World Music: Traditions and Transformations 2nd Ed. (Bakan) Ch. 12 & 13

raqs sharqi

the professional entertainment medium of women's dance, associated with Egyptian weddings, nightclub and cabaret performances, and commercial film and other mass media

belly dance

generic term in English for virtually all forms of Middle Eastern and Middle Eastern-derived women's dance; in this text, refers more specifically to Western/international derivates and offshoots of raqs sharqi and raqs baladi

takht

main instrumental ensemble for Arab art music. Includes the 'ud, nay, qanun, violin, and riqqm sometimes supplemented by the tabla. In the Iraqi takht, a joza may substitute for the violin

tabla (Egyptian)

Lead drum in Egyptian dance music. This single-headed, goblet-shaped drum should not be confused with the Indian instrument of the same name. The Egyptian tabla is also known by several other names (darabukkah, dumbek, doumbec)

raqs baladi

Egyptian and other Middle Eastern "folk dance"; the term implies rural culture or origins; encompasses traditional dance of women's gatherings and certain types of folk rituals and ceremonial performances

zaar

Ancient healing ritual (performed mainly for and by women) rooted in shamanistic practices and involving spirit possession and trance. In modern times, the ritual has been floklorized, and zaar-derived rhythms and dance elements are commonly used in raqs baladi, raqs sharqi, and belly dance

Orientalist (Orientalism)

exoticized and often marginalizing representations of "Eastern" people and cultures. Orientalist characterizations of Egypt spanned from 19th Century French paintings to 20th century Hollywood movies, and the image of Middle Eastern female belly dancer was consistently prominent

maqam

term essentially meaning mode in Arab music; part of a large modal system comprising many maqamat

Qur'anic recitation

the melodious art of reciting the Qur'an. Though it sounds musical to Western listeners and uses maqam-like melodies similar to those found in Middle Eastern music, it is categorically not music according to most Muslims

quarter tone

microtonal interval that falls halfway between the smallest intervals (semitones) in the conventional Western pitch system (i.e. halfway between consecutive keys on a piano). Quarter-tone intervals are used in maqam-based music of the Middle East

'ud

pear-shaped, short-necked, lute-type plucked chordophone of Arab music; lead instrument of the takht ensemble and progenitor of the European lute

qanun

trapezoidal, plucked zither used in Arab music; standard instrument of the takht ensemble

nay

end-blown bamboo or cane flute with seven finger holes that is a standard isntrument of the Arab takht ensemble

riqq

arab tambourine

taqsim

solo, instrumental improvisation in maqam-based Arab music, performed either in free rhythm or with rhythmic accompaniment

Egyptian nationalism

nationalist movement that crystallized beginning the in the 19C and gained momentum through the 20C. Inspired by Egyptian opposition to foreign domination and defined by currents of Egyptian localism, pan-Arabism, and Islamism. Musicians such as Sayyid Dawish, Muhammad 'Abd al-Wahhab and Umm Kulthum, as well as the dancer Farida Fahmy, were prominent nationalist icons

ghawazi

specifically, a hereditary class of professional female dancers in Egypt; more broadly, a designation for all professional female dancers in Egypt and throughout the Middle East; term literally means "outsider" or "invader."

baladi (folk heritage)

folk heritage in Egypt

sagat

finger cymbals used in raqs baladi, raqs sharqi, and belly dance

Dum, tek (drum strokes)

the syllables for the two principal drum strokes used on the Egyptian tabla and other Middle Eastern percussion instruments. The dum is low-pitched and deep; the tek, high-pitched and piercing

firqa (firqa musiqyya masmoudi)

Large ensemble, involving both traditional Middle Eastern instruments of the takht ensemble and Western instruments

maqsoum

popular rhythm used in the accompaniment of certain forms of Egyptian women's dance

fallhin

literally, peasant; refers also to a metaphorical, romanticized cultural ideal of authentic (asil) Egyptianness

fallahi

upbeat dance rhythm traditionally used in accompaniment of Egyptian rural folk dances; also used to evoke "peasant" image in raqs sharqi, belly dance, and Egyptian folkloric dance

