Can I use a cane with this song?

[rsps]

Thank you, but this is precisely the problem that I am having; recognizing what is and isn't 'cabaret' music since such a broad range is used by those in the Cabaret genre.

My teacher teaches cross style; some ME, much Tribal, some Cabaret.

I have never been taught that there is strictly Cabaret music. So, for example, Ansuya dances to Luxor Baladna as a Cabaret Dancer, which gives her a certain amount of leeway in how the dance is done and doesn't limit her to simply the traditional saidi movements. It also doesn't limit her to a traditional saidi costume. Yet she respects the roots of the dance by using elements of the Folkloric tradition in her dance while mixing in more modern Cabaret style of dance.

So, If I am wrong and there is strictly Cabaret music then please tell me more about that.

 

[PracticalDancer]

Hello again!

It is early morning here, I am on my first cup of coffee, and I need to scoot to work. But, let me try to help, since I have been on this journey, too . . .

Let's start with the rhythms, the roots of the songs. As you study rhythms, you will discover that there are almost as many rhythms and rhythm variations as there are people in the Middle East. These rhythms are, for the most part, identified with cultures. Before the days of instant word wide communication, there was not the fusion that we have today, so these rhythms were to an extent isolated in a tribe or region and helped to be part of the culture, part of the identity. At the root of the song you posted is (I think) a 6/8. That rhythm family tends to be found in Eastern North Africa, not Western North Africa (i.e. near Egypt.)

Then, there are the instruments used. This song has something like a mizmar, but not. There are drums, but they are not dumbeks (darboukas). There are instruments that are in the same family as Egyptian ones, but they are distinct.

Then, there is the phrasing and the lyrics. (I have seen in searches that a gent named Massari actually wrote it, and Natacha atlas just recorded it, FWIW.) I am NO expert yet, but I have been told that a trained ear can hear differences in the Arabic used and tell origin that way.

And all this combined leads to the dancing -- the moves are called by the music. Cabaret music, as I think of it, can have a lyrical quality. This can be attributed to the fact that "rich" dancers hired bands that were trained in more musical styles (read: western) and therefore used more instruments and more western instruments in order to appeal to an audience that had increasingly western taste. Many dancers even studied ballet (shock!), and that influenced their dance. Now, there *are* folkloric songs that appear in the cabaret playbook. Many of them are beledi beat -- which is an Egyptian rhythm. Keep in mind that "cabaret" as we know it can be mostly traced to either Egypt or Turkey, and (at least here in the US), cabaret styles will be most reminiscent of those two countries. I have heard (as in studied and observed) that the dominant influence on "cabaret" is Egyptian styling due in large part to the success of the Egyptian entertainment industry in the 50's. Like America "showed" the world the west (western bias admitted), Egypt "showed" the world the east.

This is a longwinded way of saying that for many people, for right or wrong, Cabaret = Egyptian (degree of equality varies based on perspective).

And, (gonna go out on a limb here) Fusion = a blend of two or more styles. I will leave that at that.

But, to the purist (and, I have a reputation of belonging to the local "belly dance police" -- sigh) Folkloric = an attempt to represent a culture or tribe in a respectful manner, where the specific music, movement, and feeling of the culture is correct. (This is opposed to "Fakelore" where people put on the music and the clothes and then do something that excites an audience but that would be foreign to the culture "represented.")

Sorry that was longwinded. Going back to your original question, you stated it was a Cabaret competition. In order to win, I suggest something from the Egyptian or Turkish song set and then use Egyptian or Turkish moves to that song (unless it has a section that calls another culture, like a Khaleegi bit).

Keep in mind, you can still dance to this song at another time.

In order to compete in a category, you need to stay in that category. I have seen it on cooking competition shows all the time -- you are not going to win food network's cake competition by making a hamburger, no matter how good that burger may be.

kindest regards, and good luck,

Anala

 

[gisela]

I agree with anala's cooking metafor.

