Cool Stuff #3: The Arab World and India

The traditional Arabic ensemble or Takht consists of four main melodic instruments: the oud, the nay, the qanun, and the violin, and one main percussion instrument: the riqq. Sometimes the riqq is supplemented/substituted with the tabla or the daff (frame drum) like the ones we have seen in class before, and the melodic instruments are supplemented with the buzuq. Stylistically, melodic instruments are divided into two families: sahb (pulling or stretching), and naqr (plucking or hammering). The violin and the nay fall under sahb, the oud and the qanun fall under naqr. The two families are meant to complement each other in order to create a richer and more complete sound. Here is an example of the pairing Nay and Oud.

One sound I did not think was possible is the syncopation between the Arab world and the western music culture. In class, we listened to a modern rapper, Mona Haydar, and I really liked the message behind the song; addressing the hijab and comments that are common. Haydar's debut song, "Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab)", went viral. Billboard named this 2017 single one of “The 20 Best Protest Songs of 2017” as well as one of the “Top 25 Feminist Anthems." The song builds bridges of hope and understanding while dispelling myths, correcting stereotypes, and educating the world about who she is and what she stands for. The song launched her career as well as creating a positive reception. Here is her song that was shown in class.

Another amazing artist that has syncopation of the western culture with her culture is Raja Kumari. Kumari is best known for her collaboration with notable artists including Gwen Stefani, Iggy Azalea, Fifth Harmony, Knife Party, Fall Out Boy. She is also notable for receiving as a songwriter, the BMI Pop Awards in 2016, being nominated for a Grammy award in February 2015, and featuring on the BBC Asian Network program Bobby Friction on July 5, 2016. One of her songs that she has written for Fall Out Boy is “Centuries,” which is one of my favorite songs by them and I had no idea that it was written by someone with a history of Indian music culture. I also like the music she has written for herself, for example, “I Did It” was shown in class was really good and I do not usually like female rappers.

I also really like the beautiful colors that were in her music video and I always remember wondering why Indians had such beautiful, bright-colored clothing. Well, colors are a part of their culture and are woven into their religion and are given meaning. Black in India has connotations with a lack of desirability, evil, negativity, and inertia. white, as a color, repels all light and colors and therefore, when a widow wears white, she disconnects herself from the pleasures and luxuries of active and regular participation in society and life around her. Red stands for purity and is the preferred color for a bride’s garments. These are just a few of the many colors they wear, but there are so many meanings behind each and every color.