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For the Middle East - North Africa region To learn more : BBC Radio 3 website |
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| This recording is the fruit of a convergence between "Forward music", great musicians and a fascinating singer, whose goal was to go back into the past, and bring this music to life in its integrity. A series of extraordinary musical sessions occurred during the recording of this CD. We were immersed in a state of exaltation re-living that golden era in Arab history, when humanism, music and the arts prevailed. The Anthropology of Arabic music has not yet uncovered all the secrets behind the origins and development of the "Muwashah". But with the little we know, we're very lucky that these "Muwashahs" were passed on to us. This CD represents the quintessence of the "Muwashah". Care for details and complete reproduction of suites, without any new composition of preludes, interludes or finales; make of this work an authentic product of "Tarab". To those who're not familiar with "Tarab", we invite you to discover the meaning of this word in music. And to those who are already familiar with this genre, we're quite sure that you will find in this CD all the ecstasy proper to this style. |
Participants: Ghada Shbeir : Vocals-Transcription - Research Charbel Rouhana : Oud (Arabic Luth)Transcription - Band Leader Ali El Khatib : Rik (Arabic Percussions) Samir Siblini : Nay (Arabic Pan Flute) Tony Khalifeh : Violin Abboud Saadi : Acoustic Bass Ghazi Abdel Baki : Executive Producer- Recording- Mixing- Mastering Forward Music Producers Recorded Mixed & Mastered at Forward Productions Studios- Beirut-Lebanon 2006 |
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| Purpose of this recording: The main purpose of this album is not only to revive this musical heritage, but also to record some of these Muwashahs using modern and superior techniques in order to diffuse them, in an attempt to highlight the beauty and importance of our traditional music with respect to the melodic phrase structure, the ability to adapt melodies and rhythms, as well as to illustrate a different way of interpretation and ornamentation. The choice of Muwashahs: Are they rare, well-known, or with modern arrangement? Some of the Muwashahs are rare while others are well-known but arranged differently; I have opted for adopting the older versions. My aim is to present these Muwashahs in a proper way, through innovation in interpretation without altering the melodic structure. It's a free way of singing, accompanied by the oriental Takht, i.e. an ensemble of five or more traditional oriental instruments. Absence of choir Choir singing cannot match solo interpretation even with competent singers. The main characteristic of oriental singing resides in the great freedom given to the main singer to generate feeling and produce ornamentations, As for arrangement, I wonder if there is any justification to deform this genre by having a symphonic orchestra play it. Would occidental music and instruments be able to fuse with oriental music in terms of structure, modes and feeling? Arrangements may restrain the singer's ornamentations, and may render quarter tone improvisations dissonant with the ensemble. There are numerous attempts to record Muwashahs, and some are new and different. Of course there isn't just one way to fulfill this work, but I have opted for this style in recording after having experimented with the singing of the Muwashah with just one instrument, an Oriental Takht and with a symphonic orchestra. I have simply chosen what reflects most my convictions. |
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| Ghada Shbeir - Biography: Ghada Shbeir is born in Lebanon. She studied Musical Sciences at the University of USEK and has a Masters Degree in Musicology and Middle Eastern Singing. Today she teaches singing and Middle Eastern Theory at USEK and at the National Conservatory of Music. She is considered one of the leading specialists in Arabo-Andalusian singing, Assyrian, Maronite and Antique Religious chants. In 1997, Ghada Shbeir was awarded the first prize of the best Arabic Singer competition in Egypt. She represents Lebanon frequently in music conventions and festivals around the world. (Poland, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Belgium, Spain, London, Paris...) Ghada Shbeir has published two books. The first is a study of the Arabo-Andalusian singing tradition " The Muwashah after the Cairo caucus of 1932" and the second is a research on the music of Sayyed Darwish " The Muwashahat and Adwars of Sayyed Darwish"
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