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Americans Need More Arab Pop Music
By Andrew L. Jaffee, 5/28/2003

Note: Originally published in Impact Weekly, Vol. 10, #51, Dec. 19-25, 2002, Yesse Ohio, Inc.

Know Thy Neighbor

A recent survey found that only 13 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 could find Iraq on a world map. (1) We live in a diverse neighborhood, both within and without of the U.S. In these turbulent times, it is all the more important that peoples of various backgrounds reach out to each other and emphasize common values. The universal language of music can bridge the gap between different cultures. Americans are in need of a good dose of Arab music, from artists like Cheb Mami, Fayrouz, Umm Kalthoum, and Amr Diab.

At Home in the Middle East

My first serious exposure to Arab music was in old Jerusalem. I was in a cafe near the Damascus Gate, partying with a group of Brits, Germans, Israeli Jews, and Aussies. We were sitting next to a table of young Palestinians, several of whom were absolutely beautiful girls. Because of my musically inclined mind, I distinctly remember Elton John's "Bennie and the Jetts" playing in the background that night. Trying to make conversation with one of the girls, I said something awkward about never being able to understand many of Elton's lyrics. She said, "I love Elton John." The two groups merged over the span of the evening. When the cafe closed, the Palestinians invited us back to their house, to top off an extraordinary day.

All in one day in Jerusalem's Old City: we walked the Via Dolarosa--the same path on which Jesus bore his cross; past the Jewish Wailing Wall; and through the Muslim Dome of the Rock. Intermixed with all the exotic sights were the exotic smell of Cardamom and the sound of the Muslim call to prayer. All in one day: I was on cultural overload. But something allayed my overload.

At the house late that night, I learned about Arab music. First the Palestinians made the qahwa Arabi, that incredibly intense Arab coffee. We were all giggling because of too much qahwa. I was on cultural overload Level II. Then the Palestinians cranked the Arab dance music. The vocalizations and the stringed instruments' tones were trance inducing, evoking ethereal and transcendental feelings in me. The music's irresistible rhythms touched deep archetypal human feelings in me. It was haunting, flowing, modern, and ancient all at the same time. Everyone started dancing, and my cultural overload turned into rhythm. I was welcome. I was (proverbially) home.

Just as I'm tired of American misconceptions about the Middle East, I've heard my share of distorted Middle Eastern views of the U.S. (like the CIA really engineered the 9/11 attacks, not al Qaeda (33)). The Middle East is a complicated place, and is defined by more than oil and desert sands. Opinions there vary--as they do everywhere--depending on who you talk to: Bedouins, Maronite Christians, Druze, Kurds, Coptic Christians, Ethiopian Jews, Shi'ites, Sunni's, Palestinians, gays, straights, city dwellers, Berbers, Baha'i, etc., etc. It varies within each group. Unfortunately, many Middle Easterners live under repressive governments with state and/or religious controlled media. Some of those governments are supported by the U.S., making things even more uncomfortable at times.

Yet it is amazing how many people have ties, through friendship or family, to the U.S. While I have encountered tension in that part of the world, most Middle Easterners I've met share the same values and aspirations as Americans, no matter what dialect or language they speak.

Music is a language. In Old Jerusalem, music helped me to understand Arab culture.

Know Thy History

Arab culture has its roots in the ancient peoples of the Arabian Peninsula, (2, 3) where society and national spirit was anchored in the origin, kinship, and dignity of the tribal union. (2, 4) The Peninsula became an important overland route for the spice trade. (5, 6) Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, and other neighboring civilizations highly prized spices like frankincense. (5, 6) The great Minaean, Sabaean (Saba or Sheba), and Himyarite civilizations dominated trade in the Arabian Peninsula circa 1200 BC to 525 AD. (6, 7) Sabaean society was wealthy and highly developed. It traced its lineage to Noah and/or Abraham, and traded with Israel. (8) Christianity and Judaism came to southern Arabia during the second Himyarite kingdom (9). The Romans, wanting a piece of the spice trade action, tried to conquer Arabia in 24 BC, but failed. The Abyssinians and Persians invaded Southern Arabia, while the north was influenced by the Christian cultures of Byzantium and Syria. (6) The birth of Mohammed circa 570 AD was a momentous event in the course of Arab history. (6, 10)

