Transcript Slide 1
MUSIC OF ISLAM:
A Brief and Broad Overview
PRE-ISLAM
Assyrian & Babylonian kingdoms
Later,
Persian Kingdom
Arabian civilization cradle of intellectual
achievement (i.e. music/theory, instruments,
math & medicine)
Pre-Islamic music – oral tradition
EARLIEST DOCUMENTED INSTRUMENTS
Lyre
Frame drum
Reed & Double reeds
THE UD (OUD)
OTHER LUTES
THEORBO (LUTE FAMILY)
THE SHAUM
Fore-parent to the modern oboe
Ultra-Orthodox muslims call this
instrument the Devil’s Penis
MUSIC GENRE
*Huda – simple folk songs, camel songs (aka:
caravan songs)
*Nawh – lamentation or elegy
*Ghina – generic term for art music
Iranian (Persian) Dynasty (Sassanians) 224 AD
khosovania – systems or modes (Barbad)
Poetry driven (Persian roots)
WHAT IS IT??
THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE SCARY
Nasheed = voice & percussion only; religious
content, poetry, or concepts of the prophet
Sufi (sect of Islam) - mystics
Qawaali
(qawwali) = “utterance” voice, percussion,
harmonium
Whirling dervishes = voice, percussion, woodwinds,
strings
Gnawa = voice, strings, percussion, woodwinds
CONSERVATIVE, ORTHODOX – HALAL OR GOOD
Qu’ranic recitations (chant),
Call to prayer
Huda – simple folk songs, camel songs (aka:
caravan songs)
*Nawh – lamentation or elegy
*Ghina – generic term for art music
Nasheed = 10% religious content, praise of the
Prophet, poetry
UMM KULTHOUM
Considered the Star of the East or Diva of the
Arabic Song
Began her career reciting Qu’ranic verse
Most popular during the 1950’s – 60’s
Peasant - cultivated perfect Arabic
Still highly revered in Egypt
NASHEED (ANASHEED)
Predominately male oriented
Reminiscent of western male a capella quartets
Contemporary groups have the “boy band”
sound
More political rhetoric appearing
Western in flavor
Pushing envelope
NASHEEDS
Raihan – Indonesian quintet
Rakan
Selawat (Seal of the Prophet)
786
Straight
Shaam
Mercy
Path
Like the Rain
Mustaqiim Sahir
This
is Islam
MODERATES’ VIEW– HALAL (TECHNICALLY)
HARAM (BAD) IN EYES OF THE ORTHODOX
Sufism
Whirling dervish = can convert; traditionally
men, long study, dhikr (remembrance of Allah)
Qawalli & Gnawa = hereditary; cannot convert
Sufi’s
are in love with God and seek to establish an
ecstatic relationship with Him.
Imagery & language used is one of lovers
Music is the means by which to ascend unto God
If it’s in praise to Allah it cannot be bad
WHIRLING DERVISHES
Followers of Mevlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad
Rumi (13th cent. Persian poet, Islamic jurist, &
theologian)
Mevlevi Order originally founded in Turkey after
Rumi’s death
Dervish lodges were banned in 1925; contemporary communities were persecuted under
penalty of death
1950 laws relaxed; Mevlevi viewed as an
association – performances only permitted
annually (Dec. 17)
Many tourist performances
A DERVISH THEATER
THE SEMA
Symbolizes Divine Love & mystical ecstasy of
union with the Divine Being
Actualized dhikr
Opens with the recitation of the Na’t-I Serif
Then instrumental (ney) introduction
Salutations & circumambulations
Concludes with recitation from the Qu’ran
THE SEMA MUSIC
The Ney; end blown reed
Only reed allowed in the Sema often a chorus of neys used
Human voice, percussion
(frame drum, doumbek), and
strings (dependent on the
region – zither or type of fiddle)
are also used
ORDER BASED IN OMAHA, NB
QAWAALI
East Indian / Pakistani
Hereditary; families old as 600 yrs
Ensemble called a Party
Hierarchy within family and performance order
Voice, tabla (drums), harmonium cymbals
Urdu, punjabi, arabic
Seek ecstasy (wajad) through
song
HARMONIUM AND TABLA
THE SCARY – HARAM (BAD)
Gnawa
(Gnaoua)
Extreme sect of Islam (pluralists)
Descended from African slaves & mercenaries
Hereditary
Practice spirit (demon) possession via lila or derdba
Commonalities
with Voodoo
Becoming major contributor to “world beat” or gnawa
fusion (diffusion)
Some looked upon with same distain as gypsies
Taureg tribe with guimbri
Guimbri
SUFI MUSIC
Whirling Dervish
Mevlevi
Qawaali
Nusrat
Order (Ottoman Empire/Turkey)
Fateh Ali Khan
Gnawa
Mustapha
Baqbou
WORLD BEAT
Term gained use 1980’s
Marketing/classificatory device for music
industry
Music that uses distinctive ethnic scales,
modes and musical inflections (ethnic
instrumentation) for western audiences
Jazz infusion/diffusion