michigan Health SystemU-M Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic AffairsU-M Office of the Vice President for ResearchWallace Endowment Fund

Celebrating the Golden Age of Arab MusicAswat (Voices)

Thursday, March 12, 200911:00am-12:00pm

Hill Auditorium

TEACHER RESOURCE GUIDE

08/09UMS Youth Education

4 | www.ums.org/education

About the Performance* 6 Coming to the Show* 7 The Performance at a GlanceAbout the Artists* 9 About Aswat (Voices) 10 About the Vocalists 12 About the InstrumentalistsAbout the Performance* 14 A Selection of Songs 16 About the InstrumentsThe Golden Age of Arab Cinema and Song 18 The Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema 20 Composers in the Golden Age of Arab Song 23 Singers in the Golden Age of Arab SongArab Culture 27 The Arab World 28 Religion in the Arab World 29 Arabic Music 32 Language 33 Traditional Clothing 35 Islamic Calendar 36 Islamic HolidaysLesson Plans 39 Curriculum Connections 40 Meeting Michigan Standards 41 Lesson One: A Creative Look at Arab Culture 44 Lesson Two: Sound 45 Lesson Three: Understanding Arab Folktales 49 Lesson Four: Appreciating the Performance 50 The Vocabulary of Arabic MusicResources* 53 UMS Permission Slip* 54 Using the Resource CD 55 Internet Resources 56 Recommended Reading 57 Community and National Resources 58 Evening Performance/ Teen Ticket 59 How to Contact UMS

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The Performance

at a Glance

Khalil Abonula, a featured vocalist in Aswat


Coming to the ShowWe want you to enjoy your time in the theater, so here are some tips to make your Youth Performance experience successful and fun! Please review this page prior to attending the performance.

What should I do during the show?Everyone is expected to be a good audience member. This keeps the show fun for everyone. Good audience members... • Are good listeners • Keep their hands and feet to themselves • Do not talk or whisper during the performance • Laugh only at the parts that are funny • Do not eat gum, candy, food or drink in the theater • Stay in their seats during the performance • Do not disturb the people sitting nearby or other schools in attendance

Who will meet us when we arrive? After you exit the bus, UMS Education staff and greeters will be outside to meet you. They might have special directions for you, so be listening and follow their directions. They will take you to the theater door where ushers will meet your group. The greeters know that your group is coming, so there’s no need for you to have tickets.

Who will show us where to sit? The ushers will walk your group to its seats. Please take the first seat available. (When everybody’s seated, your teacher will decide if you can rearrange yourselves.) If you need to make a trip to the restroom before the show starts, ask your teacher.

How will I know that the show is starting? You will know the show is starting because the lights in the auditorium will get dim, and a member of the UMS Education staff will come out on stage to introduce the performance.

What if I get lost? Please ask an usher or a UMS staff member for help. You will recognize these adults because they have name tag stickers or a name tag hanging around their neck.

How do I show that I liked what I saw and heard? The audience shows appreciation during a performance by clapping. In a musical perfor-mance, the musicians are often greeted with applause when they first appear. It is traditional to applaud at the end of each musical selection and sometimes after impressive solos. At the end of the show, the performers will bow and be rewarded with your applause. If you really enjoyed the show, give the performers a standing ovation by standing up and clapping during the bows. For this particular show, it will be most appropriate to applaud at the beginning and the ending.

What do I do after the show ends? Please stay in your seats after the performance ends, even if there are just a few of you in your group. Someone from UMS will come onstage and announce the names of all the schools. When you hear your school’s name called, follow your teachers out of the auditorium, out of the theater and back to your buses.

How can I let the performers know what I thought? We want to know what you thought of your experience at a UMS Youth Performance. After the performance, we hope that you will be able to discuss what you saw with your class. Tell us about your experiences in a letter or drawing. Please send your opinions, letters or artwork to: UMS Youth Education Program, 881 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011.


Who is Simon Shaheen?Simon Shaheen is the artistic director and performer in Aswat. A virtuoso on the ’oud and the violin, Simon Shaheen is one of the most significant Arab musi-cians, performers, and composers of his generation and his work incorporates and reflects the deep legacy of Arabic music. A graduate of the Academy of Music in Jerusalem and the Manhattan School of Music, Mr. Shaheen learned to play ’oud from his father, Hikmat Shaheen, a professor of music and a master ’oud player. He established and manages the operations of both the Annual Arab Festival of Arts, called Mahrajan al-Fan, held in New York, and the Annual Arabic Music Retreat, held at Mount Holyoke College. Mr. Shaheen was presented with the prestigious National Heritage Award at the White House in 1994 and has received awards and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts. He has performed in many of the most prestigious con-cert halls around the world and regularly gives workshops and lectures at leading institutions such as Juilliard, Columbia, Cornell, Princeton, Harvard, and Yale.

Who are the performers in Aswat?Aswat features four vocalists: Ibrahim Azzam, Sonia M’barek, Khalil Abonula, and Rima Khcheich. See pages 10-11 for their complete biographies. The performance also features The Aswat Orchestra.

What is the Aswat Orchestra?This traditional Arab orchestra features virtuoso instrumentalists playing violins, ouds (a pear-shaped wooden instrument with eleven strings), acoustic bass, cello, nay (a type of woodwind instrument), qanun (aka zither), and percussion under the direction of maestro Simon Shaheen, recreating the sound of the Golden Age (see page 16 for further descriptions and pictures of these instruments.)

When was the Golden Age of Arab Cinema and Song?The period from the 1920s to the 1950s is considered the “golden age” of Egyp-tian cinema, but it was also a golden age of song in many parts of the Arab world – in particular, Egypt, Lebanon an Syria. Many of these country’s greatest singers and composers reached unprecedented heights of artistry and stardom through-out these years. The beloved diva Um Kulthoum and Mohammad Abdel Wahhab from Egypt, Syria’s Asmahan and Farid Al-Atrash and Lebanon’s Wadi’ Al-Safi and Fairuz, all represent the very best this era had to offer and add to the impressive canon of Arabic music.

What songs will you hear at the performance?Simon Shaheen and the featured vocalists of Aswat will be perfoming songs from the Golden Age of Arab cinema and song. For a complete list of the songs and descriptions, see pages 14-15).

The Performance at a Glance

About the Artists

Rima Khcheich, a featured vocalist in Aswat

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The period from the 1920s to the 1950s is considered the “golden age” of Egyp-tian cinema, but it was also a golden age of song in many parts of the Arab world – in particular, Egypt, Lebanon an Syria. Many of these country’s greatest singers and composers reached unprecedented heights of artistry and stardom throughout these years. The beloved diva Um Kulthoum and Mohammad Abdel Wahhab from Egypt, Syria’s Asmahan and Farid Al-Atrash and Lebanon’s Wadi’ Al-Safi and Fairuz, all represent the very best this era had to offer and add to the impressive canon of Arabic music.

Now, one of today’s leading Arab composers and multi instrumentalists, Simon Shaheen, brings this era back to life with an exciting new project called: Aswat – Celebrating the Golden Age of Arab Music. With a traditional, 12 to 15-piece Arab orchestra and special guest vocalists, Shaheen directs an performance that encom-passes of classic melodies sung by the Arab world’s leading vocalists. The songs are set as orchestral arrangements, authentically recreating and interpreting the sights and sounds of this time.

Shaheen’s international search for the top Arab singers of today has yielded Ibra-him Azzam of Palestine, Sonia M’barek of Tunisia, Khalil Abonula of Palestine, and Rima Khcheich of Lebanon. Together exclusively for the Aswat project, the vocalists render the most beloved Arabic songs of all time by composers like Mohammad Abdel Wahhab, Farid Al-Atrash and the Rahbani Brothers. The Aswat Orchestra in-cludes several virtuoso instrumentalists and helps deliver a rich musical experience.

About Aswat (Voices)

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TitleSimon Shaheen, artistic directorA virtuoso on the ’oud and the violin, Simon Shaheen is one of the mostsignificant Arab musicians, performers, and composers of his generation and his work incorporates and reflects the deep legacy of Arabic music. A graduate of the Academy of Music in Jerusalem and the Manhattan School of Music, Mr. Shaheen learned to play ’oud from his father, Hikmat Shaheen, a professor of music and amaster ’oud player. He established and manages the operations of both the Annual Arab Festival of Arts, called Mahrajan al-Fan, held in New York, and the Annual Ara-bic Music Retreat, held at Mount Holyoke College. Mr. Shaheen was presented withthe prestigious National Heritage Award at the White House in 1994 and has re-ceived awards and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts. He has performed in many of the most prestigiousconcert halls around the world and regularly gives workshops and lectures at leading institutions such as Juilliard, Columbia, Cornell, Princeton, Harvard, and Yale.

Featured Vocalists

Ibrahim AzzamHighly influenced and inspired by his very musical family, Ibrahim Azzam showed exceptional talent by the age of five, with both his singing and instrumental skills on the ’oud. Born in Palestine, his father and mother were singers known fortheir vast command of the Arab traditional musical repertoire. At the age of 10, Mr. Azzam studied for a period of eight years with professor Hikmat Shaheen, a leading Palestinian composer and ’oud performer. In 1975, he moved to England andmade a new home in London. Since that time, he has established himself as one of the leading Arab vocalists in Europe and the Middle East. Mr. Azzam has performed in the most prestigious venues around the world including Royal Albert Hall in Lon-don, the Opera House in Geneva, the Opera House in Cairo, the Royal Cultural Centre in Amman, the Cultural Palace in Ramallah, the Village Gate in New York City, and Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University. One of his most distinguish-able traits is his unique and idiosyncratic voice, which has been compared to that of the prolific Arab singer/composer Mohammad Abdel Wahhab. During the late ’70s and early ’80s, Mr. Azzam was taken under the wing of his mentor and became one of the finest performers of Abdel Wahhab’s vocal repertoire. He has collaboratedwith established Egyptian composers Baligh Hamdi, Farouk Al-Sahrnoubi, and Hilmi Baker.

Sonia M’barekSonia M’barek was born in 1969 in Sfax, Tunisia. She performed for the first time in public at the age of nine, and at 12 was revealed to a large television audience. From 1977–1986 she attended the national conservatory of music in Tunis, gradu-ating with a diploma of Arabic music. Since then she has sung for musical theater productions like Asker Ellil, Eté 61, Taht Essour, Didon, and on film sound tracks for Abulkacem Echebbi (The Dance of Fire). Ms. M’barek has worked successfully withTunisian lute players Ali Sriti and Anouar Brahem with whom she presented more than 30 concerts of classical Arabian music “Tarab” leading to the CD recording Tarab. In 1999, her recording Takht was distributed across Europe, the US, and Japan

About the Vocalists


About the Vocalistson the German label World Network. She has participated in numerous conferences,workshops, and master classes on Arabic music in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Egypt, Tunisia, and Lebanon. In 2005, she was nominated by the ministry of cul-ture to serve as the chair of national festival of the Tunisian music. She has received countless awards for performance and artistry from prestigious organizations around world from the Middle East, Europe, and North America.

