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Circassian music refers to the traditional songs and instruments of the Circassians. [1]
Circassian music is characterized by certain instruments, including:
While there is a culture of song-storytelling by travelling 'Woredi'o's or 'Song-tellers', Circassian music used most often today is closely tied to Circassian dance. There are several dances that are performed differently:
Qaashuo (Adyghe : Къашъо; Kabardian : Къафэ) is a piece with (4:4) time signature, and usually this piece demonstrates the relationship between the Sh'ale (boy) and the Pshashe (girl), this relationship which is built out of love, cooperation and strength. Usually 'Qafe' is the main social dance in a 'Djegu' (a Circassian dance gathering, literally meaning 'play') and there are more than 100 qafes written by different Circassian artists, apart from the original traditional dances, and the individualised styles by each self-trained of the Circassian society.
Wygg (Adyghe : Удж) is a formal piece with (8:4) time signature, and usually this piece is played before Challas are going to war, but nowadays it is played at the end of the Djegu involving all couples present, and usually it follows this rhythm each eight time intervals a new musical phrase is introduced, and this piece may be repeated several times since more than ten different Wuigs are available. It is said it was also used as a form of worship by circling a great tree that symbolises the forest God, Mez-i-t'ha. This 'rondel' type variant is the ancestor of the populasied dance known as The Circassian Circle danced by the Circassians' distant Celtic cousins after a cultural influx in the 18th century.
Tlleperush is a dance which originates from the Black Sea coastal area. It is a piece with (4:4) time signature, and the word "Tleperush" means "leg kick" and usually this piece is faster than Kafa and Widj, almost equal in tempo to known "Lezginka" but different in style and follows this rhythm (1&2..3&4) and this rhythm is produced by Pshina and Pxachach and Pkhetaw (a wood hitting instrument for tempo). Abkhazians have this dance too, and they call it "Apsua Koshara"
Zefauk' (Kabardian : Зэфакӏу) means "approach to each other". It is a piece with (4:4) time signature, and very similar to Kafa; the word "Zefauk" means (forward and backward) and it defines how it is danced by going 4 steps forward and another four backward exactly as the Kafa but with different musical taste.
Sheshen (Kabardian : Щэщэн) means "horse behaving". The dance is a fast piece with (4:4) time signature; this particular piece is played differently by pulling the Bellows of the Pshina in and out rapidly to create an Off Beat Rhythm which produces a Rhythm two times faster than its time signature, and the word shishan is a Circassian word and it is not linked to Chechen.
Tllepech'as is a fast dance and it is an improvisation dance it is considered to be one of the ancient dance of the Circassians, "Tlepechas" means "stick toes in the ground" the dance is based on the Nart sagas legends that used to dance on their toes.
Zighelet (Russian : Загатлят) means "be the top". The dance is very energetic and fast, and it considered to be the fastest dance in the Caucasus. It is danced in pairs, in which the male dances fast and strong to show his skills, and the woman dances gentle but moves fast.
Hakull'ash' means "lame man move". At the beginning it was a joke and comedy dance to make the viewers laugh, but with time it became part of the Circassian repertoire; its leg moves look like lame moves but the dance is a fast dance.
Lezginka is the Russian name given to the signature dance of Lezghi people of Daghestan. Daghestan dances, being of the mountains, are fast-paced, with sharp, angular movements both for women and men. The Adyghes have only adopted the men's dance into their version, with the women doing almost nothing but provide a side attraction or stage audience by clapping or twirling while men perform more complex moves as display. The dance-step involves a raised bent-knee inward kick followed by a very quick shuffle for the men, whereas the women walk straight on tiptoe among Adyghes, and follow men's active step among Daghestanis.
It is a favourite social dance, frequently used at weddings and gatherings of all Adyghe communities, or communities of the North Caucasus (Circassians), where the men and women stand in two half-moon circles in a ring, one leader for each, called the Hatiyaak'o, arranging which couple dances next according to requests from either gender. It is rude to refuse on either side. The men go out one by one in this order, circle once before standing in front of the lady of their choice, pre-notified by the ladies' Hatiyaak'o, the lady greets the gentleman by rising on her toes, opening her arms in a slight angle to the sides, delicately posing her fingertips, looking modestly down, and bowing only her head. He returns the greeting by bowing his head as he raises one arm and folds it at a right angle in front of his chest. She starts, he follows, both on tiptoe, sometimes on toe knuckles, to show off his skill. A man must always keep a woman in front of him, to his left. The idea is to 'protect' her on his non-combat arm's side, while his 'fighting' arm is outside, ready to 'strike' an outsider. They complete one circle before going to the centre, where he performs tricks and movements of his choice to impress her. She may or may not return his efforts by twirling in place or clapping for him, in time to the music. Eye contact must be maintained. It is very rude for a man to turn his back to the lady, or take his eyes off her, even if she is in front of him, a custom now obsolete among the Adyghes living with the peoples of the fundamentally male-dominant Middle East, where gender is segregated as a base culture. Younger men have been seen to turn their backs to show off to the enthusiastically clapping other men.
