We
hope that your visit to this web site will be a pleasant, joyful and
an educational experience. It’s our commitment to present as much information
about Classical Arabic Music as circumstances allow. It’s also
our belief that a rich cultural and musical heritage, such as Arabic
Music,
should be
kept alive and available to our fellow Arab Americans, our fellow Americans
and all folks who have the desire to know about, and listen to Arabic
Music.
A very
diverse art form, Arabic Music, and later on, we will show the close
relationship with Turkish and Persian Music, is listened to in a very vast
region of the world. From the Atlantic Ocean in North Africa to the far
reaches of Central Asia, and from Asia Minor (present day Turkey
and the Islamic Republics of the former Soviet Union) in the North, to
Central Africa and the Arabian Peninsula in the South.
The Arabic Music as
it’s known today in the Near East and North Africa is the product of an
evolutionary art form that may have started as far back as the Greek
civilization. Any student of history can testify to the contributions of
the various cultures and political powers to the evolution of this art
form. The Near East, North Africa and regions around
the Mediterranean Sea have witnessed the intermingling of cultural and
artistic knowledge throughout ancient and modern history. From the Greek,
the Phoenician, the Roman and the Persian empires, to the Islamic Empire,
and later the Ottomans and Europeans, a diverse musical heritage has
emerged. A rich heritage indeed, and one, that is deserving of flourishing
and survival, so future generations may know and enjoy.
We have tried to, and
continue trying, to collect and present to you a diverse number of examples
representing the various Arabic musical Maqamat (Modes), musical forms and rhythms,
and selected educational information about the musical structure, history
and musical instruments of Arabic music.
A valuable musical
presentation, available on this site, is an educational package called
Comparative Arabic Music. An Audio Musical Documentary and presentation
that discusses, in detail, the various aspects of Arabic Music; its
Maqamat, Forms and rhythms, supplemented with many musical examples from the
Middle East and North Africa. This Documentary is published in two
different formats: The first is the all audio presentation on 5
CD-ROMs. The second format is a Multi Media CD-ROM that is Audio
Visual (Audio Music + Text for explanations). This last format lends
itself to folks who like to read the explanations and listen to the musical
examples.
We have also prepared
several Musical Packages
representative of the many styles, forms, and regions where Arabic Music is
played.
So, please,
browse through all the pages, listen to as many of the musical samples offered, and
may your days and evenings be filled with great music.
For More Information, please Click on the Banner above