Khalil AbonulaKhalil Abonula is a Palestinian who was born in the city of Nazareth into a musical family. His father and mother were singers and both played on the ’oud. His mother taught him to play ’oud and introduced him to Arabic music theory. Since his early childhood, Mr. Abonula participated in school’s special events as a solo singer andjoined the church choir where he learned many of the Byzantine hymns. He grew up listening to the masters of Arab classical music particularly the Egyptians Sayyed Dar-wish, Saleh Abdel Hay, Mohammad Abdel Wahhab, and the Lebanese, Wadi’ Al-Safi, whose voice and style of singing caught his attention in particular. At the age of 12,Mr. Abonula joined with his father as a singer in community events and parties. After graduating from high school, he started his first music band called Samah, named after a spiritual style of singing and dancing in Syria. Over the last 20 years he has performed at distinguished venues and festivals throughout the Arab world as well asGreece, Bulgaria, and France.

Rima KhcheichRima Khcheich is an instructor of Classical Arabic Singing at The Lebanese National Superior Conservatory of Music in Beirut. She started singing at the age of seven, and two years later she became a member of the Arab Orchestra and Chorale in Bei-rut under the direction of Salim Sahhab. At the age of 11, she became a soloistwith Sahhab’s group, singing the most diffi cult repertoire in Arabic vocal music. A graduate of The Lebanese National Conservatory of Music and The Lebanese Ameri-can University, Ms. Khcheich has performed throughout the Middle East, Europe,and the US. She specializes in Arab-Andalusian Muwashshahat form and 19th- and 20th-century Arabic traditional vocal repertoires. Since 1999, Ms. Khcheich has been a faculty member of the Annual Arabic Music Retreat at Mount Holyoke College.

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TitleAbout the InstrumentalistsThe Aswat Orchestra

This traditional Arab orchestra features virtuoso instrumentalists playing violins, ouds, acoustic bass, cello, nay, qanun (aka zither), and percussion under the direction of maestro Simon Shaheen, recreating the sound of the Golden Age.

ViolinKamil Shajrawi, William Shaheen, Adeeb Refela,Georges Lammam

CelloThomas Ulrich

BassWalid Zairi

QanunJamal Sinno

Nay/fl uteBassam Saba

PercussionMichel Merhej, Dafer Tawil

’OudNajib Shaheen

About the Performance

Sonia M’barek, a featured vocalist in Aswat

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TitleSongs performed at the youth performance will be taken from the following selections. Not all songs listed below will be performed. Each song will be introduced and put into context by the performers on stage.

Fakkaruni (Remind Me)Music by Mohammad Abdel Wahhab

Fakkaruni is an instrumental arrangement of a vocal masterpiece composed in 1966 and sung by Egyptian Diva, Um Kulthoum. The song starts with a lengthy introduction and includes a number of interludes that are linked together to form afantastic piece.

Jannat (Gardens)Music by Wadi’ Al Safi Lyrics by Abdel Jalil Wihbeh

Jannat is a popular song. It is a descriptive monologue of nature’s beauty in Lebanondescribed as a majestic garden.

Wayli Laou Yidrun (Woe, if my Folks Know)Music by Wadi’ Al Safi Lyrics by Abdel Jalil Wihbeh

Wayli Laou Yidrun describes a man’s love and affection for a woman never approved of by his parents.

Sakana l-Layl (Calm Night)Music by Mohammad Abdel WahhabLyrics by Gibran Khalil Gibran

The lyrics for Sakana l-Layl are taken from a poetic genre known as Qasida. Gibran Khalil Gibran is also the author of The Prophet.

Il Wardi Gamil (Lovely Flowers)Music by Zakariyya AhmadLyrics by Mahmoud Bayram Al TunisiIl Wardi Gamil was premièred in the fi lm Fatima by Umm Kulthoum in 1947. Umm Kulthoum sings to the lovely fl owers as she collects them from the garden.

Sahrit Hubb (An Evening of Love)Music by Rahbani brothers

Sahrit Hubb, a television musical sketch, was composed and written by the Rahbani brothers and performed, in the mid-’60s, by Fairuz, Wadi’ Al-Safi , and the chorus. The theme is based on a love story that takes place in a Lebanese village.

A Selection of Songs

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KahramanaMusic by Farid Al-Atrash

Farid Al-Atrash produced many fi lms as a vehicle for introducing his music. Kahramana is an instrumental dance performed in the fi lm Afrita Hanim (Genie) produced in 1949 in Egypt. It was composed for dancer and actress Samia Gamalwho played the main role next to Al-Atrash.

Layalil ’Unsi Fi Vienna (Merry Nights in Vienna)Music by Farid Al AtrashLyrics by Ahmad Rami

Layalil ‘Unsi Fi Vienna was sung by Asmahan in 1944 in the fi lm Gharam Wa Intiqam (Love and Revenge). The song is an invitation to rejoice in the beauty, music, and presence of the ones you love in Vienna.

Ana Fi Intidharak Malleit (I am Fed-up Waiting for You)Music by Zakariyya AhmadLyrics by Mahmoud Bayram Al Tunisi

Ana Fi Intidharak Malleit was sung by UmmKulthoum in 1943. The song describes a man tired of waiting for his beloved.

Ya Wardi Min Yishtirik (The Flower Buyer)Music by Mohammad Abdel WahhabLyrics by Bishara Al KhouryThis monologue was composed and performed in 1940 by Mohammad Abdel Wahhab and premièred in his fi lm Youm Said (A Happy Day).

Ya ’Awathil Falfi luMusic by Farid Al AtrashLyrics by Abu al-Su’ud al-Abyari

Ya ’Awathil Falfi lu was a popular song composed and performed by Farid Al-Atrash in his 1950 fi lm Akhir Kithba (Last Lie) with actress/dancer Samia Gamal. The lyrics address an envious group who try to separate two lovers.

Ya Di n-Na’im (Living in Happiness)Music by Mohammad Abdel WahhabLyrics by Ahmad Rami

Ya Di n-Na’im is a dialogue and was performed by Layla Murad in Mohammad Abdel Wahhab’s 1938 fi lm Yahyal Hubb (Love Wins). The lyrics describe the reunion of two lovers after a long separation.


About the InstrumentsIn addition to traditional western, orchestral instruments-- the violin, cello, bass-- the Aswat Orchestra incorporates traditional Arab instruments, as well.

OudThe English word for lute, which derives from the Spanish laud, origi-nally came from the Arabic al-’ud, literally meaning ‘branch of wood”. Between the eighth and tenth centuries, the oud had only four strings; a fifth was added by Ziriab, the famous Andalusian performer, and a sixth later on in the fifteenth century. Shaped like half a pear with a short fret-ted neck, the oud has five pairs of strings, with an additional string serv-ing as the bass sound. Some Arabic musicians refer to it as “the King of all instruments”.

QanunThe qanun is a descendent of the harp and has played an integral part in Arab music since the tenth century. A kind of dulcimer, its Arabic name means ‘rule’ or ‘law.’ The qanun was introduced to Europe by the 12th Century, becoming known during the 14th to the 16th Century as a psal-tery or zither. The qanun consists of a trapezoid-shaped flat board over which 81 strings are stretched in groups of three with 24 treble chords consisting of three chords to each note. The instrument is placed flat on the knees or table of the musician; the strings are plucked with the finger or with two plectra (or picks), one plectrum attached to the forefinger of each hand. The qanun is suitable for the execution of fioriture, or ornamentation, and rapid scales. The piano is an outgrowth of the harpsi-

chord, an instrument which exchanged the plectra with hammers.

NayThe word nay from Persia is used to describe a single reed pipe of the simplest design whose origins go back to the Sumerian civilization. Nay is the generic Arabic name for simple open-ended reed instruments which usually have six holes in the front for the fingers to play and one hole underneath for the thumb. Fine, mellow tones are brought forth by blow-ing gently over the orifice of the tube while manipulating the fingers and thumbs; by blowing with more or less force, sounds are produced an octave higher or lower, and tunes in different scales can be played by utilizing nays of various lengths. Although very simple, the nay is extraor-dinarily versatile. Its poetical timbre makes it especially suitable for melan-choly effects expressing both joy and yearning.

The Golden Age of Arab Cinema

and Song

Singers and Composers from the Golden Age of Arab Cinema and Song (Clockwise from the top: Um Kalthoum, Mohammad Abdel Wahhab , Farid al-Atrash, and Faruiz)


Egypts foray into cinema began early in the 20th century as the country shook of the social mores of Islam and began to embrace the theatrical arts. As Egypt continued the development of Arab theatre in the more liberal cultural climate of Alexandria, largely because of its large European population. In addition, the first Arabic actresses were either Jewish or Syrian Maronites thereby exempting them from Islamic law.

The first Egyptian stage actress was, in fact, a Copt --Mariam Samat --who first per-formed in 1907 which, as fate would have it, was the year in which the first Egyptian film was produced, a documentary directed by Alfizzi Orvanilli about the renovations to Al-Mursi Abul-Abbas Mosque in Alexandria. Eight years later, in 1915, Munira El-Mahdiya made her mark as the first Egyptian Muslim actress to appear on stage.

The 1920s brought about a renaissance of Egyptian theatre, given impetus by the founding, in 1923, of Youssef Wahbi’s Ramsis Theatre Troupe which furnished Egypt’s first squadron of film actresses. Even so, Zaki Tolaimat’s attempt to create Egypt’s first drama institute in 1930 sparked such controversy over the enrollment of female students that it was forced to close down less than a year after it opened. It was not until 1944 that the government authorised a co-educational drama institute.

The first professional feature films in Egypt were adaptations of American films or cinematic productions of famous Egyptian plays, many of which, in turn, were attempts to imitate the finely honed French vaudeville plays of the time. The first fea-ture length film inspired by a purely Egyptian theme was produced in 1930. Zeinab, directed by Mohamed Karim, was based on the first Egyptian novel. Written in 1913, its author, Mohamed Hussein Heikal, refused to have his name published in the first edition of the book for fear of being pegged as a novelist, another imported literary practice initially received with disdain.

Fledlging Egyptian commercial cinema was nurtured by the liberal climate of the post-1919 Revolution era which led to the British declaration of Egypt’s indepen-dence in 1922, the constitution of 1923 and the first free political party elections in 1924. The birth of the Egyptian feature film in 1927 cannot be separated from the appearance of the first Egyptian actress on stage in 1907, the publication of Mohamed Hussein Heikal’s Zeinab in 1913, the appearance of the first Egyptian Muslim actress on stage in 1915, and all the great cultural accomplishments that pre-ceded it.

Egyptiam cinema became popular not only because it was an extension of folk cul-ture, with its distinctive expressions of the battle between good and evil, the victory of the poor over the rich, and its particular melodramatic blend of humour, passion, song and dance. Its popularity was also made possible because it was a liberal-spir-ited cinema, unhampered by sectarian and ethnic prejudices, championing the rights of women, children and the poor, engaging the combined efforts and outlooks of Muslims, Christians, Jews and Egyptians, Germans, Italians, Greeks, French, Hungar-ians, Iranians and Russians.

One of the most celebrated heroes of Egyptian comedy in the 1930s and 1940s was Shalom the Jew, Egypt’s version of Charlie Chaplin, who appeared in such films as Shalom the Athlete and Shalom the Dragoman. Perhaps the most famous Egyptian comedy screen star was Naguib El-Rihani, who played the long-suffering middle class government bureaucrat. Interestingly, El-Rihani, a Christian, never played a Christian character. In fact, he was Hassan in Hassan, Murqos and Cohen, a comedy expressing

The Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema

Title


the camaraderie between the three major religions in Egypt. The female version of this was Fatma, Marika and Rachel.

