Beyond the Classroom: Arabic and Asian Music

 So from everything that we have learned in class about Arabic music, I decided that I wanted to really focus in on the aspect of Arabic music along with dance, specifically, the Hagallah. Arab folk dances are also referred to as oriental dance. There are many different styles of Arab dance: folklore, classical, and contemporary. When it comes to dancing and music, Arabs have their own diverse styles which is a part of their identity.

Let’s travel to Western Egypt

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Hagallah 

The Hagallah is a folkloric dance of celebration. This dance is performed by the Bedouin of Mensa Matruh in Western Egypt. It is about girls/women representing power and richness in their world and its about showing their beauty and grace. This dance is often performed during the date of harvest and that time of year is also considered wedding season, how cool! This type of dance is also known in some part of Lydia and is similar (cousins) with the Kaf dance that is in other regions of the Middle East. So, who usually performs this dance? Much like the singers of Arab music, the dancers of this are female. The choreography depends on the setting whether it is traditional or theatrical. The dancer is often a member of the bride’s family, and other women may take turns playing the central role. 

Let’s take a look at what a Hagallah may look like! 

The Hagallah is very different than other styles of Arabic dance, and in the music, you can hear the aspects of the mixture of cultures between the Middle East, and Egypt, as well as the Kaf dancing which is actually just a lot of clapping! 

Moving on…

Costumes

I would like to touch on their costumes because I think costuming is a very important aspect of culture, so far many different cultures all wear vibrant colored outfits that either are simple, or very complex! The costume for a Middle Eastern dancer is typically a simple long dress with long sleeves with a wild muffler like fabric wrapped around her hips. This fabric can sometimes be very heavy! There is nothing to complex about these costumes, no bows, fringes, ruffles, just simple. The Libyan costume has most recently became the more common costume to wear and it is a little more complex so that the skirt will move more visibly. These costumes were influenced by the clothing of Libyan women, so it would make sense as to why they have recently switched to not only a more modern version, but back to the roots of the dance. 

Let’s take a look at what the costume looks like up close! 

The Music 

So what is required of the music to be used as a Hagallah? The Hagallah music actually has 3 different parts! Part one is the main theme or, Shettaywa, this is sung by the entire group. Part two is the Ghennaywa which is sung by a soloist of a poet and it is responded to by the group. The last part is the Magruda which is sung by the soloist and the group together. The actually dance of the Hagallah is performed during the Shettaywa. The music always begins as clapping and stomping  with a rhythmic pattern and then a recording will begin. This recording uses percussion as well as string instruments, possibly a violin, and it is in the native language. You can very much hear the Egyptian aspects in this recording below, as well as the Middle East, Arabic semi-tones. Enjoy! 

Sources:

Hagallah. Egypt2. (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2022, from http://www.home.aone.net.au/~aziza/Hagallah.html 

Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, December 6). Arab folk dances. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_folk_dances