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But you see, the audience want to see Zeinab dancing to the full.
So, when the ice is broken a little, the rhythm is introduced
bit by bit again. How is this done? The Taqsim is resolved and
settled back to the opening key (The musical scale it was started
on) then the instrumentalist does a question and answer with the
drummer. The question and answer both fit into one bar of rhythm
at the same speed as if and when it continues and they play together,
but in a Q & A style. The melody plays 2 an 3 - Then the drums
play 4 an 1 and For FOUR TIMES, or Eight times, playfully teasing
and urging Zeinab to dance more with the rhythm, till they feel
that all is well with all concerned Especially Hubby…the LION
of all LIONS and then they start the continuous Maqsoum rhythm
part. This Question and Answer part is called Me-Attaa. Meaning
broken up bits of music and rhythm.
Once the rhythm is established, and then Zeinab will dance, but
still conservatively but coyly, expressing more sensuality that
is reserved and a personal feminine touch.
But, by then the musicians know that it's okay and after a little
bit more they go into a different type of question and answer
= Me-Attaa. This is shorter faster and indicates that a possibility
of a faster rhythm can come.
Then they go into the up-tempo Maqsoum. By then Zeinab is free
from all inhibitions and what the heck, it's her sister's wedding
anyway, and she knows, she has teased her husband to total frustrated
silent and chained madness that nothing matters…But she also knows
the absolute sweet treacle like honey way with which she has him
wrapped around her little finger…So out comes the ONE AND ONLY
DANCE STEP THAT IS TRUE AND TRADITIONAL AND KNOWN TO ALL EGYPTIAN
WOMEN, THE HIP SWERVES. (Please refer to Habibi Magazine article
on Hossam, it is well explained there)
And the wedding is on blissful fire. In this part, also the music
plays a very nostalgic sound for the Egyptian Folks people, the
sound of the Mizmar…. It sounds like accents on the 2 & 4:
| 4/4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| |
Tiit |
Toot |
|
Teet |
Teit |
And
so on. This is why this part is called the TET.
This could go on for some time, but then the ultimate thing is
the going home for the BALADI PEOPLE, isn't it? That is going
back to the roots, the countryside, the farms and farm life, the
Fallahy life style, so here comes another Me-Attaa but this Q
& A will slow down gradually so that you can PULL out the FALLAHI
Rhythm from that faster Maqsoum. (Pulled out in Egyptian means
Magrour) which is in essence, the Fallahy Rhythm.
To this they normally do the Egyptian Walk (to the Yankees - Shimmy
Walk). Also TeT could be played on the Fallahy.
Then enough is enough, now you have seen it all, and lets face
it, hubby is about to burst a rib grinning so wide and smiling
so deep and pretending he is not jealous really. As the musicians
were the ones who brought it into this frenzy of dance and music
(in Zeinab's mind and justifications to her husband), they have
to calm things down gradually or the people will go too wild if
she stops suddenly, so they slow it down and down and down till
it is back to the original Awwady Taqsim and a gentle stop. This
is how and why a BALADI woman would dance the Baladi.
This has been incorporated on stage in almost every dance show
in the nightclubs because of the need to have variety in the club's
program. You may say to yourself, well what is CABARET dancing
then. Basically it is RAQS SHARQI. As in the night clubs, they
do a bit of a SOPHISTICATED introduction piece of music which
they dance wearing a two piece costume, as a Baladi woman would
never be seen dead in a two piece cabaret costume, which is a
SHARQI thing [[[[ Many people mistakenly called that classical
style costume, but it is not, this is a relatively new idea that
came about in the night clubs, and is governed by the laws of
the land of how much can be exposed and shown off by the so called
"Raqs Sharqui dancers, who if were given half a -8- chance at
that time, they would have exposed a lot more than you can imagine]]]
then they go off stage to change to the one piece THOUB ( Dress)
( The Baladi thing to wear ) to do a Baladi or another tableau
of folklore then Baladi or to Saaidi then Baladi, it all leads
to the Baladi. Then Drum Solo then the Out-ro.
Check out any Baladi piece, by any musician, on any recording
or on any dance video and see if this does not apply, but now,
you know the reason why they invented it and how it came about.
If you were to ask me who does the best ever, Baladi dance in
Egypt today the answer is simple LUCY. Before that it was Lady
Nagwa Fouad the phrase, El Baladi Youkal, is a thing that street
sellers call out for their homegrown produce, meaning that it
is Baladi and edible…so is ZEINAB. Big hand for Zeinab.
With Lots Of Rhythm
Hossam Ramzy.
©Copyright 1996 Ramzy Music Int. UK.
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