The Prophet Mohammed had a vision in the cave of Mt. Hira, north of Mecca, in which he was commanded to preach. (10) During his life, he experienced numerous spiritual revelations. (10) Many of his experiences were recorded in the Qur’an, the holy book of the Islamic faith. (10) The evolution of Arab civilization was intertwined with the spread of Islam, starting in the seventh century AD (11). At that time, Mohammed united the various Arab tribes. (12) Mecca and Medina, now in Saudi Arabia, became the spiritual centers of Islam. (6) Mohammed's successors spread the Arabic language and Islam throughout the Near East, southwest Asia, and northern Africa, going as far as Spain and southern France. (7, 12) The Arabic language, once a tribal language localized to the Arabian Peninsula, became the lingua franca for good part of the world. (11)

Arab culture has given the world so much in terms of astronomy, mathematics, geography, philosophy, music, and medicine (14, 15). Arab civilization reached great heights under the Abbasid caliphs of Baghdad. Caliph Harun al-Rashid (786–809 AD) was a great patron of the liberal arts, and maintained political relations with far-flung China and with Charlemagne, king of the Franks. (16). Under Caliph al-Ma'mun (813–833 AD), great cultural strides were made. (16) He was very interested in science, and created an institution that translated Greek works into Arabic. (16)

Though Arab and Muslim history are deeply intertwined, it should be noted that while most Arabs are Muslims, there are also Arabs belonging to the Christian, Druze, Baha'i, and Jewish faiths. (11, 13) Non-Arabs now make up the majority of the world's Muslims (13).

Muslims, Jews, and Christians all found their spiritual birth in the history of the Middle East, and share much more in common than not. All three traditions are rooted in the story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, and Ishmael (17, 18). In the Bible, Abraham was father of the Jews; in the Qur’an, he (Ibrahim) was ancestor of the Arabs. (18) Jesus and his apostles were Jews. The Qu'ran acknowledges Jesus and Noah as prophets. (18). Christians and Jews share the Bible's Old Testament (6, 19).

With this common history and religion, how can there be so much conflict amongst these cousins? The historical evidence flies in the face of the anti-Muslim rhetoric of extreme right-wingers like Pat Robertson (20) and the anti-Jewish and anti-Christian rhetoric of extreme Islamists like Osama bin Laden. (21, 22, 23)

All this history aside, there is a more basic commonality we can find: That which makes our hips move: Music. We can dance together.

Know Thy Music History

Arab musical tradition is rooted in the lyric poem. (4) Two singing styles emerged in ancient Arabia: one from nomadic Bedouins and one from the settled population. (4) Bedouin songs tended to be beautifully simple, syncopated, and repetitive, as in the stark, a cappella women's lament; or the invigorating song of the camel driver travelling through the desert--the song's rhythm provided by the sound of his camel's footsteps. (4, 27)

The music of the settled (urban) population tended to be more complex and technical, and more influenced by outside cultures. (4, 27) Some of their songs told long and serious stories, in the tradition of Arabian poetry. (4) Other songs concentrated on the lighter side of life. (4) As time moved forward, the Arabs were exposed to the musical styles of other cultures. (4, 24)

Influences from the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Persians, and Romans affected the formation of Arab musical thought and its instruments. (4, 24, 25) The Abbasid caliphs of Baghdad were avid patrons of music, under whom scholars studied music theory and the musical styles of other cultures. (25) While new styles and new instruments appeared, the Arabs did not lose the tradition of lyric poetry sung in their native tongue. (25)

Traditional Arab music instruments include the oud (lute/guitar), darboukka (drum), rebab (violin), khanoon (harp), nai (flute), def (tambourine), and zils (hand-held cymbals). (4, 26)

The subject of "belly dancing" or the "veil dance" deserves mention here, as it is one of the stereotypes associated with Arab culture. This style of dance is known as raqs sharqi in Arabic, which simply means "dance of the East." (28) Some people only associate raqs sharqi with seduction and scantily-clad women dancing for the local sultan. But it is also rooted in ancient folk dance done in the spirit of celebration, e.g., at a community festival or wedding. In other words, it's fun. Go to your local Lebanese festival, and you'll understand. Not only can you see traditional raqs sharqi, but you can dance to Arab pop music.