As in other countries, Egyptian commercial cinema had its own renowned studio pro-ductions. Like the recyclable sets for Western movies in Hollywood studios, Egypt had the alleyways of Nahas Studio, of Studio Misr and of Studio Al-Ahram. And, as with all studio productions around the world, everyone involved, from the script writer, director, actors and film editor, knew their job and executed it in accordance with a pre-devised and agreed upon plan.

The popular film industry also had its own conventions. It was impossible for end-ings to remain unresolved, for evil to win over good, for an innocent man to be con-demned. Youssef Chahine’s Conflict in the Valley, released in 1954, was the first film in the history of Egyptian cinema to shock audiences with the death of an innocent man. Commercial films had to have a minimum of song and/or dance numbers as well as their stock of stars whose names were linked to specific types of characters. Egyptian cinema thus had its infamous gangster, its deceitful conniver, its innocent maiden, its imperious lady, as well as its supporting cast of famous character actors. If an Egyptian film intended for popular audiences lacked any of these prerequisites, it would most likely pay with poor attendance and sales at the box office.

The 1952 Revolution initially aimed to overthrow King Farouk I. However, the move-ment had more political ambitions and soon moved to abolish the constitutional monarchy and establish a republic. Under the new regime it established the Nile Cinema Company under an airforce commander whom the new ruling government elected as their official for the cinema. However, filmmakers, whether out of convic-tion or simply out of pragmatism, did not rally their support behind the revolution. Thus, the post-revolutionary protagonist became the army officer, instead of the doctor, businessman or engineer, while all other stock characters remained constant. The screen star Anwar Wagdi epitomised the gallant army hero who conquered evil and won the hearts of equally patriotic women in such films as Four Women and an Officer.

Not only did Egyptian cinema of this period produce its own outstanding directors, such as Kamel El-Telmessani, Salah Abu Seif and Youssef Chahine, it held its own against other national cinemas of the time. Throughout the period from 1946 to 1956 it was routine for Egyptian films to compete in international festivals.

During this period new trends were beginning to assert themselves in international cinema, the Nouvelle Vague in France, the New York Underground, the British Free Cinema and Cinema Novo in Brazil. Post-revolutionary Egypt, however, brought the nationalization of the film industry, accompanied by a heavy government hand that stifled innovative trends and sapped its dynamism. The late 1950s signalled the end for the Egypt’s golden age of cinema.

Adapted from Lights, camera... ... retrospection by Samir Farid:http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/1999/462/cinema.htm

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TitleComposers in the Golden Age of Arab SongMohamed Adbel WahaabMohamed Adbel Wahaab (1910-1991) was dubbed the “artist of generations”, as tha last remaining figure from the old guard, of which he was the most controversial and respected member. His achievements spanned a long career from the 1920s as a singer, film star and eventually composer – a talent crowned when Om Kalthoum agreed to sing his “Enta Omri”, a song which featured an electric guitar fro the first time in her career. As a composer, Abdel Wahaab is remembered as the modernizer of Arabic music, liberating it, as his supporters see it, from the limitations of the takht ensembles and allowing it to embrace Western-stlye tangos, waltzes and instrumentation. Others critisize his music for overt plagiarism. He stood by his vision for modernization fo the music all his life, demanding that “the artist is the creator and has the full right to introduce new elements into his music as he sees fit. We must always be open to new ideas and not resist change. Change is inevitable in everything.” Ironically, in his later years Abdel Wahaab becams so contemptuous of other modenizers that he took his initiative a stop further. In 1990 he released a classical song into a market awash with the bleeping synths of the new youth pop. It was the first occasion in 32 years that he had sung his own compostition and the song, “Minrear Ley” (Without Why), was a blatant test of popular loyalty. It

was viewed by many as the final gasp of a wounded musical genre but its immediate success went some way to prove that his vision for Arab music lived on (Broughton, 2nd ed., 328).

Farid al-AtrashFarid al-Atrash (1915-1974) was an Arab composer, singer, virtuoso oud player, and actor. Farid was born in Syria but by the mid 1920s he moved with his family to Egypt escaping the French occupation. Influ-enced by his mother, Farid began singing at an early age. Eventually, he was hired as an oud player for the national radio station and later as a singer. He composed musically diverse songs, and was a highly regarded composer, singer and instrumentalist. Farid maintained that although some of his music had western musical influence, he always stayed true to Arab music principles. Although the majority of his com-positions were romantic love songs, he also composed several patriotic and religious songs. In many of his songs, and nearly all of his concerts, Farid would sing a mawal, which is a slow voice improvisation of a few poetic lines. These improvisations sometimes lasted up to 15 minutes and were a favorite of many of his fans. Farid starred in 31 Egyptian musical films from 1941 - 1974 and recorded approximately 350 songs. Farid composed all the songs in his movies including the songs sung by other singers, and instrumentals. Farid suffered from heart problems

throughout his last 30 years. Although he was struggling with his health, he continued to make movies and perform in concerts until he died. On December 26, 1974, Farid died in Beirut at Al Hayek hospital, shortly after arriving from London.

Mohamed Adb el-Wahaab

Farid al-Atrash

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The Rahbani BrothersAssi Rahbani (1923-1986) and Mansour Rahbani (1925-2009), known as the Rahbani Brothers, were Leba-nese composers, musicians, songwriters, authors, play-wrights/dramatists, philosophers, and poets. The brothers grew up in Beirut’s northern suburbs, but they were not originally involved with music. Their musical career began when Assi obtained a job at the Lower East Radio chan-nel and caught the attention of Lebanese musician Halim El Roumi. In 1951, Fairuz (born Nouhad Haddad), one of the singers in the channel’s chorus, caught El Roumi’s attention. It was Assi who composed her very first song, “Itab” (“Blame”). Assi and Mansour Rahbani and Fairuz soon became one of the most prominent groups on the Lebanese music scene, releasing about 50 songs in the fol-lowing 3 years. The Rahbani Brothers and Fairuz became a musical team with Mansour writing the lyrics and Assi composing and arranging the songs. Assi and Mansour also began writing musicals, plays with musical dialogs, and interpretations of patriotic themes that appealed to the Lebanese public. The musicals mostly focused on the village life, the innocence of growing up, the problems of love, parental care, and the mischief of youth. By 1965, the Rah-bani Brothers had become one of the most famous musical teams in the Arab World. In addition to productions that featured Fairuz, they also wrote and directed hundreds of theatrical and TV productions. On June 26, 1986 Assi Rahbani died after spending several weeks in a coma. The nation went into mourning. He was buried in East Beirut; in order to make way for his funeral procession, the city’s warring Muslim and Christian factions declared a cease fire and opened the city’s checkpoints. Mansour Rahbani died

recently at the age 83.

Wadi Al-SafiGreat Lebanese singer and composer Wadi Al-Safi learned songs originally from his grandfather, beginning at age four in his home village of Niha at the Chouf in Lebanon. Al-Safi first attracted attention at the age of 17 when he placed first among 50 contestants in a singing contest sponsored by a radio station in his home village of Niha. Traveling to Brazil in 1947, he spent three years performing in the country’s Lebanese community. Returning to Lebanon in 1950, Al-Safi turned his attention to the folk music of his homeland, perform-ing poetry to inspire patriotism, love, devotion, and honor. Touring around the world, Al-Safi has brought his songs -- which he sings in the Arabic, French, Brazilian, and Italian language -- to enthusiastic audiences for more than half a century. Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti remarked on the spiritual qualities of Al-Safi’s singing when he claimed, “this man does not sing alone, it feels like somebody sings with him.” Al-Safi is perhaps best known for his collaboration with Sabah Fakhri on a recording called The Two Tenors, which traversed a mixture of Arabic styles from the classical and folk ends of the spectrum.

Assi Rahbani

Mansour Rahbani

Wadi Al-Safi


TitleZahariyya AhmadZakariyya Ahmad (1896-1961) was an Arabic musician and composer who was born and lived in Egypt. He composed many pieces in a traditional Arabic style, more spe-cifically Egyptian. He is most known for his work with the famous Egyptian singer Um Kalthoum. In the 1930s and 40s, Zakariyya Ahmad, along with Muhammad al-Qasabji and Riyad al-Sunbati, composed almost exclusively for Um Kalthoum. Of the Three Musketeers, as Ahmad, al-Qasabj, and al-Sunbati were dubbed, Ahmad stands out as the traditionalist. He took most of his musical inspiration from the mashayekh, or people who chanted and composed religious chant during the festivites surround-ing the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, or the birthday of religious Islamic saints or Sufis. Om Kahltoom stopped performing Ahmad’s music in 1947 as her sound began to include more Western elements. He died in 1961 at the age of 65.

Zahariyya Ahmad

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Singers in the Golden Age of Arab SongUm Kalthoum

Um Kalthoum (1904-1975) is indisputably the Arab world’s greatest singer. Stern and tragic, rigidly in control, this was a woman who, in her heyday truly had the Arab world in the palm of her hand. With melancholy operettas that seemed to drift on for hours, she encapsulated the love lives of a nation and mesmerized millions. Her stage presence was charged by a theatrical rapport with the audience: a slight nod of the head or a shake of her shoulders and they were in uproar. She learned to sing by reciting verse at cafes in her village , and sometimes dressed as a boy to escape the religious authorities. It was to her training in religious chanting to which she owed her stunning vocal agility and her masterful command of the complex maqamat. She was educated in the secular fi eld by the poet Ahmed Ramy and of her total output of 286 songs, 132 were his poems. Her voice was the epitome of the Arab ideal – saturated with ‘shaggan’, or emotional yearning, and powerful enough on occasion to shatter a glass.

In her long career, she specialized in love songs that sometimes lasted an hour, improvising and ornamenting on a theme that would bring the audience to a frenzy. She was once asked to sing a line 52 times over, which she did while developing the melody each time. Of this ability she said; “I am greatly infl uenced by the music found in Arabic poetry. I improvise because my heart rejoices in the richness of this music. If someone went over a song which I sang fi ve times, he would not fi nd any one like the other. I am not a record that repeats itself, I am a human being who is deeply touched by what I sing.” As a childless mother, her songs were her offspring given to the people. For these gifts they returned total adoration. Apart from Allah, they say, Um Kalthoum is the only subject about which all Arabs agree, a fact that has always given her special political signifi cance. She embraced Nasser’s pan-Arab ideals and drew Arabs together by extending a pride to them during their most diffi cult period in history. Nasser used her nationalist songs to keep the masses behind him, and times his major political speeches carefully around her broadcasts. The less prescient Anwar Sadat once addressed the nation on the same day as her concert, and ended up without an audience, a mistake he only made once.

She remained a great campaigner for the traditional and classic Arab song, leaving behind an orchestra, the Arab Music Ensemble, dedicated to maintaining the pure heritage (al turath, from the eighth and ninth centuries). It’s worth remembering that while Kalthoum and her fellow classical musicians are today often considered “traditional Arab music”, they were in their day, part of a movement breaking away from tradition. At Um Kalthoum’s funeral in February 1975, attended by many Arab heads of state, over three million people followed her though the streets of Cairo. At 10 pm on the fi rst Thursday of every month, all radio stations still play Om Kalthoum in memory of her momentous live radio concerts of the 1950s and 1960s (Broughton, 1st ed., 180).

What are maqamat?

Marqamat are a sequence of

notes with rules that define its

general melodic developement.

