Talk:Palestinian music

Palestinian Music
Palestinian music is historically part of the rich heritage of Middle Eastern music in a broader perspective. Since Palestine used to be part of the Al Sham region (currently Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan), music and other cultural traditions within these countries are similar to a great extent.

Still, as is the case with the music of the other regions, Palestinian music has developed its own characteristics. Since the 20th century has been the period in which the reach of music has expanded dramatically, due to the introduction of sound-bearing apparatuses such as radio broadcasting, recorded music (vinyl records, magnetic tape and CD's) and television, these developments have speeded up musical evolution in each region, sometimes causing a greater level of differentiation. Bearing in mind the specific situation of the Palestinians, with regard to the alienation of refugees on one side, and life under harsh occupation on the other, these facts have strongly affected the individual development of Palestinian music, and have given it its own thematics and its own characteristics.

Traditional music

Music, for the predominantly agrarian Palestinian society, was traditionally centered around the marriage ritual. At marriages, which traditionally featured separate festivities for men and for women, people sang a variety of 'preformatted' songs, inventing their own lyrics for them. This enabled everyone to sing along with the 'chorus' parts of the songs, and assured that all participants were familiar with the melody of the song in question. Here follow some examples of these 'formats', with a short explanation.

Mejana - Mejana is a slow 'introduction', with varying lyrics, that forms the basic frame for the singer to share his Mawwaal (slow litanic improvisational chant). A string of Mawwaals (Mawaweel) is usually connected by a few instances of Mejana, creating a melancholic mood, and enabling listeners to focus on the lyrics, which often contain inventive puns and poetical glorifications of the marital couples' families. Mejana usually forms the introduction to the fast-paced Dabkeh, which is a dance in which all guests participate.

Dabkeh - After a few Mejana instances, the musicians burst into a Dabkeh, where the guests form a long line, that often extends into a (semi-)circle, and stamp their feet on the ground in a series of subtly choreographed moves. The Dabkeh has a great impact upon the party, and sometimes smaller groups of more specialized dancers break from the main line and enter the center field, to display their skills. During the Dabkeh various text are sung, again to already existing melodies, and with the main singer putting in his own textual variations. Examples of these songs are "Dal'ona", "'Alla", "Zareef ettool", "Wein 'a Ramallah" and many others.

The marriage ritual contains more separate musical instances than those mentioned here. A good example of these is given by Al Funoun, on their CD "Zaghareed".

The most traditional musical setup is based on the Darbekkeh (Middle Eastern hand drum), and the Shibbabeh (short shepherd's flute). Also popular, depending on regional differences, are the reed-instruments Arghoul and Mijwez. In the cities, bands usually featured the 'Ud (Arabic lute), the Nay (Middle Eastern flute) and sometimes a Kamanja (violin) and Kanun (horizontal harp). As for the Shibbabeh, which is a very typically Palestinian instrument, a clear description of its sound, and even on how to make one, are given at the following link.

Modern Music

Due to the political situation, for a long time there was very little Palestinian music circulating in wider circles. During the 70s, popular Palestinian groups emerged such as Sabreen and Al Ashiqeen, who acquired a vast audience for their songs, often connected to the Palestinian tragedy. During the first Intidada, a major surge in the production of local music was seen in the occupied lands, with local groups forming to record songs of resistance. These songs circulated widely among the cities and villages of the West Bank and Gaza, mostly on cassette tapes of mediocre audio quality.

Now, a number of Palestinian stars are rising, often being Palestinians living in the diaspora who wish to keep the cultural tradition alive. Often, the traditional themes are merged with modern influences, thereby giving birth to a new tradition of Palestinian modern music. Examples are Simon Shaheen, Samir Joubran , Rim Banna , Kamilya Jubran , Issa Boulos , and Reem Kelani. Although not many Palestinian artists seem to have explored the realm of contemporary Arabic popular music, tapping into the mainstream, Ruba Hatem seems to be one of the few endeavoring in this direction.

Mainstream Popular Music

Palestinians nowadays have also become active in mainstream popular music, tapping into modern popular styles such as jazz, hip-hop, R & B and other types of contemporary music styles. Hip-hop is seeing a particular rise in popularity even in occupied Palestine, which is most likely due to its suitability for the expression of voices of protest, and the wish of the younger generation of Palestinians to be a part of the cosmopolitan music community. In this context, D.A.M, a rap group from '48 Palestine is worth mentioning. Second generation Palestinians in the diaspora have also entered the musical scene, emphasizing their Palestinian identity, with hip-hop artists such as the Iron Sheik and The Philistines. Outside of hip-hop, not many Palestinians seem to be active in contemporary music, at least not in a very visible way. An exception worth mentioning is Doc Jazz, who, with his Musical Intifadah, seems to be visiting practically every style of modern music, seemingly aiming to reach all generations with his political message, with music ranging from jazz, to funky tunes, ballads and even hip-hop and traditional Palestinian music.

Useful Links

Article about the various types of Palestinian songs

Examples of Traditional Palestinian Songs

Study of Traditional Palestinian Music and Contemporary Artists

Popular Art Centre

Edward Said National Conservatory of Music — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.81.173.153  (talk • contribs) 20:39, 6 November 2005