Another option is to just go ahead and do it and see what the judges say.

 

[rsps]

Thank you Anala! And thank you for taking the time to type that out before work.
Not long winded at all and most certainly explained things in a way I can understand.

It is difficult for someone who has been dancing even for a few years but who has to gather information and training from One teacher and the rest from videos and the internet to get a full feel for what da rulz are.

Partially this is because under the category of Cabaret I have seen such a variety of music as well as body movement repertoire. Some of it is just naturally not appealing to me (isn't Princess Farhana a Cabaret style dancer....hmm example of personally not appealing...) and other things I find naturally beautiful and interesting.


Gisela, I would do that but I do want to do well ; ) So, now back to the drawing board...ugh.

 

[PracticalDancer]

You are welcome, RSPS. I hope it helped.

Is there a way you could use that song in another category in the competition?

If not, and you still want to dance with your cane, there are a gazillion (slight exaggeration) songs out there that would work. For Egyptian cane, hunt for a piece of music with "Saidi" in the name as a first step. Looking through my own little playlists, Pangia has a few. Seems to me Bellydance Superstars has quite a few (longer) Saidi tracks. Hossam Ramzy probably has a few, Youssry Sharif, the list goes on.

And, an old trick I learned is that if your song "starts with veil" then morphs into a standard cab number, then gets a little Saidi, you can come out with veil, then wrap it (around your waist, neck etc.), then, unwrap it and hold it bunched in your hands so that the audience sees a slim strip of it (holding it like a cane) and then do your "homage to Saidi."

Anala

 

[rsps]

Oh Anala I have been Pouring over saidi music and none of it has the feel I am looking for. I really want something that will excite the crowd and engage them. I love earthy sounding songs...which is probably why I like Hayanti Inta so much.
There is a Tribal section and that section includes fusions, but I have already registered.
I did just dance to Luxor Baladna (the version on the Aziza Raks album) and it is obviously great to dance to...but I am sick of it. I practiced that darn thing for months and am burnt out on it. Maybe I'll rediscover my love of it in a few weeks.
Now I am considering doing a complete flip flop and taking on something insane!
Souher Zaki Fi Balady.
I do love a good balady and this one is just so meaty yet flirty. But, I might be crazy for taking it on.
Sorry, just thinking out loud and babbling now.

 

[Yame]

Now I am considering doing a complete flip flop and taking on something insane!
Souher Zaki Fi Balady.
I do love a good balady and this one is just so meaty yet flirty. But, I might be crazy for taking it on.
Sorry, just thinking out loud and babbling now.

You know, you can do cane to beledi, right? People don't do it too often but I love it when they do.

If you are so set on doing cane, maybe that's your calling because cane and beledi go together.

Souheir Zaki Fi Balady I am not so sure about, that's on the sax, right? For some reason (to me) the saxophone feels antagonistic to cane, but I am sure it wouldn't be wrong. If you could find a nice beledi song or even a beledi progression with an accordion, that could make a hot cane piece!

 

[rsps]

Yame really?? I'm grinning from ear to ear right now. I've never seen a cane done with a balady/beledi.

Here is a link to the music on youtube. Didn't watch the whole thing, but that is version. There were only two of the right version that I could find. And now that I listen to it in light of a cane I'm VERY Excited!

Thank you so much!

YouTube - Lesedi Improv Souher Zaki Fi Balady at SLC Springfest 2011

 

[rsps]

I found an Orit Mafstir workshop of a baladi with a cane on youtube!!

Oh my! Can you say heart palpitations! LOL

 

[Yame]

Yame really?? I'm grinning from ear to ear right now. I've never seen a cane done with a balady/beledi.

Here is a link to the music on youtube. Didn't watch the whole thing, but that is version. There were only two of the right version that I could find. And now that I listen to it in light of a cane I'm VERY Excited!

Thank you so much!