Um Kalthoum


TitleFairuzThe Arab world superstar Fairuz (born Huhad Haddad) was born in 1934 to a Christian Maronite family in Beirut. While a teenager, the tender quality of her voice brought her to the attention of the newly founded Lebanese Radio Beirut, which she joined as a chorus singer. There she soon became a leading solo singer, known for her interpretations of classical Arab song. There, too, she met the brothers, Assi and Mansour Rahbani, struggling composers who at the time were earning their living as policemen. Fairuz and the two brothers (Fairuz and Assi married in 1954) worked together for the next thirty years. Assi composed the music; Mansour wrote the words – which in the early part of her career were largely nostalgic and romantic; Fairuz sung, sweeping all before her. The Fairuz/Rahbani team was incredibly prolific and diverse. They reinterpreted classical Arab song, bringing in Western and Eastern european styles (and keys) to the orchestration, combining the piano, guitar, violin and accordion with the nay and Arab percussive instruments. They even created hubrids with tango and rumba, and produced an Arabised version of Mozart’s Symphony no. 40 in G minor, K550. No Arab composer before or since has been quite so innovative. But the trios’ most remarkable achievements were the huge musical plays that they mounted together at the Baalbek Festivals – elaborate, operatic spectacles that drew heavily on the folk culture of rural Lebanon.

Certainly the region has seen nothing on such a scale, before or since, and these productions became a recognized showcase for other emerging Lebanese talent. During the civil war, Fairuz’s refusal to leave Beirut even during the worst of the conflict became a sympbol of hope, and her first peacetime performace in the city was hailed as a landmark. She remains hugely popluar with Lebanese diaspora communities all over the world, and she can fill any concert hall in Europe or the US, where there are Lebanese or Arab communities.

Fairuz and Assi parted in the early 1980s (Assi died in 1986) but she has continued to work with Ziad, the son from their marriage, as her musical director. Their 1990s collaborations have brought a new, more adventurous direction to her career. Ziad Rahbani (born 1957) has pioneered his own particular brand of Arab jazz, a distinctly Lebanese synthesis of East and West. He has also continued the family tradition of music and drama, scoring the music for several plays and films (Broughton, 2nd ed., 393).

Fairuz

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AsmahanAsmahan (born Amal al-Atrash) (1912-1944) was a famous Syrian singer and actress who lived in Egypt and sang most of her songs in Egyptian Arabic. She was the sister of Farid al-Atrash, a famous composer and singer.

Asmahan vocal talent was discovered at an early age. Her family friend, the Lebanese musician Farid Ghosn, introduced the young talent to Zakaria Ahmad, Mohammad el Qasabji and Daoud Hosni, who were all capitvated by her voice and musical talent. Hosni is the one who suggested her name be changed to Asmahan in memory of an old Persian singer. Asmahan was solicited by a record company to record her first album which featured her first song Ya Nar Fouadi by Farid Ghosn.

Asmahan’s rise to fame was very quick, her repertoire started growing with songs composed by El Qasabji, Farid Ghosn and another song “Ahedni Ya Albi” by Zakaria Ahmed. Her first public performance was in the prestigious Cairo Opera and she began singing at aristocratic family celebrations and at Mary Mansour’s night club alongside her brother Farid.

Known for her wide vocal range, Asmahan’s voice could cover the low notes to high notes of the upper Soprano. Asmahan’s voice is often seen as a mixture of two oriental divas’ voices opposed in style and interpretation: Fairouz’s famous angelic tone of voice and Sabah who was famous for her powerful voice whose technique similar to the American Broadway belting technique.

Asmahan’s voice was so powerful that despite her heavy singing she was still able to use her head register and sing in her higher register with a very impressing and elegant smooth line. Besides the fact that she was the first Arabic singer to use the classical western technique, very few performers are able to alternate two opposed styles of interpretation and technique in one song. Another specialty about her talent was her strength of breath and its duration, accompanied by her ability to switch between various musical notes in one musical sentence, a talent only shared with Fairuz.

On July 14, 1944, a car carrying Asmahan and a female friend of hers crashed into the River Nile after the driver lost control. Without a door on their side both ladies got stuck and drowned. Nevertheless, the driver managed to escape the tragic death. These suspicious circumstances gave rise to many rumors and much controversy, comparable to that of Lady Diana. Tabloids were rife with conspiracy theories, pointing fingers everywhere including British intelligence, the German Gestapo, and even the prominent singer Um Kulthoum.

Asmahan

Arab Culture

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The Arab WorldAn OverviewThe Arab world covers a vast territory that includes much of northern and western Africa and the eastern Mediterreanen. There are twenty-two Arab nations in the world today: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen.

Arabs, as a group, often speak the same language, share many cultural habits and traditions, and have a common history. For this reason they are thought of as an ethnic group. But the Arab world is ethnically diverse and many ethnic groups besides Arabs live in Arab nations. Kurds live in present-day Turkey, Iran, and Iraq; Chaldeans live in northern Iraq; Berbers reside in much of North Africa; and Armenians are scattered throughout many eastern Mediterranean nations. These four ethnic groups each have their own language. Kurds and Berbers are Muslims, while Armenians and Chaldeans are Christians. All four are culturally similar to the Arabs and most speak Arabic in addition to their own language.

Although the neighboring nations of Turkey and Iran share similar histories and cultures with the Arab world, the majority of their citizens are not Arabs, nor do they speak Arabic. In Israel, a predominantly Jewish state, Hebrew is the national language, but about 20 percent of Israeli citizens are Palestinian Arabs and there are some Jewish Arabs.

Traditionally, some Arabs have been tribal nomads, or Bedouins, who travel with their herd of camels, goats, and sheep from oasis to oasis. Most rural Arabs are farmers who live along fertile rivers or coastal areas. Sixty percent of the population of the Arab world, however, now live in cities. As a crossroad between east and west, the Arab world has long been a center for trade, with many cities or commercial urban centers. Cities like Damascus in Syria and Jericho in Palestine are among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and Cairo, Egypt, is one of the largest cities in the world.

The land in the Arab world is as geographically diverse as it is in the United States. Large portions are predominantly arid and dry, including the vast Sahara and Arabian deserts. Mountain ranges cut across many Arab states, including Morocco, Lebanon, and Syria, as well as the southern Arabian Peninsula. The coastal areas are more fertile, and many Arab states enjoy a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and rainy winters. The fertile areas along two major river systems, the Nile and the Tigris and Euphrates, have been centers of civilizations since ancient times (Ameri & Ramey, 1-2).


TitleReligion in the Arab World IslamThe two main religions practiced by Arabs are Islam and Christianity. Religion for Arabs does not only provide a system of beliefs about God and how people should live, it also brings together people from similar backgrounds (Ameri & Ramey 89).

Islam is the religion of the majority of Arabs. It began with the birth of the prophet Muhammed (c. 570-632) in the town of Mecca, a famous trade center in present-day Saudi Arabia. Muslims, followers of the faith of Islam, believe that in 610 Muhammad fi rst heard the word of God through the angel Gabriel. His words were recorded in the Qur’an (also spelled Koran), the holy book for Muslims. Muhammad continued to receive revelations from God for the next twenty-two years. The word Qur’an means recitation, because its words were literally recited to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel.

Like Jews and Christians before them, Muslims believe in one Lord God. The word for God in Arabic is “Allah”. “Islam” means “submission to the will of God”. In general, Muslims are more familiar with Judaism and Christianity than Jews and Christians are with Islam, because the religion of Islam recognizes all the prophets from Abraham through Jesus. These earlier prophets are mentioned in the Qur’an, and Jews and Christians are considered “people of the book”. The means that Muslims respect the holy books of the Jews and Christians, and believe that the Jewish Torah and the Christian Bible contain divine truths. Because the Qur’an was revealed in Arabic, many Muslims all over the world learn to read Arabic in order to be able to read the Qur’an in its original language.

In the Qur’an Muslims fi nd prayers, the history of the prophets, and guidance on ethical and spiritual matters. In addition, Muslims have two other important

sources: the Hadith, sayings and acts of the prophet Muhammad, and the Shari’a, the code of Islamic law. Both of these derive from the Qur’an. The stories in the Hadith show how the prophet Muhammad handled various situations in daily life, and gives moral guidance to Muslims,. In the Shari’a, Muslims fi nd detailed explanations of legal matters, including laws on diet, marriage, divorce, and inheritance. For instance, Muslims should not drink liquor or eat pork, and they should eat only chicken or beef that is halal, meaning that it has been slaughtered according to Islamic Law (Ameri & Ramey 92-94).

The pictures below are

aerial views Mecca, the

holiest place for Muslims.

Not all Arab-Americansare Muslim!

Approximately50% of Arab-Americansare Muslim,

and 50%are Christian.

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Arabic MusicCenturies of CultivationThe identifying link of a people may be found not only in their language, but in their music as well. Throughout their long and illustrious history, the Arabs have been lovers of music in its various forms. Music is an integral part of daily life in the Arab World and sensibility to its sounds and tones is deeply rooted in the Arab personality.

Musical tradition in the Arab world is very old, dating back to the simple sing-song recitations of tribal bards in pre-Islamic days, usually accompanied by the rababa, a primitive two-string fi ddle. As they spread out into the Middle East and North Africa in the seventh and eighth centuries A.D., the Arabs quickly added the rich and complicated scales and tones of Indian, Persian and Byzantine music and de-veloped a unique form that has persisted to this day with only minor changes. In that sense, Arabic music is a remarkably enduring art form which, after centuries of competing cultural infl uences, has retained an overall unity. Many of its sounds are alien to Western ears, but the melodies have great emotive power for Arabs who can recognize the variations in musical styles, from the famous maqaam ofIraq to the muwashah, a form of singing developed in Arab Spain during the Middle Ages and still used today.

For several centuries, Arab rulers from Baghdad to Cordoba were famed for their patronage of music and musicians. Their courts boasted full orchestras for entertainment, while noted musicians competed for the ruler’s favor. The music of the Arabs gradually infl uenced the West. Masters such as Bartok and Stravinsky composed works with detectable Eastern or Arabic infl uences. The Western world inherited not only the structure and tabulation of Arab music but also many of its instruments, which have evolved into such easily recognizable instruments as the violin, the mandolin, and the tambourine.

Today, there is a long history of Western artists being infl uenced by Arabic music. Mozart and Tchaikovsky were inspired by Middle Eastern music. Likewise, during the 1960s and 1970s, there was a belly dancing craze in the West.

How is Arab music structured?What makes Arab music sound so different from Western music? The answer lies in the structure of the rhythms. Arabic music uses melodic modes called maqam (not just a scale, but also specifi c musical gestures and emotional character, or ornamentation.) Arabic music is mostly heterophonic (or monophonic when one instrument is playing). There is no harmony. Arabic music sounds “out of tune” to many Westerners because it uses notes that are not in the 12-note Western scale. It uses what are called “quarter tones” and “neutral tones.” Trichords are sets of 3 notes, tetrachords are sets of 4 notes, and pentachords are sets of 5 notes. The Arabic word for these sets is jins, (plural ajnas), which means the gender, type or nature of something. In case of pentachords, the word ‘aqd, plural ‘uqud is also used. These sets are the building blocks for Arabic maqam. In Arabic music, a maqam (plural maqamat) is a set of notes with traditions that defi ne relationships between them, habitual patterns, and their melodic development. Maqamat are best defi ned and understood in the context of the rich Arabic music repertoire.The nearest equivalent in Western classical music would be a mode (e.g.major, minor, etc.).

