Zakhrafa = Ornamentation through the embellishment of the melody . Elements of ornamentation include current Arabic music fashion , the musician ’ s style , how an instrument or voice is used , sounds of traditional Arabic music , and the musician ’ s creativity and vision expressed within this tradition . Ornamentation is not optional . It is the essence of Arabic music tradition . Without embellishment , music would sound like basic notes and melody played by a student just learning the notes . A vocal or instrumental solo ( e . g ., taqasim or mawwal ) is improvised . With experience , a piece is richer as it showcases the soloist ’ s artistry and technical artistry through the ornamentation of the maqam .
Creating Mazaj mood and feelings during performance .
Converting the act of merely reproducing the music - into an instantaneously and contextually inspired mode and recasting it creatively and evocatively into an individualized artistic effort . For example , a compositional performance process can create drama by matching the dynamics in the music with equivalent movement styling . At the same time , during a performance , the dancer and musician can both preserve the musicality and create the full ecstatic potential from a mirrored music presentation , preserving the collaborative essence .
In my research there are two different but similar Arabic terms that define different aspects of creating Tarab . “ Waze ” and ” Wazn ”:
“ Waze ” is the process of translating the music that results in creating tarab .= Tassaruf - process of creating a « mood ”. Thus , “ waze ” is both a process of music translation & the creation of a mood = tarab ( the ecstatic mood felt from music & dance performance ). Waze is a process and the performance result is tarab .
“ Wazn ” is the relative weight or importance of beats in the rhythm that create the “ rhythmic patterns and dynamics in music ” = Mizana . Thus , “ wazn ” indicates the accented beats in the rhythm , and the dynamics in the music that result in “ rhythmic patterns ” and “ dynamic phrasing ” in the music . Wazn refers to rhythm and dynamics in music - that the performers respond to . Put another way : Wazn is a method of capturing the relative importance and weight in rhythm and music dynamics - mirroring and showcasing the aspects of music that make each piece significantly different - and an important component of “ tarab ” ( e . g . dynamic dancing vs . dancing only to a metronome quality of moving to the beats within the music , but without the dynamic sound qualities in music .)
Essential elements of sammiah and mastery in performance .
In summary , these concepts are essential elements in the mastery of performances that elicit an ecstatic response from the audience ( and the musicians for the dancer ). Sammiah - focused listening is the general practice that assists musicians and dancers in being responsive to music and creating beautiful and powerful improvised performances that showcase their knowledge , skills , and performance prowess .
A future article will discuss a process for learning ornamentation traditions through notating ornamentation and rehearsing patterns to mirror musical ornamentation .
References :
Farraj , Johnny , and Shumays Sami Abu “ Inside Arabic Music : Arabic Maqam performance and theory in the 20th century ” Oxford University Press , 2019
Mullem , David “ The Maqam Book ”: A doorway to Arab Scales and Modes ”, Or-Tav Music Publications , 2010
Racy , A . J . “ Making Music in the Arab World : The culture and artistry of tarab ”, Cambridge University Press , 2003
MA * SHUQA MIRA MURJAN
Ma * Shuqa Mira Murjan ( translates sweetheart of treasure ) – is an internationally recognized entertainer , belly dance school studio owner and dance coach for award-winning performers . She is famous for spectacular Isis Wings performances , elegant choreographies , energetic shows , and musicality in performance with finger cymbals and her “ Elegance of Style ”.
Ma * Shuqa authors articles on Middle Eastern music and rhythms , and Raqs Sharqi Oriental dance professional performance , music , books , instructional and performance media , topics in health education , dance movement styling , and performance photography sessions .
The Ma * Shuqa Mira Murjan School of Belly Dance in Los Gatos , California , USA , opened in 1976 . Her Ma * Shuqa Method promotes unique , personalized , improvised performance through technique , core body alignment and strength , and performance movement that matches the musicality of Middle Eastern music and creating performances with Taraab – emotionally connected dance .
www . MaShuqa . com
September 2022 � The Belly Dance Chronicles 25