The Good Musician

Middle-Eastern Music

by csnowden on April 13th, 2008

Traveling from Tibet to the Middle-East, here’s a treasure trove of traditional and pop that in one song can morph to pop to rap and back again. I defy you to not want to get up and dance when you hear Shab Jilani in front of old and new music, velvety voice wrapped around sinuous melodies.

In the mood for a really cool duet? The fluid voices of Shab Jilani and Ameera twine like canteloupe vines in the July heat in North Texas.

Putting that rustic analogy away, the rich heritage of Arabic music is a wonderful resource for composers, and all musicians. Listening to how other people express their souls and lives in music, especially when you don’t know the language, makes your ears grow (widens your musical vocabulary, in other words). Picture that. The words won’t get in the way, and you can focus on the touchstones: rhythm, harmony, pitch.

Wonder where we’ll go next?

POSTED IN: Vocal, World