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TitleThe Arabic scales which maqamat are built from are not even-tempered, unlike the chromatic scale used in Western classical music. Instead, 5th notes are tuned based on the 3rd harmonic. The tuning of the remaining notes entirely depends on the maqam. The reasons for this tuning are probably historically based on string instruments like the oud. A side effect of not having even-tempered tuning is that the same note may have a slightly different pitch depending on which maqam it is played in.

What is the difference between a maqam and a scale?The Arabic maqam is built on top of the Arabic scale (or dwar in Arabic). The maqam is generally made up of one octave (8 notes), although sometimes the maqam scale extends up to two octaves. But the maqam is much more than a scale:

Why does Arabic music sound out of tune to western ears?To the Western ear, Arab music has a strange , exotic sound. Its notes seem closer together, and its melodies have a continuous, gliding quality. Arabic music is played in melody. The Western classical music like Bach, Beethoven, and Strauss we are ac-customed to hearing is based on harmony. To achieve this horizontal sound without harmony, all of the musicians play essentially the same melody throughout the dura-tion of each song. Variations in the sound occur as each musician adds ornamenta-tion, such as trills and grace notes, to the melody he or she is playing. The art of add-ing ornamentation is known as zakhrafat in Arabic. Arabic music also uses notes that do not exist on our major and minor scales. The scales in Arab music have smaller intervals between notes. These notes can be easily understood if you can imagine an 88 key piano with black and white keys. Now, imagine in between the black and whitekeys are red keys. Not only are there red keys, but there maybe yellow keys,

• Each maqam may include microtonal variations such as tones, half tones and quarter tones in its underlying scale. These variations must be learned by listening not by reading, which is why the oral and aural tradition is essential in learning Arabic music.

• Each maqam has a different character which conveys a mood, in a similar fashion to the mood in a Major or Minor scale, although that mood is subjective to each listener. Since classical Arabic music is mostly melodic (excludes harmony), the choice of maqam greatly affects the mood of the piece.

• Unlike the two scales in Western music (major and minor scales),there are approximately 120 maqamat.

• Each maqam includes rules that defi ne its melodic developmentand which notes should be emphasized, how often, and in whatorder. This means that two maqamat that have the same tonalintervals but one is a transposed version of the other, may be playeddifferently.

• Each maqam includes rules that defi ne the starting note, theending note, and the dominant note.

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Title


and even blue keys! These notes may sound fl at to us, but to anArab musician they are known as quarter tones. The scales in Arab musichave smaller intervals between notes, and we call these intervals “quartertones.”

What exactly are quarter tones?Many maqamat include notes that can be approximated with quarter tones (depicted using the half-fl at sign or the half-sharp sign), although they rarely are precise quarters falling exactly halfway between two semitones. Even notes depicted as semitones sometimes include microtonal subtleties depending on the maqam in which they are used. For this reason, when writing Arabic music using the Western notation system, there is an understanding that the exact tuning of each note might vary with each maqam and must be learned by ear. Another peculiarity of maqamat is that the same note is not always played with the same exact pitch, the pitch may slightly vary depending on the melodic fl ow and what other notes are played before and after that note. The idea behind this effect is to round sharp corners in the melody by drawing the furthest notes nearer. There are literally thousands of maqamat from the various regions of the Arab world.


LanguageArabicArabic is the sixth most common fi rst language in the world, and the thirteenth most spoken foreign language in the United States. It is the offi cial language in the twenty-one countries that make up the Arab world. Arabic is also used by Muslims worldwide for religious devotions, sermons, and prayers. Arabic belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. A language family is a group of languages that are thought to have developed from a common parent language thousands of years ago. Language families are divided into subgroups and individual languages. For example, English belongs to the Germanic subgroup of the Indo-European language family. This subgroup also includes other Germanic languages, such as German and Dutch.

The Afro-Asiatic language family is divided into fi ve subgroups of languages. These languages are spoken throughout the Middle East and North and Central Africa. The largest subgroup contains the Semitic languages, which include Arabic, Aramaic, and Hebrew. Arabic is thought to have developed in the Arabian Peninsula, and was spoken only there and in bordering areas to the north until the seventh century. At that time, the Arabic-speaking people, who had recently converted to Islam, began a period of expansion that carried the Arabic language throughout western Asia and North Africa, and even into Spain in southern Europe.

The Arabic alphabet was adopted by many of the people ruled by Muslims, including those who never adopted the Arabic language. Even today, the Arabic script is used to write some of the Indo-European languages of western Asia, including Persian and Kurdish. Turkish was written with the Arabic alphabet until the 1920s, when they adopted the Latin alphabet. Unlike English, Arabic is written from right to left. There are twenty-eight letters in the Arabic alphabet, and these letters have different forms, depending upon whether they come at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. The Arabic script is a source of pride for Arabs, and calligraphy – artistic handwriting – because a highly developed art in the Arab world during the golden years of the Muslim Empire (Ameri & Ramey 75-77).

English words from the Arabic

language

AdmiralAlcoholAlgebraAlmanac

AtlasAverageCandyCoffee

CalendarCotton

MagazineMattress

SatinSugar

TambourineTraffi cZero

Translation: “Your Lebanon is a political dilemma that the days are trying to resolve, but my Lebanon is hills, rising with reverence and majesty towards the blueness of the sky.” - Kahlil Gibran, author, poet and philosopher from Lebanon

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Traditional ClothingOverviewArabs believe that to dress modestly is to show that one has strong morals and is trustworthy. Dressing modestly means dressing conservatively, or covering up, rather than showing off one’s body. This is why Arab men tend not to wear shorts and sometimes wear a taqiya, a cap that covers the top of the head. Arab women usually cover their heads with a head scarf called a hijab. The hijab is mainly worn by Muslim women, but there are many Christian women who also wear head scarves. Although some people feel that Arab women are not re-quired by their religion or their culture to cover their heads, other say that it is mandatory for an upright Muslim woman to war the hijab because there is refer-ence to it in the Qur’an.

The hijab means different things to different women. Many Arab girls will start wearing the hijab when they are young while girls sometimes feel pressure from family and friends to wear the hijab, Arab women will often begin to wear it as a way of expressing pride in their heritage and respect for the value of modesty.

In general there is much diversity in the clothes Arab women wear now. While some choose to ear the hijab, other wear jeans, skirts, or dresses. There is no one style of dress for Arab women (Ameri & Ramey, 140).

What Guides Clothing?Climate People living in a desert environment often covered up in loose clothing to pro-tect themselves from the sun and to keep cool. White clothing was cooler than dark clothing in the sunlight. And head coverings were important for protection against the sun, too.

FabricsFive main fabrics are traditionally available for clothing. Cotton was a cool fabric. In winter or in cold environments, clothing was commonly made of wool. Camel hair was also woven into clothing for cold weather. Some clothing was made from plant fi bers called linen. Silk was imported from China or Persia and was very expensive, so only the rich could afford it.

Traditions, status, and group identityCultural traditions were also important in style of clothing. In each culture, cloth-ing showed the social status of its people. Married and unmarried women might wear different clothing or head coverings. Young girls would not be required to wear the clothing of older girls nearing the age of marriage and married women may wear another style of clothing. Rich and poor, educated and uneducated, military or civilian might wear different styles of clothing which showed who they were and their occupation or status. Clothing worn out in public would be very different from clothing worn in the home, especially for women. A Muslim stu-dent, a scholar or judge would wear appropriate clothing showing his religious status. An older man would have a beard while a younger man might not. And a slave would wear very different clothing than a master. People from one tribe, village, or culture traditionally wore one type of clothing to show their group membership. Also, clothing would differ as to the situation one was in. Cloth-ing while doing hard farm work, for example, would be different from clothing when going to a mosque (www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Clothing/).

The layers of loose clothing the man above is wearing help him keep cool in the desert.

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TitleWhat does the Qur’an say?• The Qur’an tells both women and men to be modest • The Qur’an tells men that they should not wear silk or gold jewelry to show off their wealth. • Clothing should not attract attention or be worn to show off. • Clothing must cover the entire body; only the hands and face may remain visible. • The material must not be so thin that one can see through it. • Clothing must hang loose so that the shape of the body is not shown off. • The woman’s clothing must not resemble the man’s clothing, nor should the man’s clothing resemble the woman’s. • Women shouldn’t artifi cially lengthen their hair with wigs or weaves, nor have tattoos. • A Muslim should not wear clothing to look like a non-Muslim. (For example, the Persians were known for wearing red, many silk robes, and their men’s robes had long trains which dragged behind them. The Prophet Muhammad was against Muslims copying these styles.) • Men’s robes or shirts should extend down from halfway below the shin but over the ankles, but not so long as to trail behind on the ground. • While praying in a mosque, clothing should be plain and not be distracting. • A man’s hair might be criticized if it was shoulder-length or longer. The Prophet Muhammad preferred men to wear their hair neat and cut a little below the ears (www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Clothing/).


Islamic CalendarMuslims use a purely lunar calendar. It was adopted in A.D. 632, two months before the death of Mohammed. By direct injunction of the Koran, they eliminated intercalation of extra months that had previously been added to keep their calendar in phase with seasons.

At that time, Muslims did not maintain a count of years. They measured the passing of time (longer than weeks) only by months. The caliph Omar, who succeeded Mohammed as the leader of Islam, established a year count starting from the time of Mohammed’s migration from Makkah to Medina in A.D. 622.The Muslim Calendar usually consists of six 29-day months and six 30-day months, for a total of 354 days. That’s a little more than eleven days short of a solar year. Because of this, all months cycle backwards through the seasons.

That calendar is used to schedule religious feasts in the Muslim world; consequently, these feasts also shift through the solar year. New Year’s Day, the fi rst of Muharram, occurs eleven days earlier each year than it had the year before. In order to avoid confusion, Muslim countries use the Western calendar to schedule secular events.

Islamic months begin at sunset on the day that the lunar crescent is actually sighted. Religious doctrine requires that visual sighting is necessary to determine the start of a month, even though the date a new crescent is likely to be visible can be accurately predicted. As indicated above, Muslim festivals are also timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon.

Visibility of a new crescent depends on a large number of factors including weather conditions, atmospheric pollution and whether or not optical aids are used. Because of this, some members of the religion believe they should use predicted dates of new crescents rather than actual sightings. However, many Muslim scholars support using calculations only to negate erroneous sightings, not to replace correct sighting (http://www.12x30.net/muslim.html).

Islamic Months1. Muharram (“Forbidden” - it is one of the four months during which it is forbidden to wage war or fi ght) 2. Safar (“Empty” or “Yellow”) 3. Rabia Awal (“First spring”) 4. Rabia Thani (“Second spring”) 5. Jumaada Awal (“First freeze”) 6. Jumaada Thani (“Second freeze”) 7. Rajab (“To respect” - this is another holy month when fi ghting is prohibited) 8. Sha’ban (“To spread and distribute”) 9. Ramadan (“Parched thirst” - this is the month of daytime fasting) 10. Shawwal (“To be light and vigorous”) 11. Dhul-Qi’dah (“The month of rest” - another month when no warfare or fi ghting is allowed) 12. Dhul-Hijjah (“The month ofHijjah” - this is the month of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, again when no warfare or fi ghting is allowed)

(http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/islam/blfaq_islam_holydays.htm)

Although calendars are printed

for planning purposes, they are based on

estimates of the visibility of the lunar crescent, and the Islamic

month may actually start

1-2 days earlier or later than predicted.