Know Thy Musical Form

Arab music is steeped in the Eastern form, which can sometimes seem fundamentally different from Western styles. (32) In Eastern music, rhythms tend to lead the melody. (32) Standard tempos are rare. (32) Songs typically begin with an introduction of free rhythm. (32) When a cappella, vocalization is granted great leeway in its movement. (32) Eastern rhythms usually cannot be divided evenly. (32) There are generally two kinds of beat: The downbeat is a blow to the center of the drum giving a low-pitched sound, while the upbeat is a blow to the drum's rim, producing a sharp, high-pitched resonance. (32) Western music depends more on regular rhythm and melody. (32)

East, West, North, South--it's all danceable.

OK, Where's the Music Already?

Arab music can roughly be categorized into four main styles: 1) Egyptian--perhaps the most influential; 2) Lebanese/Syrian, with its Turkish influence; 3) Algerian/north-African and Räi music; and, 4) the music of the Arabian Gulf, where one finds traditional Bedouin music as well as the music videos from Al-Jazeera satellite TV. No mention of Arab music can be made without introducing the great household names of the Arab musical world.

First and foremost in the Arab musical pantheon is Egyptian-born Umm Kalthoum, the diva of the Arab world. Known for her very passionate and expressive vocalizations, and expansive range of pitch, she performed throughout the Arab world, as well as in Europe. (29) She was a small-town girl born into poverty. (29) Her father, the imam at a local mosque, taught her her first songs. (29) Though she rose to the top of the musical heap, she never forgot her roots, and provided assistance to the poor throughout her later life. (29) She died in 1975, at which time four million people attended her funeral. (29)

Nouhad Haddad, now known by her stage-name Fayrouz, was born in Beirut, Lebanon circa 1935. (30) Fayrouz presented a natural talent for singing when she was a little girl. (30) She got her musical start as a chorus member for the Lebanese Radio Station. (30) She sings about love and idyllic village life, and her expansive musical background includes traditional secular Arab styles as well as Christian influences. (30) During Lebanon's civil war, Fayrouz refused to leave the divided city of Beirut. (31) She maintained one house on the Muslim side of town and one on the Christian side. (31) Fayrouz describes herself as "fervently Greek Orthodox," (31) and still attends mass in a village church in Lebanon. In May of 1999, she performed in Las Vegas before nearly 10,000 fans. (31)

Räi music comes from the Arabs of North Africa. According to Amazon.com music critic Louis Gibson, "Räi in the 1980s was Algeria's punk and rap, a music of cultural revolution and youthful defiance." (35) Many Räi musicians name themselves with the prefix, "Cheb," which approximately means "young man." They tend to play a rough brand of Arab pop music, relying heavily on synthetic instruments and vocalizations. (35) Mami is one such Cheb. He has rocketed to greater fame by partnering with Sting on the hit single, "Desert Rose." Mami's backup vocals add a haunting feeling to Sting's already meditational pop style. Mami has smoothed the rough edges of Räi, perhaps to reach a wider audience. He just released the new album, "Lazrag Saani," on November 12, 2002.