YouTube - Lesedi Improv Souher Zaki Fi Balady at SLC Springfest 2011

Yes, this is the song I was thinking about. This one in particular doesn't really scream cane to me, simply because the melody isn't so earthy... I would prefer an accordion to go with cane but I am not saying there's a "rule" against using cane to this song. I'm sure you could make it work. Keep looking around and listening to other beledi songs though, maybe you will find something that you like even more.

But yes, that's an option for you. Just remember using a cane to beledi isn't quite like using a cane to Saidi. You should still dance beledi and not Saidi.

Here are a few examples:

 

[jenc]

delete - sorry answered start of thread

 

[PracticalDancer]

You know, you can do cane to beledi, right? People don't do it too often but I love it when they do.

If you are so set on doing cane, maybe that's your calling because cane and beledi go together.

Souheir Zaki Fi Balady I am not so sure about, that's on the sax, right? For some reason (to me) the saxophone feels antagonistic to cane, but I am sure it wouldn't be wrong. If you could find a nice beledi song or even a beledi progression with an accordion, that could make a hot cane piece!

Yes, keep in mind that within the Beledi beat is a Saidi beat.

Dum Dum Teka Tek Dum Teka Tek (Beledi)
Dum Dum . . . . . . . Dum . . . . . . . (Saidi)

The "heart beat" is the same for both, they are from the same region, and the costuming is the same. Saidi is danced with a heavy earth and Beledi with a gooey one. And, once again, it's time for work!

Regards,

Anala

 

[Greek Bonfire]

There's El Hantour and I can personally testify that I have seen a native Egyptian dance with a cane to this song many, many times!

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

I have seen Delilah of Seattle dance "Cabaret" to Moroccan 6/8. She's danced to Ouled Nail music, Greek music -- pretty much whatever the band plays. Some consider that inappropriate, but I do know that dancing to "whatever" is sort of traditional for American Cabaret.

That said -- there is a huge difference between dancing for a show and dancing for a competition. At the competition you would likely be marked down for choosing what would be considered inappropriate music for cane.

 

[RayaDancer]

if you want a saiidi suggestion, ive worked on an assaya choreo to Upper Egypt Ensemble's "Khawatem", which in my opinion is a really earthy saiidi song.

Somone mentioned hossam ramzy earlier. he has a CD/mp3 collection that is strictly baladi and saiidi tracks. you can find it on itunes.

 

[rsps]

Thank you I will look that one up!

 

[Shakti]

Some things to consider :Is the song a cover of a ME song done in a different style? What are the lyrics?

I think it is fine to perform to what you want and love.There is nothing wrong with a pure dance expression.It is a tight rope sometimes with that though, so be prepared to explain or verbally interpret your concept if asked.

I always try to have some reasoning/concept guiding my stepping out on a limb artistically.

But if you really think you can do your dance offering justice..Stick to it if It makes you happy ..and is it not going to cause the vast majority of your audience to be offended...or feel totally perplexed and uncomfortable.

Keep in mind your audience for this will be the bellydance police..hahahah.

 

[rsps]

I know I found the words once on google but cannot seem to find them this morning.
It is a more than slightly suggestive love song, very modern in its words. There is nothing Folkloric in the words.
Thank you. I'm still considering it because I think it is a great song to dance to!

 

[gisela]

I just picked out my Natasha atlas cd Ana Hina from the shelf to import it on my computer and...
It has another version of this song and a teeny bit of info in the booklet.

Here is what it says:
Hayati Inta Reprise (Hayatak Ana)
"You are my life and I am your life"

Natacha Atlas- Marc Eagleton -Harvey Brough

A song originally written for Natacha's Mishmaoul CD as a North African Berber flavoured number, here reinvented by Harvey Brough as the Doors meets Mingus meets Miss Atlas...

Just thought you'd like to know

 

[PracticalDancer]

Here you go: MASSARI LYRICS - Inta Hayati