In Daghestan, young men may use Lezginka as a men-only skill-contest type of dance, with a lot of energy, enthusiasm and soul fire :) Women, too, but more rarely, and as a pleasant surprise show of skill.
Qame-ch'as is the 'short-dagger' (Qame) dance. The dancer shows his skill with the "Qama", the Circassian dagger, it is a fast dance and it is a competition dance between men, and sometimes it is danced as solo. The Qame is also used in persian martial arts. Ancient cousin of the gladius, it could have found its way to the armies of Xerxes via Alexander.
Osh'ha c'hes or Bghi'ris is the mountaineers' (Mountain-Dwellers') dance. It is a very fast dance, danced by men showing their skills. The moves are hard and strong, showing the character of the mountaineers.
Apsni Apsua is the famous Abkhaz dance. Abkhazians are considered the origin of the Circassians; their nearest descendants are the Abzax, or Abaze-yex (literally Abhaza-descending). They are very close in blood, language, culture, traditions with the Adyghe, in time Adyghe adopted their brothers' and neighbours' dance.
The Adyghe Anthem was originally composed by Iskhak Shumafovich Mashbash and Umar Khatsitsovich Tkhabisimov, but after the diaspora almost all Circassians immigrated to different countries such as Jordan, Syria, Turkey and many more.
Notable artists from Turkey include:
Syria include:
Germany include:
Jordan:
Composers of Circassian music differ in style but all are governed by the same theory of Folkloric Circassian music.
Back in the Kavkas, there are many Pshinawas (player) who produce Circassian music such as:
In other countries, there are composers not just of Circassian music but also for different musical genres, including:
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all human societies. Definitions of music vary widely in substance and approach. While scholars agree that music is defined by a small number of specific elements, there is no consensus as to what these necessary elements are. Music is often characterized as a highly versatile medium for expressing human creativity. Diverse activities are involved in the creation of music, and are often divided into categories of composition, improvisation, and performance. Music may be performed using a wide variety of musical instruments, including the human voice. It can also be composed, sequenced, or otherwise produced to be indirectly played mechanically or electronically, such as via a music box, barrel organ, or digital audio workstation software on a computer.
A time signature is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type are contained in each measure (bar). The time signature indicates the meter of a musical movement at the bar level.
In musical terminology, tempo, also known as beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given composition. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece and is usually measured in beats per minute (BPM). In modern classical compositions, a "metronome mark" in beats per minute may supplement or replace the normal tempo marking, while in modern genres like electronic dance music, tempo will typically simply be stated in BPM.
Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chords of a song or instrumental musical piece. Like its analogs – printed books or pamphlets in English, Arabic, or other languages – the medium of sheet music typically is paper. However, access to musical notation since the 1980s has included the presentation of musical notation on computer screens and the development of scorewriter computer programs that can notate a song or piece electronically, and, in some cases, "play back" the notated music using a synthesizer or virtual instruments.
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Circassia, also known as Zichia, was a country and a historical region in Eastern Europe. It spanned the western coastal portions of the North Caucasus, along the northeastern shore of the Black Sea. Circassia was conquered by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Circassian War (1763–1864), after which approximately 99.5-99.8% of the Circassian people were either exiled or massacred in the Circassian genocide.
The Circassians or Circassian people, also called Cherkess or Adyghe are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation who originated in Circassia, a region and former country in the North Caucasus.
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Jazz improvisation is the spontaneous invention of melodic solo lines or accompaniment parts in a performance of jazz music. It is one of the defining elements of jazz. Improvisation is composing on the spot, when a singer or instrumentalist invents melodies and lines over a chord progression played by rhythm section instruments and accompanied by drums. Although blues, rock, and other genres use improvisation, it is done over relatively simple chord progressions which often remain in one key.
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