Description
What makes hundreds of listeners cheer ecstatically at the same instant during a live concert by Egyptian diva Umm Kulthum? What is the unspoken language behind a taqsim (traditional instrumental improvisation) that performers and listeners implicitly know? How can Arabic music be so rich and diverse without resorting to harmony? Why is it so challenging to transcribe Arabic music from a recording? Inside Arabic Music answers these and many other questions from the perspective of two "insiders" to the practice of Arabic music, by documenting a performance culture and a know-how that is largely passed on orally. Arabic music has spread across the globe, influencing music from Greece all the way to India in the mid-20th century through radio and musical cinema, and global popular culture through Raqs Sharqi, known as "Bellydance" in the West. Yet despite its popularity and influence, Arabic music, and the maqam scale system at its heart, remain widely misunderstood. Inside Arabic Music de-mystifies maqam with an approach that draws theory directly from practice, and presents theoretical insights that will be useful to practitioners, from the beginner to the expert - as well as those interested in the related Persian, Central Asian, and Turkish makam traditions. Inside Arabic Music's discussion of maqam and improvisation widens general understanding of music as well, by bringing in ideas from Saussurean linguistics, network theory, and Lakoff and Johnson's theory of cognition as metaphor, with an approach parallel to Gjerdingen's analysis of Galant-period music - offering a lens into the deeper relationships among music, culture, and human community.
About the Author
Johnny Farraj is a Lebanese-born musician and software engineer of Palestinian descent. His main instrument is the riqq; he also plays the 'ud and sings. Farraj is the creator of MaqamWorld, the leading Internet reference on Arabic music theory, and is a frequent Arabic music blogger, teacher and performer, as well as a lifelong listener. Sami Abu Shumays is a Palestinian-American musician, arts administrator, and independent scholar, who traveled to Cairo and Aleppo to immerse himself in Arabic Music. After returning to the U.S., he began performing and teaching, founded Zikrayat ensemble, and developed the pedagogical website Maqam lessons. He is currently Deputy Director of Flushing Town Hall, an arts presenter in Queens, NY.
Reviews
Inside Arabic Music will be accessible to students and non-specialists, but it also contains details in the later chapters that will engage music scholars interested in the more complex aspects of the maqam system. The book will be particularly appealing to those who have studied Arab music previously and want to deepen their knowledge of its theory and practice. * Journal of American Folklore *
Inside Arabic Music will be accessible to students and non-specialists, but it also contains details in the later chapters that will engage music scholars interested in the more complex aspects of the maqam system. The book will be particularly appealing to those who have studied Arab music previously and want to deepen their knowledge of its theory and practice. * Nicholas Mangialardi, Journal of American Folklore *
Coauthors Farraj and Abu Shumays have written both an engaging guide for general readers and a valuable resource for musicians and scholars. ... Inside Arabic Music's greatest strength lies in its generous presentation of Arab music as an accessible, living art that today's musicians can learn and that general readers can understand and appreciate. * Kay Hardy Campbell, AramcoWorld *
The scope of content that might have produced two volumes is densely packed within one highly readable book, making Inside Arabic Music an indispensable vade mecum for the English-speaking scholar, educator, musician, or enthusiast. * Journal of Folklore Research *
Inside Arabic Music s a landmark piece of literature for countless students of Arabic music such as myself, and I cannot recommend this work highly enough to those who wish to become more immersed in Arabic music. I have no doubt that Inside Arabic Music will become a cornerstone of education for lovers and performers of Arabic music, and it deserves a prized place in every enthusiast's collection. * Washington Report on Middle Eastern Affairs *
It is the greatest and most comprehensive source of information regarding Arabic music currently out there...Farraj and Abu Shumays, while focusing on exploring Arabic music, have actually shed light on Arabic culture as a whole. It is a culture based on community and social interaction. It is one which greatly appreciates and cultivates art, especially music as it is a means for social gatherings to occur. While Arabic culture may seem overwhelming to those outside of it, its spontaneous nature comes from a sense of inclusion and enjoyment. * Naim Mousa, Mondoweiss *
Inside Arab Music [is] an essential starting point for anyone hoping to deepen their understanding of any music from the region. [...] Johnny Farraj and Sami Abu Shumays thoughtfully provide plentiful suggestions of recordings to help your ears understand concepts that your brain may struggle with. * Songlines *
Book Information
ISBN 9780190658366
Author Johnny Farraj
Format Paperback
Page Count 464
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 671g
Dimensions(mm) 233mm * 155mm * 29mm
About the Author
Johnny Farraj is a Lebanese-born musician and software engineer of Palestinian descent. His main instrument is the riqq; he also plays the 'ud and sings. Farraj is the creator of MaqamWorld, the leading Internet reference on Arabic music theory, and is a frequent Arabic music blogger, teacher and performer, as well as a lifelong listener. Sami Abu Shumays is a Palestinian-American musician, arts administrator, and independent scholar, who traveled to Cairo and Aleppo to immerse himself in Arabic Music. After returning to the U.S., he began performing and teaching, founded Zikrayat ensemble, and developed the pedagogical website Maqam lessons. He is currently Deputy Director of Flushing Town Hall, an arts presenter in Queens, NY.
Reviews
Inside Arabic Music will be accessible to students and non-specialists, but it also contains details in the later chapters that will engage music scholars interested in the more complex aspects of the maqam system. The book will be particularly appealing to those who have studied Arab music previously and want to deepen their knowledge of its theory and practice. * Journal of American Folklore *
Inside Arabic Music will be accessible to students and non-specialists, but it also contains details in the later chapters that will engage music scholars interested in the more complex aspects of the maqam system. The book will be particularly appealing to those who have studied Arab music previously and want to deepen their knowledge of its theory and practice. * Nicholas Mangialardi, Journal of American Folklore *
Coauthors Farraj and Abu Shumays have written both an engaging guide for general readers and a valuable resource for musicians and scholars. ... Inside Arabic Music's greatest strength lies in its generous presentation of Arab music as an accessible, living art that today's musicians can learn and that general readers can understand and appreciate. * Kay Hardy Campbell, AramcoWorld *
The scope of content that might have produced two volumes is densely packed within one highly readable book, making Inside Arabic Music an indispensable vade mecum for the English-speaking scholar, educator, musician, or enthusiast. * Journal of Folklore Research *
Inside Arabic Music s a landmark piece of literature for countless students of Arabic music such as myself, and I cannot recommend this work highly enough to those who wish to become more immersed in Arabic music. I have no doubt that Inside Arabic Music will become a cornerstone of education for lovers and performers of Arabic music, and it deserves a prized place in every enthusiast's collection. * Washington Report on Middle Eastern Affairs *
It is the greatest and most comprehensive source of information regarding Arabic music currently out there...Farraj and Abu Shumays, while focusing on exploring Arabic music, have actually shed light on Arabic culture as a whole. It is a culture based on community and social interaction. It is one which greatly appreciates and cultivates art, especially music as it is a means for social gatherings to occur. While Arabic culture may seem overwhelming to those outside of it, its spontaneous nature comes from a sense of inclusion and enjoyment. * Naim Mousa, Mondoweiss *
Inside Arab Music [is] an essential starting point for anyone hoping to deepen their understanding of any music from the region. [...] Johnny Farraj and Sami Abu Shumays thoughtfully provide plentiful suggestions of recordings to help your ears understand concepts that your brain may struggle with. * Songlines *
Book Information
ISBN 9780190658366
Author Johnny Farraj
Format Paperback
Page Count 464
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 671g
Dimensions(mm) 233mm * 155mm * 29mm
