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Introduction to Ancient Egyptian basic instrumentation, musicality and dance.
1. Music formed part of everyday life.
2. Types of dance and clothing.
- Nudity was prevalent in dance in Kemet [Ancient Egypt]. Many dances were acrobatic in nature, therefore, dancers often danced nude for easier movement, and bearing climate in mind, it was wise to do so. Others wore robes; open in the front, once again revealing their nudity. They wore cones of perfume on their heads, which melted during the course of the day. The African mindset with regards to nudity was quite accepting, again probably due to the climate. Although reference has been made to the nudity of dancers aiding in protection against "evil spirits", it is not a known fact. Dancers wore necklaces, beads and cords around their waists...probably to symbolise the cord of life that was believed to attach spirit to body.
- .:. "Jinalimi' necklaces.
- Read the hymn to Hethert [Hathor] that follows:
- 1"We beat the drum to Her spirit,
- We dance to her grace,
- We raise her image up to the Heavenly skies; she is Lady of sistrum,
- Mistress of iinglina necklaces...
- We dance to none,
- We cheer none but her spirit..."
- .:. Flat Hand Drums resembling a large tambourine without bells.
- .:. Tambourines have been traced back to the old Kingdom.
- Sistra (Sistrum – singular)_ were used mainly for ritual, and can be found today throughout Africa.
- Cymbals (not finger cymbals) were used for celebration and ritual.
- Clappers were used in the worship of Hethert [Hathor] and for chasing away "evil". Clappers consisted of two boomerang shaped pieces of wood with hands carved at the ends.
- The harp, in fact reference is made to a blind harpist.
- The Ney - A type of flute.
- The lute - A stringed instrument and precursor to the modern-day Oud.
- Introduction to Modern Egyptian basic instrumentation, musicality and dance.
1. Introduction, body and conclusion of music and dance.
2. Solo playing - Taqsim. When to interject with percussion and when not to.
3. Instrumentation:
- "Jingling" necklaces. Yes, even today in Bedouin folk dance, women wear their dowry around their necks and make a point of dancing in such a way that the one that jingles has the larger dowry and is therefore more abundant.
- Dumbek - a drum slightly resembling our African Djembe, forms an integral part of Egyptian music and culture. It is more commonly known as the Tab/a, as well as the Darabuka.
4. Play-dance interaction. Effective dance-instrument and dance-orchestra interaction. The Dumbek follows the dancer, not the other way round.
5. Introducing basic Egyptian rhythms with and without music.
For the Dumbek:
- Masmoudi - 2 different types - slow. Sometimes at the start of a piece of music.
- Maqsoum - Slow and fast - usually the body of a piece of music.
- Filahi - sounds like a very fast maqsoum. Of the Fi/ahin people of Upper Egypt.
- Zaar - a trance-like rhythm usually for dervishing.
- Patterns are usually, but not always, followed in triples, whether by tambourine or sistra.
6. Other instrumentation:
The Mizmar dominates most Egyptian folk music. It is a small trumpet-like instrument in appearance that, although enjoyable, sounds very much like a mosquito!
- The Oud is a stringed instrument, whose precursor was most likely the lute.
- Bells - refer back to the notes on jingling necklaces.
- Finger cymbals are worn on the thumbs and middle fingers. Sagat is the Arabic word, ZiIIs is Turkish.
***An interesting thing to note is, in ancient times and right up to the present day in Egypt, singers are still prompted with hand signals denoting musical notation.***
For further information or workshops call:
Cathrine 082 648 9070
www.bellydancesa.co.za
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