The music of the Arabian Gulf nations has garnered a large amount of attention in the Arab World recently. (36) Traditionally, Egyptian and Lebanese artists have dominated the scene. (36) The emergence of Gulf-owned satellite TV channels like Al-Jazeera have given the established music industry a run for their money. (36) A compilation of nine songs from Gulf stars such as Nabil Sha’il, Abadi al-Johar, Talal Madah, and Abd al-Majid Abdullah has been released by the California-based musicians Souhail Kaspar and Naser Musa. (36) The CD is entitled, "Khaliji," which is Arabic for “From the Gulf." (36) The use of Gulf dialect--not Egyptian dialect--and the predominance of the traditional oud on this CD distinguishes it from more established Arab offerings. (36)

There are so many Arab artists that could be discussed: Hakim, Amr Diab, Kazim Al-saher, Hassan Hakmoun, etc. The Algerian musician Khaled is known as the "king of Räi" and considers himself to be influenced by James Brown, The Beatles, funk, and reggae. Patrick Jabbar El Shaheed and jazz great Bill Laswell collaborated to create "Shabeesation: Aisha Kandisha's Jarring Effects," which mixes dance and trance "to ward off jinniya (she devil)." (37) If this is all too overwhelming for the Arab music novitiate, one may want to start with a readily available Arab music compilation like "The Story of Arabic Song," or "Hitlist Egypt" described by Village Voice music critic Richard Gehr as, "still the best compilation of modern Egyptian music around." (38) Finally, I'll mention "The Music of Upper & Lower Egypt," recorded during the Grateful Dead's 1978 Egypt tour--this CD was a collaborative effort of the Dead's drummer Mickey Hart and oud master Hamza El Din.

Waves of Musical Change

Many Americans probably have never heard of Umm Kalthoum and Fayrouz, and have had little exposure to Arab music. But the times, they are a'changin.' Arab and other Eastern forms of music have been making inroads into the West for some time now. In the 80's, artists like electronic great Brian Eno, the Talking Head's David Byrne, Simon & Garfunkel's Paul Simon, King Crimson's Robert Fripp, and Genesis' Peter Gabriel started combining Eastern musical styles with Western sounds. They had a hand in the birth of what is now commonly known as World Beat.

This style tends towards the blending of variegated sounds, and is usually very danceable. (38) It is generally but not always electronically based, as musicians digitally incorporate "samples" (recordings of) one style and "mix" those samples with other instruments, samples, and vocalizations, usually in a recording studio. There are examples of acoustic fusion, too, e.g., Ry Cooder. The result has been an ever-evolving sound. The recording industry made World Beat a Grammy Awards category in 1992, as a sign of its growing influence. (38)

With the advent of the communications age, people are finding it much easier to communicate--and to communicate almost instantly (e.g., the Internet). It has become almost effortless to distribute music, ideas, and information. As a result, people have become information consumers and are exposed to an ever-growing smorgasbord of styles. Almost by default, they become more diverse and sophisticated in their tastes. A snowball effect is created: As more listeners tune in, that enables more artists to create and push boundaries, which attracts more listeners, and so on and so forth. Thank goodness for the communication age, as it will make the world a smaller and cozier place to live.

A Time To Act

Get out there and meet your local Arab neighbors. Go to your city's next Lebanese festival or International festival. Check out an open house at the local Islamic center. Dance with people. Listen to their music. Eat some food at a Middle Eastern deli. Check out Internet radio stations. Browse the world/international music section at Borders Books & Music. You'll learn about people and they'll learn about you.

America is a beautiful tapestry of culture. This is a time for emphasizing our common interests and values. Shalom. Salaam. Peace on Earth, good will to all.

References

(1) "Young Americans flunk geography: Only one in 7 can find Iraq, National Geographic Society says," wire story, Associated Press, New York, N.Y., Nov. 20, 2002.

(2) Wajih I. Saadeh, "The Three Phases of Arab History: Excerpt from 'History of Arab Thought,'" 1997 Catholic Information Network (CIN), Ramona, CA, January 17, 1997.

(3) "Arab Culture and Civilization: Ethnicity and Identity," National Institute of Technology and Liberal Education, South Burlington, Vermont, 2001.

(4) Habib Hassan Touma, "Arab Musical Life Throughout History" from "The Music of the Arabs," Amadeus Press, Portland, Oregon, 1996.

(5) "Ancient Yemen," YemenWeb.com, Murray, KY, 2001.

(6) "Arabia," The New Lexicon: Webster's Dictionary of the English Language, Lexicon Publications, Inc., New York, NY, 1991.

(7) "Arabia," The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Columbia University Press, New York, N.Y., 2002.