Saaidi

Egyptian dance rhythm associated with certain forms of baladi culture and with the martial art of tahtib

tahtib

traditional martial arts form/dance of Egypt. The Saaidi rhythm and the various forms of the women's cane dance all have their origins in tahtib

cane dance

Popular Middle Eastern women's dance form in which the dancer performs with a cane. Different variants found in raqs baladi, raqs sharqi, and belly dance. Historically related to the Egyptian tahtib martial art

Tabla Solo (genre)

Neo-traditional genre "invented" in the 1970s by Nagwa Fu'ad and her tabla accompanist Ahmed Hammouda; involves close coordination and interaction between dancer and drummer(s); often the highlight of raqs baladi, sharqi, or belly dance routine

malfuf

lively, quick-tempoed Egyptian dance rhythm often heard in the opening numbers of raqs baladi, sharqi, and belly dance routines

zheng

Chinese board zither chordophone of ancient heritage. Most common form of instrument today has 21 strings and movable bridges; historically related to several other Asian zither-type chordophones

regional styles of solo zheng music

a complex of distinctive playing styles, repertoires, and performance traditions on the zheng that crystallized in the late 19th century in regions of China including Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Chaozhou, Hakka, and Zhejiang

pipa

pear-shaped plucked chordophone with 4 strings. Chinese instrument of Central Asian heriage; close historical association with the zheng

qin

Ancient Chinese zither-type chordophone with 7 strings, no bridges; quintessential instrument of the Chinese gentleman/scholar junzi during the dynastic era. Confucius is said to have played this instrument

Beijing Opera

best-known type of Chinese opera. Like other types, it features heightened speech, song, dance, mime, acting, and acrobatics. The socialist "revolutionary operas" of the 1960s and 1970s represented a radical transformation of the genre during that period

koto

Japanese board zither chordophone with 13 strings. Historically relating to the Chinese zheng

gagku

Ancient, traditional court orchestra music of Japan

Mandarin Chinese

China's official national language

Han Chinese

Chinese ethnic majority, accounting for approx. 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China

Chinese Communist Party

the ruling party of the People's Republic of China from 1949- present. Originally led by Mao Zedong until his death in 1976, the party and its policies experienced profound transformations under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping beginning in the late 1970s

Cultural Revolution

Final period of Mao Zedong's leadership of China, 1966-1976. Unprecedented levels of intolerance for deviation from communist state ideology, extreme restrictions on cultural and artistic expression

Period of Openness

Modern period of Chinese socialism, initiated by Deng Ziaoping in late 1970s/early 1980s. Yielded profound transformations of Chinese society, including introduction of free enterprise economy, China's immersion in global markets, and liberalization of policies on the arts

ornamentation

decoration or adornment of the main notes in a melody by additional notes and ornamental figures (e.g. pitch blends, glissandos)

gua-zou

general term for a variety of glissando-type ornaments used in zheng and other Chinese instrumental traditions

Confucianism

the sociopolitical doctrine and philosophy originating with the writings of Confucius, which stressed rigid social hierarchy, civic responsibility, and a particular conception of morally virtuous social order. Basis of Chinese society for many centuries from the Han dynasty era forward

Silk Road

Expansive trade route of antiquity that connected China to lands as distant as Central Asia, India, Egypt, and Turkey

yun

Distinctive regional character of a piece of music or particular musical style

baban

Chinese musical form with eight melodic phrases; most traditional solo zheng pieces are in this form

yijing

designated emotional quality of a musical work (e.g., yijing of "sadness" for "autumn moon over the Han palace"). Usually complex and multifaceted rather than simple and straightforward

muqam

In Uighur music (and Central Asian traditions more broadly), a large-scale, precomposed suite of songs and instrumental music

dap

Traditional Uighur frame drum. Drum head is usually made of donkey hide or snake skin