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Yemen, a country on the Arabian Peninsula, holds a prominent position in the realm of music, garnering recognition for its distinctive musical traditions. Revered as a cultural capital within the Arab world, Yemen has contributed significantly to the musical landscape of the region.
The musical heritage of Yemen captivates through its melodic prowess and poetic depth, embodying the artistic vibrancy and cultural resilience of the nation. With their captivating melodies and expressive lyrics, Yemeni musicians have left an indelible mark on both domestic and global audiences, contributing to the music in the region.
UNESCO proclaimed the tradition of poetic songs of Sana'a, called al-Ghina al-San'ani, a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Yemenis commemorate July 1 as the Yemeni Song Day, an annual celebration that underscores the integral role of music in Yemeni society. [1]
There are five regional genres or "colors" (lawn) of Yemeni music; Sanaani, Yafi'i, Laheji, Adeni, and Hadhrami. [2]
Sanaa has a rich musical tradition and is particularly renowned for the musical style called al-Ghina al-San'ani (Arabic : الغناء الصنعانيal-ġināʾ aṣ-Ṣanʿānī), or "the song of Sanaa", which dates back to the 14th century and was designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage on November 7, 2003. [3] This style of music is not exclusive to Sanaa, and is found in other areas of Yemen as well, but it is most closely associated with the city. [3] It is often part of social events, including the samra, or evening wedding party, and the magyal, or daily afternoon gathering of friends. [3]
The basic format consists of a singer accompanied by two instrumentalists, one playing the qanbus (Yemeni lute) and the other playing the sahn nuhasi, which is a copper tray balanced on the musician's thumbs and played by being lightly struck by the other eight fingers. [3] Lyrics are in both classical Arabic and Yemeni Arabic and are known for their wordplay and emotional content. [3] Singers often use melismatic vocals, and the arrangements feature pauses between verses and instrumental sections. [2] Skilled performers often "embellish" a song's melody to highlight its emotional tone. [3]
In the earliest days of the recording industry in Yemen, from 1938 into the 1940s, Sanaani music was the dominant genre among Yemenis who could afford to buy records and phonographs (primarily in Aden). [2] As prices fell, Sanaani-style records became increasingly popular among the middle class, but at the same time, it began to encounter competition from other genres, including Western and Indian music as well as music from other Arab countries. [2] The earliest Sanaani recording stars generally came from wealthy religious families. [2] The most popular was Ali Abu Bakr Ba Sharahil, who recorded for Odeon Records; other popular artists included Muhammad and Ibrahim al-Mas, Ahmad Awad al-Jarrash, and Muhammad Abd al-Rahman al-Makkawi. [2]
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Rap and hip-hop culture existed as early as 2005 but it only achieved widespread popularity in 2008 when the hip-hop in Yemen took a leap forward and began to spread around the youth of Yemen, especially in Sana'a and Aden.
The hip hop major outbreak in Yemen is often associated to the influence of Hajaj Abdulqawi Masaed (also graphed as Hagage Masaed or best known as "AJ"), an American-Yemeni rapper producing music since 1997. Although he had grown in the United States, AJ has successfully reached Yemeni audience by addressing to local issues and incorporating traditional musical language into his hits. This versatility was also one of the reasons he drew international recognition, since he entered in the Yemeni music scene, he has been partnering up with several Yemeni artists, such as Hussein Muhib, Fuad Al-Kibisi, Fuad Al-Sharjabi, Ibrahim Al-Taefi, Abdurahman Al-Akhfash and others, and helping new ones to develop their talents. He has also played a major role on propagating the understanding of rap as a means of change. [5]
One contributing factor to the development of the music is also the creation of Yemen Music House in 2007 [6] that has been providing assets to the development of a contemporary music scene. [7] In 2009, took place the first Yemeni Rap public festival, co-sponsored by the French and German foreign-missions. [8] Due to the importance of this event, AJ draws a comparison between it and the fall of the Berlin Wall. [9]
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a percussion mallet, to produce sound. There is usually a resonant head on the underside of the drum. Other techniques have been used to cause drums to make sound, such as the thumb roll. Drums are the world's oldest and most ubiquitous musical instruments, and the basic design has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years.
Rapping is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and [commonly] street vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The components of rap include "content", "flow", and "delivery". Rap differs from spoken-word poetry in that it is usually performed off-time to musical accompaniment. It also differs from singing, which varies in pitch and does not always include words. Because they do not rely on pitch inflection, some rap artists may play with timbre or other vocal qualities. Rap is a primary ingredient of hip hop music, and so commonly associated with the genre that it is sometimes called "rap music".
Music of Kazakhstan refers to a wide range of musical styles and genres deriving from Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is home to the Kazakh State Kurmangazy Orchestra of Folk Instruments, the Kazakh State Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kazakh National Opera and the Kazakh State Chamber Orchestra. The folk instrument orchestra was named after Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly, a well-known composer and dombra player from the 19th century.