Islamic HolidaysHolidays

Al-HijraThis holiday marks the beginning of the Muslim New Year on the fi rst day of the month of Muharram. In addition to being the start of the New Year, Al-Hijra is also the anniversary of Muhammad’s hijra to Medina, an important event theologically. Sometimes this is also called Rabi Al-Awwal. Hijrah New Year (10 February 2005)

‘AshuraTaking place on the tenth day of Muharram, ‘Ashura marks the anniversary of the death of Imam Husain, the grandson of Muhammad. This is a holy day celebrated more by Shi’ites than by Sunni Muslims, because Sunnis don’t recognize Husain’s claim to being the proper successor to Muhammad. However, tradition has it that a number of other important events occurred on ‘Ashura, including Noah’s ark coming to rest, the Prophet Abraham being born, and the Kaaba being built. For Shi’ites, ‘Ashura is the most sanctifi ed day of the month, and celebrating it includes fasting and “passion plays” of his martyrdom. Because of this, the day is not “celebrated” in the way that holy days normally are. Some mourners beat their chests, lamenting and grieving over Husain’s death, and replicas of his tomb are profusely decorated on this date.

Mawlid al-NabiThis date marks the celebration of Muhammad’s birth in 570 C.E., and has been fi xed at the 12th day of the month Rabi al-Awwal. Mawlid al-Nabi appears to have been fi rst celebrated in the thirteenth century and involved a month-long festival. Today, the focus is mostly on the actual date itself and includes sermons, gift giving, and a feast. Some of the most conservative sects, like the Wahhabis, regard such a celebration as idolatrous and condemn it. Thus, Saudi Arabia does not recognize Mawlid al-Nabi at all, but other countries (like Egypt and Turkey) have many celebrations.

Laylat Al-Isra wa Al-MirajThis literally means “the night journey and ascension,” although the day is some-times called by the shorter form Isra wa Al-Miraj. It is celebrated on the twenty-seventh day of Rajab, and tradition has it that on this date Muhammad traveled from Mecca to Jerusalem, then ascended into heaven, and returned to Mecca all in the same night. The rock from which he supposedly ascended to heaven can still be seen in the Dome of the Rock.

Muslims also believe that it was on the night or Laylat Al-Isra wa Al-Miraj that Mu-hammad established the current form of the fi ve daily prayers which all believers must recite. The story also has it that Muhammad prayed together with Abraham, Moses and Jesus in the Al-Asqa mosque in Jerusalem, and because of that this date is also regarded as demonstrating that Muslims, Christians and Jews all fol-low the same god.

RamadanAlso known as Ramadhan or Ramazan, this is a month when Muslims are ex-pected to fast all day long. Learn more about the nature of Ramadan, exemptions, what is forbidden, and special days which fall during this month on the separate Ramadan page. In 2005 Ramadan begins October 4th (http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/islam/blfaq_islam_holydays.htm).

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Eid Al-AdhhaThis holy day is the “feast of sacrifi ce” and is celebrated from the tenth through the thirteenth days of Zul-Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Muslim calendar. Eid Al-Adhha marks the anniverary of Abraham’s attempt to sacrifi ce his son Ishmael on God’s orders (In the Jewish and Christian traditions, Abraham attempted to sacrifi ce Isaac). At this time special prayers are said either in mosques or in fi elds designated for that purpose.

It is during this time of the year that people generally make the Haj, or the pil-grimage to Mecca. Whether on the Haj or at home, people celebrating this begin the fi rst day with sacrifi cing an animal as a commemoration of the Angel Gabriel providing Abraham with a lamb as a substitute. Most of the meat is shared with family and neighbors, but one-third is given to the poor. Eid Al-Adha (10 January 2006). The term Eid is the Arabic term for “festivity” or “celebration,” and is only attached to a couple of holy days in the Muslim year, signifying their importance:

Yom ArafatThis holy day takes place on the ninth of Dhu Al-Hijja, just before the celebration of Eid Al-Adhha. People on the Haj assemble for the “standing” on the plain of Arafat, which is located near Mecca. Muslims elsewhere in the world gather at a local mosque for prayer and solidarity on Yom Arafat.

Laylat Al-BaraaThis term Laylat Al-Baraa means “night of repentance” and it commemorates the night when all who repent are granted forgiveness. Muslims believe that it is on this night that God sets each person’s path for the coming year. Thus, Muslims ask God for forgiveness for past sins and for blessings in the coming year on Laylat Al-Baraa (http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/islam/blfaq_islam_holydays.htm).

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Lesson Plans


Are you interestedin more lesson

plans?

Visit the KennedyCenter’s ArtsEdge

web site, the nation’s most

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Curriculum ConnectionsIntroduction

The following lessons and activities offer suggestions intended to be used

in preparation for the UMS Youth Performance. These lessons are meant

to be both fun and educational, and should be used to create anticipation

for the performance. Use them as a guide to further exploration of the art

form. Teachers may pick and choose from the cross-disciplinary activities

and can coordinate with other subject area teachers. You may wish to use

several activities, a single plan, or pursue a single activity in greater depth,

depending on your subject area, the skill level or maturity of your students

and the intended learner outcomes.

Learner Outcomes

• Each student will develop a feeling of self-worth, pride in work, respect,

appreciation and understanding of other people and cultures, and a desire

for learning now and in the future in a multicultural, gender-fair, and ability-

sensitive environment.

• Each student will develop appropriately to that individual’s potential, skill

in reading, writing, mathematics, speaking, listening, problem solving, and

examining and utilizing information using multicultural, gender-fair and

ability-sensitive materials.

• Each student will become literate through the acquisition and use

of knowledge appropriate to that individual’s potential, through a

comprehensive, coordinated curriculum, including computer literacy in a

multicultural, gender-fair, and ability-sensitive environment.


Meeting Michigan StandardsUMS can help you meet Michigan’s

Curricular Standards!

The activities in this study guide,

combined with the live performance, are aligned with Michigan

Standards and Benchmarks.

For a complete list of Standards and

Benchmarks, visit the Michigan Department of Education online:

www.michigan.gov/mde

ARTS EDUCATIONStandard 1: Performing All students will apply skills and knowledge to perform in the arts.Standard 2: Creating All students will apply skills and knowledge to create in the arts.Standard 3: Analyzing in Context All students will analyze, describe, and eval uate works of art.Standard 4: Arts in Context All students will understand, analyze and describe t he arts in their historical, social, and cultural contexts.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSStandard 1: Meaning and Communication All students will read and compre hend general and technical material.Standard 3: Meaning and Communication All students will focus on mean ing and communication as they listen, speak, view, read, and write in per sonal, social, occupational, and civic contexts.Standard 6: Voice All students will learn to communicate information accurately and effectively and demonstrate their expressive abilities by creating oral, written and visual texts that enlighten and engage an audience.Standard 8: Genre and Craft of Language All students will explore and use the characteristics of different types of texts, aesthetic elements, and mechanics- including text structure, figurative and descriptive language, spelling, punctuation, and grammar- to construct and convey meaning.

Social StudiesStandard II-1: People, Places and Culture All students will describe, compare, and explain the locations and chracteristics of places,cultures, and settlements.Standard II-4: Regions, Patterns and Processes All students will describe and compare characteristics of ecosystems, states, regions, countries, major world regions, and pattterns and explain the processes that created them.

ScienceStandard IV-4: Waves and Vibrations All students will describe sounds and sound waves; explain shadows, color, and other light phenomena; measure and describe vibrations and waves; and ex;lain how waves and vibrations transfer energy.

CAREER & EMPLOYABILITYStandard 7: Teamwork All students will work cooperatively with people of diverse backgrounds and abilities, identify with the group’s goals and values, learn to exercise leadership, teach others new skills, serve clients or customers and contribute to a group process with ideas, suggestions and efforts.

TECHNOLOGYStandard 3: Applying Appropriate Technologies All students will apply appropriate technologies to criticial thinking, creative expression, and decision making skills.

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A Creative Look at Arab Culture Grade Levels:

9-12ObjectiveStudents will identify various aspects of Arab culture. Students will learn about Arab contributions to the Western world, and students will be creative and imaginative when learning about Arab culture and history.

Curriculum ConnectionsARTS STANDARD CONTENT STANDARD

Arts Education Standard 2: Creating Social Studies Standard II-1: People, Places, and Cultures

Social Studies Standard II-4: Regions, Patterns, and Processes

English and Language Arts Standard 6: Voice.

Career & Employability 7: Teamwork

Technology 3: Applying Apppropriate Technologies

MaterialsInternet accessPrinting capabilitiesScissorsPoster boardGlue/tapeMarkers/colored pencils/crayonsColored paperArab World Map (pg 43)Geography of the Arab World Worksheet (pg 44)

Opening DiscussionDiscuss the Five Themes of Geography as a class, and discuss the countries of the Arab world using the map provided on page of this study guide. In groups, have stu-dents select one of the countries to study more in-depth.

ProceduresDay One: After meeting in the media center/computer lab, the instructor will divide the students into groups of two. S/he will then distribute a list of the Arabic terms generated by the class, with the instruction that each group is to choose a topic on which to report. Each group will then do research on the Internet on their topic and print out any relevant information and pictures. They will then be instructed to bring those research materials to class the following day, where they will construct a collage or mobile that best illustrates the topic.

Day Two: The class will reconvene in the regular classroom, where the groups will then construct their projects. At the end of class, each group will present their col-lage/mobile to the rest of the class, indicating the focus of the topic and the reasons why they chose the words, pictures, items, etc., that they did.

Discussion/Follow-upWhat were sillimlarities between our culture and the Arab world that you noticed? Would you like to visit an Arab country? Why or why not?

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Country:

Location:

Area: Total:

Water:

Land:

Climate:

Resources:

Population:

Ethnic Groups:

Religions:

Languages:

Gross Domestic Product:

Industries:

Agriculture Products:

Currency:

Use this sheet to further your understanding of one of the countires in the Arab World you have chosen.. Using either a textbook and/or the internet, fill in the information below for the country.

The Geography of the Arab World

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Sound Grade Levels:

3-9ObjectiveStudents understand that instruments vary in sound.Students will have knowledge of music, rhythm and percussion of Afric/Mauritania.Students will have the knowledge of how different materials make sounds.Students will be able to create a musical instrument by using everyday household items.


Arts Education 2: Creating Career & Employability 7: Teamwork

Science: IV-4: Waves and Vibrations

MaterialsTissue paper, rubber bands (different sizes), paper plates, beans, crayons, markers, stapler, staples, tin cans, scissors, shoe box, rice, cotton balls, paper clips

Activity1. Send note home2. Gather materials3. Discuss the instruments played by the Aswat Orchestra, show an example (see pages 17 of this Resource Guide). 4. Demonstrate how to make a different musical instruments using shoebox, rubber bands of various thickness and maracas.5. Discuss the sounds made by the rubber bands. Ask students if they hear changes in the sound and if they know why the sounds vary.6. Discuss that sounds as being high and low, soft or loud.7. Describe the idea of sound waves and vibrations. Explain how the rubber bands affect the sound. Ask: Do you think anything else affects the sound?8. Allow students to make their own variation of guitars or maracas (using boxes, coffee cans etc…) 9. Students will color and or decorate the instruments they made with crayons or markers, paints, etc.10. After students have completed their instruments, gather and compare the sounds. Ask: Did the sound change when you used a can instead of a box? Was the sound high or low? Ask: Does how much beans you add change the sound? Ask: Does how much rice, cotton balls or paper clips you add change the sound?

