Music of Syria
Encyclopedia
The music of Syria
largely emanates from the country's capital and largest city, Damascus
. The city has long been one of the Arab world's centers for cultural and artistic innovation, especially in the field of classical Arab music. Syria has also produced several pan-Arab stars, including George Wasoof and Nur Mahana. The city of Aleppo
is known for its muwashshah
, a form of Andalous sung poetry popularized by Sabri Moudallal, as well as popular stars like Sabah Fakhri
. Dabka and other forms of dance music
are also popular and native to the greater region.
ody, in a repertory known as Syrian chant
, which continues to be the liturgical music of some of the various Syrian Christians
.
There was formerly a distinctive tradition of Syrian Jewish
religious music, which still flourishes in Syrian-Jewish communities around the world, such as New York City, Mexico City and Buenos Aires: see The Weekly Maqam
, Baqashot
and Pizmonim
.
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
largely emanates from the country's capital and largest city, Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
. The city has long been one of the Arab world's centers for cultural and artistic innovation, especially in the field of classical Arab music. Syria has also produced several pan-Arab stars, including George Wasoof and Nur Mahana. The city of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
is known for its muwashshah
Muwashshah
Muwashshah or muwaššaḥ can mean:...
, a form of Andalous sung poetry popularized by Sabri Moudallal, as well as popular stars like Sabah Fakhri
Sabah Fakhri
Sabah Fakhri : is an iconic Arabic traditional singer from Aleppo, Syria.Over the past 50 years of fame and popularity as a singer, Mr. Sabah Fakhri modified and popularized the then-fading form of traditional Arabic music, Muwashahat and Koodood Halabiya...
. Dabka and other forms of dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
are also popular and native to the greater region.
Christianity/Syriac music
Syria is one of the earliest centers of Christian hymnHymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
ody, in a repertory known as Syrian chant
Syrian chant
Syrian chant is the chant used in Syriac Christianity.As Syria was one of the earliest centers of Christianity, its style of chant is among the oldest in the world. However, as no early musical manuscripts exist, it is conjectural to what extent the modern repertoire reflects the early...
, which continues to be the liturgical music of some of the various Syrian Christians
Syriac Christianity
Syriac or Syrian Christianity , the Syriac-speaking Christians of Mesopotamia, comprises multiple Christian traditions of Eastern Christianity. With a history going back to the 1st Century AD, in modern times it is represented by denominations primarily in the Middle East and in Kerala, India....
.
There was formerly a distinctive tradition of Syrian Jewish
Syrian Jews
Syrian Jews are Jews who inhabit the region of the modern state of Syria, and their descendants born outside Syria. Syrian Jews derive their origin from two groups: from the Jews who inhabited the region of today's Syria from ancient times Syrian Jews are Jews who inhabit the region of the modern...
religious music, which still flourishes in Syrian-Jewish communities around the world, such as New York City, Mexico City and Buenos Aires: see The Weekly Maqam
The Weekly Maqam
In Mizrahi and Sephardic Middle Eastern Jewish prayer services, each Shabbat the congregation conducts services using a different maqam. A maqam , which in Arabic literally means 'place', is a standard melody type and set of related tunes. The melodies used in a given maqam aims effectively to...
, Baqashot
Baqashot
The Baqashot are a collection of supplications, songs, and prayers that have been sung by the Sephardic Aleppian Jewish community and other congregations for centuries each week on Shabbat morning from midnight until dawn. Usually they are recited during the weeks of winter, when the nights are...
and Pizmonim
Pizmonim
Pizmonim are traditional Jewish songs and melodies with the intentions of praising God as well as learning certain aspects of traditional religious teachings. They are sung throughout religious rituals and festivities such as prayers, circumcisions, bar mitzvahs, weddings and other ceremonies...
.
Samples
- Download recording "Ughniyah li al-Atfal" Syrian lullaby from the Library of Congress' Florida Folklife from the WPA Collections; performed by Nicholas Debs on March 10, 1940 in Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville, FloridaJacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
- Sephardic Pizmonim Project by Syrian Jewish community.
External links
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Damascus. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Islamic sufi in Aleppo. Accessed November 25, 2010.