(8) "Sheba, region, Arabian Peninsula," The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Columbia University Press, New York, N.Y., 2002.

(9) "Yemen," The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Columbia University Press, New York, N.Y., 2002.

(10) "Muhammad, prophet of Islam," The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Columbia University Press, New York, N.Y., 2002.

(11) "Arab Culture and Civilization: History," National Institute of Technology and Liberal Education, South Burlington, Vermont, 2001.

(12) "The World Almanac and Book of Facts: 2002," World Almanac Books, WRC Media, New York, NY, 2002.

(13) "100 Questions and Answers About Arab Americans: A Journalist's Guide," Detroit Free Press, Detroit, MI, 2001.

(14) Prof. Hamed A. Ead, ed., "Arabic (or Islamic) Influence On the Historical Development of Medicine,"

Cairo University, August 8, 1998.

(15) John North, "The Norton History of Astronomy and Cosmology," W.W. Norton, New York, N.Y., 1995.

(16) "Harun al-Rashid," The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Columbia University Press, New York, N.Y., 2002.

(17) Huda Khattab, "Zamzam, the Well of Ishmael," Ismaili Web, The Heritage Society, 2001.

(18) "Abraham," The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Columbia University Press, New York, N.Y., 2002.

(19) The New American Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Camden, NJ, 1971.

(20) "Bill Press: Ministers preach war on Islam," CNN.com news article, Cable News Network, Atlanta, GA, February 28, 2002.

(21) "Reporter: Al Qaeda issues new threat," CNN.com news article, Cable News Network, Atlanta, GA, November 18, 2002.

(22) B. Raman, "PAKISTAN: ANTI-CHRISTIAN TERRORISM," South Asia Analysis Group, Noida, India, August 19, 2002.

(23) "The quest for SE Asia's Islamic 'super' state: 1995 report forewarned of U.S. terror attacks," Cable News Network, Atlanta, GA, August 29, 2002.

(24) Wafaa' Salman, "History of Music and Musical Instruments," Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies (INEAS), Cambridge, MA, posted on Aramusic.com, 1997-2002.

(25) "Regional, Culture: Arab contributions to music science," Arabic News.com, November 16, 1998.

(26) "CITY PROFILE, CAIRO, Shopping, Sharia Qalaa," Cable News Network, Atlanta, GA, 2002.

(27) Kay Hardy Campbell, "Recent Recordings of Traditional Music from the Arabian Gulf and Saudi Arabia," Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, Middle East Studies Association of North America, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, July 1996.

(28) Shira, "Oriental Dance: A Dance For The Whole Family," Creative Marketeam Canada Ltd., Suite101.com & Shira.net, 2002.

(29) V. Danielson, "'The Voice of Egypt:' Umm Kulthum, Arabic Song, and Egyptian Society in the Twentieth Century," University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 1997.

(30) Kamal Boullata and Sargon Boulos, "Fairouz - Legend and Legacy," Forum for International Art and Culture, Washington, DC, 1981.

(31) NEIL MacFARQUHAR, "Fayrouz: This Pop Diva Wows 'Em in Arabic," New York Times, New York, NY, May 18, 1999.

(32) "Arabic Dance is Shaped by its Accompanying Music," Desert Moon Dance Academy, St. Louis, Missouri, 2002.

(33) "Statement by Amiri Baraka, New Jersey Poet Laureate 10/2/2002," One People's Project, Morristown, NJ, 10/2/02.

(34) Louis Werner, "Arab Pop on the World Stage," posted on www.cafearabica.com, Aramco World, March/April 2000.

(35) Louis Gibson, Review of Cheb Mami's "Meli Meli," Amazon.com, 2002.

(36) Sami Asmar, "Bridging the Gulf," CD review, Turath.org, Turath - Racy Fellowship for Arab Music Studies, La Canada, California, 2002.

(37) "Shabeesation: Aisha Kandisha's Jarring Effects," Rykodisc Records, 1993.

(38) Richard Gehr, "Hitlist Egypt," CD review, Amazon.com, 2002.