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Understanding Arab Folktales Grade Levels:

K-8ObjectiveThis lesson plan is structured to introduce students to some of the traditional Arabian folk tales. From the stories they can learn about a different culture’s attitudes and values while also engaging their own imaginations and expanding their vocabularies. The lesson also helps with student’s visualization and literacy skills.


Arts Education 3: Analyzing in Context English and Language Arts Standard 1: Meaning and Communication

Arts Education 4: Arts in Context English and Language Arts Standard 3: Meaning and Communication

English and Language Arts Standard 8: Genre and Craft of Language

How to Listen to StoriesAfter listening to a story ask the following questions as a way to spark discussion about the elements of the story:

Characters Who are the characters in the story? What do they look like? Can you draw pictures of the major characters?

Plot What happens in the story? Can you arrange the events in chronological order?

Setting Where does the story take place? What does it look like there?Can you draw a picture of the place?

Exposition How did the story begin? How were the characters introduced?

Climax Was there a high-point in the story where the story became more exciting? Did the story have surprises?

Conclusion How does the story end? Is there a lesson that the story teaches you?

Vocabulary What new words did you lean from the story?

Ask your students if they know any American Folk Tales (or those of other nation-alities, such as German, Chinese, Mexican, American Indian, Russian, etc.) Ask themto compare and contrast the Arabian folk tales with those of other nationalities. Arethere common features that all myths and legends seem to share? Do any of theArabian folktales seem familiar in any way?

Folktales are a thriving part of many cultures, and often reveal the roots of the culture, touching on the traditional religion, pride, and explanation for geographical and historical events. These stories can be explored in short les-sons with students. Each day, read one of the stories included in this packet (or photo-copy the story and have your students read it in groups).

Arabic tales share many characteristics. The stories often display the social values that the Arabs have in common and discuss the position and roles of men and women in society. Faith is usually expressed through the hero, who uses his or her belief to achieve the main task. Sometimes an all-powerful king is also depicted and supernatural elements are a very important component of most Arabic tales and legends. The tales usually have a moral at the end, to instill the reader with a new sense of judgement, and to allow a lesson to be learned.

Juhha’s Wonders by Sheikha Al Shukeili

Once upon a time, there was a very small village in Baghdad whose population was very small. In this vil-lage everybody knew each other and knew every problem, no matter how large or small, that went on in the village. In this small village there was a bakery, which was popular for its delicious bread. One day a poor old man was walking in the street passing the bakery and he stopped to smell the scent of the bread which was spreading out of the bakery.

Suddenly, the baker caught the old man and shouted at him. The baker was furious as he chased the old man away from the loaves, demanding the old man pay for the price of the bread’s smell. He nearly took him to the police!

A very famous wise man named Juhha heard the baker shouting. So, he went to him and asked about the problem. Juhha stood calmly listening to the baker and he thought of a solution. After a few minutes Juhha’s eyes glittered and an amused smile was on his face. He asked the baker “How much money do you want?” The baker and poor man were astonished, but the baker answered “3 dinar.” Juhha took the money out of his wallet and put it in his pocket and shook the money. “Did you hear the sound of the money?” Juhha asked. “Yes I did”, the baker replied, and with a big smile Juhha said “Well then, this is the price of your bread’s scent!

Arabic Folktales

The Pious Cat (A Muslim tale from Oman)

A cat was warming himself near a clay brazier which had been left out in the yard to be fanned by the breeze. Above his head, a rat suddenly hurried along the edge of the roof. The cat looked up at the sound and exclaimed, “Ya Hafeedh! O Allah our Protector, preserve him!” “May Allah preserve nobody!” snapped the rat, somewhat testily. “Why this interest in my affairs? Am I dear to you, all at once? Best to leave me alone!” Just then the rat tripped over a waterspout and fell to the ground, where the cat caught him firmly in his claws. “When I said Ya Hafeedh! you became angry and said May Allah protect nobody! Now you see what has come of your blasphemy!” “How right you are, my uncle cat!” said the rat. “I beg you, give me a chance to atone; let me recite the ‘Fatiha’ (from the Quran) one last time before I die! Better still, why don’t you pray with me, and let us both say, ‘May God bring this affair to a just conclusion!” The cat raised his paws in the attitude of prayer, and the rat scampered to the safety of his hole. So the cat was left to scratch his face in remorse. And now whenever you see a cat rubbing his face, you will know that he is remembering the smell of that rat that he lost.

Laila by Sheikha al- Shukaili, Fatema Yousef, Hanan Rashed, and Marwa Salem

Once upon a time, there was a little beautiful girl named Laila . She lived with her mother in a small house in the forest . One day her mother asked her to take some food for her grandmother who lived on the other side of the forest.

While Laila was walking happily and singing cheerful songs, suddenly a large wolf appeared to her in the middle of the way. “What is your name ? Where are you going ?“ the wolf asked Laila. “I am going to see my grandmother,“ said Laila. “What do you have in your basket ?” he asked. Laila said “ I have some food in it. I am sorry, I must go because I am late for my grandmother.”

The crafty wolf ran ahead of Laila to Laila’s grandmother’s house and he tricked the grandmother by making his voice the same as Laila’s. When he entered the house he swallowed the grandmother up whole and put on her clothes. When Laila arrived, she knocked on the door. The wolf told her to come in and she entered the house. When Laila noticed her grandmother’s long ears she asked “Why are your ears so big ?” “To hear your sweet voice,” crooned the wolf. “Why do you have a big nose?” she asked cautiously.He answered “ So that I could smell the sweet scent of the food.” Laila asked “ Why do you have sharp teeth?” Suddenly the wolf cried “ To EAT you with!” Laila screamed and ran away as quickly as she could from the wolf in to the forest. She found a hunter, who saved her and killed the wolf. Then the hunter cut the wolf ‘s stomach and got out Laila’s grandmother who was frightened, but would safely recover. They thanked the brave hunter and appreciated what he had done.

Who Lied? (from Saudi Arabia)

Long ago in the beginning, a Beduin tribe - some say it was the Beni Zeid - was looking for new pasture, having used up all its water and grazing land. To scout the countryside around them, they released the crow, the partridge, and the dove. The three birds flew off together. But in a short time the crow was had returned with the sad news that as far as he could fly, there was only more desert with not a stalk or blade of grass for the cattle to feed on. Later the other two birds returned, and what they had seen was the opposite: lush grazing grounds with plenty of water. “So soft is the grass there,” they said, “that a newborn babe treading on it would hurt the blades.” Not knowing which of the two reports was true, the tribe moved to the place the partridge and the dove had described. They found that the crow was the false one, and for that they painted him black as his lie. The dove and partridge they rewarded, staining the feet of one festive red with henna and lining the eyes of the other with kohl. To this day the dove walks on pink feet and the partridge’s eye is ringed with black.

Joha and the Hundred Eggs

Adapted from Arab Folktales by Inea Bushnaq

In the Middle Ages, Harun Al Rasheed was Caliph, leader of the entire Islamic world. His royal court was filled with fascinating people from all over the world, but his favorite companion was a simple man named Joha. No matter what the situation, Joha could always make the Caliph laugh.

Once, as a joke on Joha, Harun Al Rasheed gave a hundred eggs to the hundred members of his royal court and ordered each person to put an egg on his chair and sit down. Later, when Joha arrived, the Caliph stood up and said, “I command each of you to lay an egg for me this morning.” And sure enough, every last one of the courtiers produced an egg, except for Joha. For a moment, Joha was at a loss. Then he threw back his head and began to crow, “Cock-a-doodle-doo!” Loud and shrill. “What’s the matter with you, Joha?” asked the Caliph. “O master and protector, with a hundred hens in this chamber, don’t you think you need at least one rooster?”

For his quick answer, Harun Al Rasheed rewarded Joha with a hundred coins of gold.

Joha Rides the Bus(Retold by Milad Amir)

Joha was a simple man. He was not too tall, but not too short. He was not too fat, but not too thin. He was not too young, but not too old. In fact, Joha was not too much of anything at all.

Joha was also not too rich, owning very little except for a donkey named Baseet (simple), whom he treaded as a friend. Baseet accompanied Joha everywhere.

One day, after a long nap under a simple palm tree, reading a simple book about simple things, Joha felt tired, too tired for the long ride home on baseet in the middle of the noonday sun. He decided to take the bus.

At the nearest bus stop, Joha straddled Baseet and boarded the bus. He greeted the bus driver and all the passengers he passed as he rode to the back of the bus. The other passengers were amazed. They had never seen a man riding a donkey on a bus. Even Baseet himself was surprised. “Joha has really done it this time!” he thought.

After many stops and many turns, the bus arrived at Joha’s house. As Joha rode off the bus, the driver shouted after him, “Where is your fare?” Joha replied simply, “Fare? What fare? I didn’t ride your bus. I was riding my donkey!”

As the bus driver pondered these words, Joha rode away without paying. He wasn’t such a simple man after all, was he?

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Appreciating the Peformance

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RObjectiveFor students to gain increased appreciation for and understanding of Aswat by observ-ing the performance closely.


Arts Education 3: Arts in Context Language Arts 3: Meaning and Commu-nication

Social Studies II-1: People, Places, and Cultures

MaterialsNone

Opening DiscussionGoing to a live performance is different from listening to a CD. The audience gains visual cues and clues that can enhance the music (or even detract from it). The following questions can help you feel more “tuned into” what is happening onstage.

ActivityEncourage students to look for the following at the Youth Performance.

1. Who appears to be leading the vocalists? What is this person’s role called?

2. This performance used images from film during the performance. Did this enhance your understanding of the music?

3. How does the caller use his/her body to show the singers what he/shewants to hear?

4. Do the singers look at and listen to each other? How can you tell?

5.How are the musicians dressed? Tuxedo? T-shirt and jeans? Suits? How does their clothing affect how you respond to them as people? As musicians?

6. Do the singers use their bodies or faces to express how they’re feeling?

7. Do any of the musicians play more than one instrument? Who? How are the sounds of those instruments similar? Different?

8. Is the oud a leading instrument or a following one? Why? What about any of the others?

9. What instruments seem to be the most important? The least? How did you deter-mine how important they are? Do the leading and/or melody instruments stay the same with each song or change?

10. Songs can convey different moods, emotions, stories, or feelings. Do most of the performed songs communicate similar feelings?

Discussion/Follow-upAre you able to answer any of the above questions now that you’ve seen theperformance? What was your favorite part of the show? Is there anything you didn’tlike about the show? All of the songs were sung in Arabic. How did that effectyour experience? Could you still understand what the singers were trying to convey?

The Vocabulary of Arabic MusicBandir: hand-held round frame with snares lining the underside of the drum skin.Jins (plural Ajnas) Arabic word meaning gender or type; a sequence of three, four, or five notes (trichord, tetrachord or pentachord) used as a building block for a maqam.

SayrArabic word meaning “route” or “path”; a set of rules that define a maqam’s gen-eral melodic development’

Maqam (plural Maqamat) Arabic word literally meaning “place” or “location”, also the standing point of a poet or singer, and later used to describe a collection of poems or songs. In Arabic music, a maqam is a sequence of notes with rules that define its general melodic development.