Azerbaijani music is the musical tradition of the Azerbaijani people from Azerbaijan Republic. Azerbaijani music has evolved under the badge of monody, producing rhythmically diverse melodies. Music from Azerbaijan has a branch mode system, where chromatisation of major and minor scales is of great importance.
The music of Qatar is based on sea folk poetry, song and dance. The historical importance of pearl fishing have deeply resonated within the region's artistic expression, manifesting in melodies, tunes, and dances that reflect the enduring bond between humanity and the sea. Traditional dances in Doha are performed on Friday afternoons; one such dance is the Ardah, a stylized martial dance performed by two rows of dancers who are accompanied by an array of percussion instruments, including al-ras, mirwas and cymbals with small drums. Other folk instruments include the oud and rebaba, both string instruments, as well as the ney and sirttai, which are types of flutes.
A tamborim is a small round Brazilian frame drum, developed from other similar percussive instruments bought by the Portuguese.
Sawt is a kind of popular music found in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Arabic hip-hop is a segment of hip hop music performed in the Arabic-speaking world. Due to variety of dialects and local genres which exist in the localities, Arabic hip-hop music may appear very diverse depending on the country of the song. Like most artists of the genre, the hip-hop artists from the Arabic-speaking world are highly influenced by American hip-hop.
The culture of Yemen has an ancient cultural history, influenced by Islam. Due to its unique geographic location, Yemen has acquired a very distinctive culture from its neighbors, historically and culturally.
The naqareh, naqqāra, nagara or nagada is a Middle Eastern drum with a rounded back and a hide head, usually played in pairs. It is thus a membranophone of the kettle drum variety.
Palestinian hip hop reportedly started in 1998 with Tamer Nafar's group DAM. These Palestinian youth forged the new Palestinian musical subgenre, which blends Arabic melodies and hip hop beats. Lyrics are often sung in Arabic, Hebrew, English, and sometimes French. Since then, the new Palestinian musical subgenre has grown to include artists in Palestine, Israel, Great Britain, the United States and Canada.
A qanbūs is a short-necked lute that originated in Yemen and spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula. Sachs considered that it derived its name from the Turkic komuz, but it is more comparable to the oud. The instrument was related to or a descendant of the barbat, a (possibly) skin-topped lute from Central Asia. The qanbūs has 6 or 7 nylon strings that are plucked with a plectrum to generate sound. Unlike many other lute-family instruments, the gambus has no frets. Its popularity declined in Yemen during the early 20th century reign of Imam Yahya; by the beginning of the 21st century, the oud had replaced the qanbūs as the instrument of choice for Middle-Eastern lutenists.
The mirwās or marwas, plural marāwīs is a small double-sided, high-pitched hand drum originally from the Middle East. It is a popular instrument in the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, used in sawt and fijiri music. It is also common in Kuwait and Yemen.
Sanaa, officially the Sanaa Municipality, is the capital and largest city of Yemen. The city is the capital of the Sanaa Governorate but is not part of the governorate as it forms a separate administrative unit. According to the Yemeni constitution, Sanaa is the capital of the country, although the seat of the Yemeni government moved to Aden, the former capital of South Yemen, in the aftermath of the Houthi occupation. Aden was declared the temporary capital by then-president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in March 2015.
The Korean barrel drum is a shallow, barrel-shaped drum used in several types of Korean music, one of the many traditional Korean drums. This variety of drum has a round wooden body that is covered on both ends with animal skin. They are categorized as hyekbu which are instruments made with leather, and have been used for jeongak and folk music.
Abdul Aziz Al-Maqaleh was a Yemeni poet and writer. Primarily writing in free verse, Al-Maqaleh has been described as Yemen's "best-known and most-laureled twentieth-century poet."
Yemeni hip hop is a Yemeni music style and cultural movement related to rap and hip hop culture. It has influences from American hip hop and also from traditional music from the region. It is usually considered to have emerged from mid-2000s and reached its consolidation by 2009 when the first public concert was held in the French Cultural Institute. Although it has a variety of themes, there was an intense production of political songs by the Yemeni Revolution.
Hagage "AJ" Masaed or Hajaj Abdulqawi Masaed is an American-Yemeni rapper born in Ohio, considered to be the precursor of Yemen Hip Hop music.
Ahmed Fadhl Al-Abdali (1881–1943), commonly known as "al-Qumindan", was a Yemeni poet, composer, and military figure belonging to the "Al-Abdali" family that ruled the Sultanate of Lahej during the British occupation of southern Yemen. Additionally, he was a historian and played a pivotal role in the agricultural renaissance of Lahij. Some even considered him as faqih. al-Qumindan played an active role in the establishment of the Arab Literary Club in Aden in 1925, holding various leadership positions over time. He is regarded as one of the most celebrated poets of the Yemeni dialect, with his oeuvre enjoying considerable popularity in Lahij and the surrounding regions. As a composer, he is regarded as the founder of modern Lahij music, which is regarded as one of the principal musical styles in Yemen, alongside Sanaani and Hadrami music.
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