‘aqd (plural ‘uqud) Arabic word used as a synonym for a jins (a trichord, tetrachord or pentachord), used as a building block for a maqam.

GhammazArabic word used to describe the pivotal note between the maqam’s first and second jins, often used as a starting point for modulation.

QararArabic word meaning “decision”; used to indicate the tonic, or starting note in a maqam.

MustaqarrArabic word meaning “resting place”; used to indicate the ending note in a maqam.

TakhtA small instrumental group of traditional instruments, usually a oud, a qanun, a nay, a riq, and recently a violin.

DawrA vocal form dating back to the beginning of the 19th century, based on the use of popular poems. The dwar is performed by a soloist and a chorus of four or more.

The Vocabulary of Arabic MusicOud - A pear shaped instrument which is similar to a lute, with a curved neck.

Rikk - The Arabic term for tambourine.

Iqa at - The rhythmic modes in Arabic music.

Taqasim - The Arabic word for musical improvisation.

Firga - A large Arabic music ensemble, much like an orchestra.

Tablah - A type of double-headed drum often used in folkloric music.

Kaman - An Arabic word for the violin.

Mawwal – in Arabic music, this refers to free, non-rhythmic singing.

Mijwiz- - A type of instrument resembling a double clarinet often found in a traditional takht.

Mizhar- The oldest known frame drum; the head is usually made from fi sh skin.

Nay - A wooden instrument larger than, but similar to a fl ute.

Qanun - This is a musical instrument, common in Turkey and Arabic countries, which somewhat resembles an autoharp. Its wooden frame is designed to lie fl at on a surface such as a table or the performer’s lap, and the strings across it are plucked to produce the melody

Sagat - This is the Arabic name for fi nger cymbals, and means “small metal trays”. Sometimes spelled Zagat.

Rababa is the oldest of the bowed instruments, having usually one string, but sometimes two. The single string rababa is most often used in simple songs, and is the instrument most used by the desert bedouin

Zakhrafat - An Arabic word used to describe the art of adding ornamentation to music.

RESOURCESIbrahim Azzam, a featured vocalist in Aswat

TitleDear Parents and Guardians,We will be taking a field trip to see a University Musical Society (UMS) Youth Performance of Aswat on Thursday, March 12 from 11am-12:00pm at Hill Auditorium.

We will travel • by car • by school bus • by private bus • by footLeaving school at approximately ________am and returning at approximately ________ pm.

The UMS Youth Performance Series brings the world’s finest performers in music, dance, theater, opera, and world cultures to Ann Arbor.

We • need • do not need additional chaperones for this event. (See below to sign up as a chaperone.)

Please • send • do not send lunch along with your child on this day.

If your child requires medication to be taken while we are on the trip, please contact us to make arrangements.

If you would like more information about this Youth Performance, please visit the UMS website at www.ums.org/education. Copies of the Teacher Resource Guide for this performance are available for you to download.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me at ____________________________________ or send email to _________________________________________________________________________. Please return this form to the teacher no later than _____________________________________________

Sincerely,

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

My son/daughter, __________________________________, has permission to attend the UMS Youth Performance on Thursday, March 12, 2009. I understand that transportation will be by ________________________.

I am interested in chaperoning if needed. • YES • NO

Parent/Guardian Signature________________________________________ Date_____________________

Relationship to student ____________________________________________

Daytime phone number__________________________________________

Emergency contact person________________________________________

Emergency contact phone number_________________________________

UMS FIELD TRIP PERMISSION SLIP


Using the Resource CDThe CD accompanying this guide is a variety of songs rercorded by three of the most popular singers in the Arab World: Asmahan, Um Kalthoum, and Fairuz. While these songs will not be performed at the Aswat youth perfor-mance (with exception of Track 1) they are an example of the music popular during the Golden Age of Arab song. This CD is for education purposes only. Please do not distribute or reproduce.

Track 1“Fakkarouni” on A Tribute to Om Kalsoum by The Cairo Orchestra.

Track 2“Konti Elamani (Tu as été mon espoir)” on Le couer a ses raisons (1935-1944) by Asmahan.

Track 3“Elouyoun (Les roses sont belles)” on Le couer a ses raisons (1935-1944) by Asmahan.

Track 4“Nassam Alayna” on Legend- The Best of Fairuz by Fairuz.

Track 5“Ana Indi Haneen” on Legend- The Best of Fairuz by Fairuz. .

Track 6“Enta Omree Pt. 12 (Arabian Nights Princess Najwa Karam)” on The Queen of All Love Songs by Um Kalthoum.

Track 7“Ya Laylet El-id Insitina” on Al Sett (La Dame/The Lady) by Um Kalthoum.

Visit UMS Online

www.ums.org

Title


Internet ResourcesArts Resourceswww.ums.orgThe official website of UMS. Visit the Education section (www.ums.org/education) for study guides, information about community and family events, and more infor-mation about the UMS Youth Education Program.

www.artsedge.kennedy-center.orgThe nation’s most comprehensive website for arts education, including lesson plans, arts education news, grant information, etc.

www.accesscommunity.orgNational outreach organization for economic and social issues in and around the Arab American community.

Simon Shaheen and the Arab CommunitySome of the text in this study guide has been derived from the sources listed below:

http://www.simon-shaheen.comSimon Shaheen’s official website.

http://www.sroartists.com/artists/aswat/The official website for the Aswat project.

www.maqamworld.com/links.htmlA site which highlights the people and history of Arab music. Very detailed and in-depth examples of maqamat and other musical forms from the Arab world.

www.arabicmusicalscores.com/freesheetmusic.htmlThis site contains a lot of free sheet music from Arab composers and musicians.

www.adc.org/education/culture.htmProvides an overview of the Arab culture and presented by the American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee

www.arabic2000.com/arabic/public/common.htmlFeatures common phrases and words from the Arabic language, with pronunciations included.

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.comSaudi Aramco, the oil company born as an international enterprise 75 years ago, dis-tributes Saudi Aramco World to increase cross-cultural understanding. The bimonthly magazine’s goal is to broaden knowledge of the cultures, history and geography of the Arab and Muslim worlds and their connections with the West.


TitleThere are

many more books available about dance!

Just visit www.amazon.com

Recommended Reading Resources for your classroomThis page lists several recommended books to help reinforce arab music and cultre through literature. These books are available through www.amazon.com.

Elementary School Lewin, Ted. The Storytellers. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1998. 32 p. . Morocco

Sales, Francesc d’A. Ibrahim. Illustrated by Eulààlia Sariola; translated by Marc Simont. New York : Lippincott, 1989. Morocco

Aggarwal, Manju. I Am a Muslim : Manju Aggarwal Meets Abu Bakar Nazir. New York: F. Watts, 1985. Islam

Haskins, Jim. Count Your Way Through the Arab World. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda, 1987. Middle East & North Africa

Hermes, Jules. The Children of Morocco. Series: World’s children. Minneapolis:Carolrhoda Books, c1995. Morocco

Osborne, Mary Pope. One World, Many Religions : The Ways We Worship. NewYork: Knopf, 1996. Islam

Middle & High SchoolBrill, Marlene Targ. Enchantment of the World: Algeria. Chicago: Children’s Press,1990. Algeria

Fox, Mary Virginia. Tunisia. Series: Enchantment of the World. Chicago: Children’s Press, 1990. Tunisia

Kagda, Falaq. Algeria. Series: Cultures of the World. London: Marshall Cavendish, 1997. Alegeria

Lybia in Pictures. Series: Visual Geography. Minneapolis, MN: 1996. Lybia

Moktefi , Mokhtar. The Arabs in the Golden Age. Brookfi eld, CT: Millbrook, 1992. Arabs

Robinson, Francis. Ed. The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Islam

Sanders, Renfi eld. Libya. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2000. Libya

Scoones, Simon. The Sahara and Its People. Thomson Learning. 1993. North Africa

Stotsky, Sandra. The Arab Americans. Chelsea House, 1999. Arab Americans

Wilkins, Frances. Morocco. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.Morocco

Title


Community and National ResourcesThese groups

andorganizations can help you to learn more about danceperformance

styles and African culture

University Musical Society University of Michigan Burton Memorial Tower 881 N. University Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011 (734) 615-0122 [email protected] www.ums.org

Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) 2651 Saulino Court Dearborn, MI 48120 (313) 842-7010 www.accesscommunity.org

University of Michigan Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies (CMENAS) 1080 South University Avenue, Suite 4640 University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106 Phone: (734)764-0350 FAX: (734)764-8523 http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/cmenas

The Arab American Institute 4917 Schaefer Rd Dearborn, MI 48126 (313) 584-8868 www.aaiusa.org

Arab American & Chaldean Council 16921 W Warren Ave Detroit, MI 48228 (313) 584-4137 www.arabacc.org

ACC Cultural Arts Center 111W. Seven Mile Detroit, MI 248-559-1990


Evening Performance InfoCelebrating the Golden Age of Arab Music

Aswat (Voices)Simon Shaheen artistic director, oud, and violinFeaturing Ibrahim Azzam, Sonia M’barek, Khalil Abonula, Rima Khcheich, and The Aswat Orchestra

Thursday, March 12, 8pmHill Auditorium

The period from the 1920s to the 1950s is considered the “golden age” of Egyp-tian cinema, but it was also a golden age of song in many parts of the Arab world — in particular, Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria. Many of these countries’ greatest sing-ers and composers reached unprecedented heights of artistry and stardom through-out these years. Now, one of today’s leading Arab composers and instrumentalists, Simon Shaheen, is bringing this era back to life. Working with a traditional Arab orchestra and some of the leading singers in the Arab world today, Shaheen directs this evening of classic, unforgettable melodies, soul-stirring voices, and lush orches-tral arrangements, authentically recreating and interpreting the sights and sounds of this magical time. Shaheen’s international search for the top Arab singers of today includes featured Tunisian, Lebanese, and Palestinian vocalists who will sing some of the most beloved songs of all time by composers like Mohammad Abdel Wahhab, Farid Al-Atrash and the Rahbani Brothers. The Aswat Orchestra includes virtuoso instrumentalists who deliver a rich musical experience for devotees and new fans alike. As a backdrop to the live performance, a projection screen flashes preserved images and film footage of the great singers of the Golden Age, creating a multimedia experience of historical depth and lasting emotional impact.

To purchase UMS tickets:

Onlinewww.ums.org/tickets

By Phone(734) 764-2538

TEEN Rush TicketThe UMS Teen Ticket is a special opportunity for high school students to purchase one discounted ticket to UMS performances. Tickets are subject to availability. There are two ways to purchase the Teen Ticket:

$10 Teen TicketStudents may purchase a Teen Ticket for $10 the day of the performance for weekday performances or the Friday before for weekend performances at the Michigan League Ticket Office. The Michigan League Ticket Office is located at 911 North University Avenue and is open from 9 am - 5 pm weekdays.

$15 Teen Ticket at the DoorStudents may purchase a $15 Rush Ticket, if available, 90 minutes prior to a per-formance at the performance venue.

Send Us Your Feedback!UMS wants to know what teachers and students think about this Youth Performance.

We hope you’ll send us your thoughts, drawings, letters, or reviews.

UMS Youth Education ProgramBurton Memorial Tower • 881 N. University Ave. • Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011

(734) 615-0122 phone • (734) 998-7526 fax • [email protected]/education

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