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After
almost 10 years of dancing it has become clear to me that
in order to consider yourself a 'professional' dancer (at
least for tax purposes), you have to waste huge amounts of
money on music which is awful. This usually happens at a festival
on the advice of people you don't know where you end up paying
$22 for a CD that turns out to be completely unusable or just
dreadful. Of course I've also had some good luck, but it hasn't
made as big an impression on me as the pain of squandering
money.
I
wish all dancers had a listing of their favorite music on
their websites. Maybe it's too much to ask, but it would have
made my dancing career much cheaper. And on the more altruistic
side, I would just like to see music credits given for songs
or musicians at festivals or on videos. It seems so me that
if you like music enough to use it in your performance, you
should mention the musician somewhere in your info. Ice skaters
do it.... I think.
There
are a few sites that have advice on music…. if you're
looking for tribal music, FatChance
Bellydance lists their favorite albums, and if you can
get the printed catalogue, Artemis
Imports has good descriptions of their extensive music
selection and also very good recommendations. Dahlal,
Internationale also has a fantastic music selection, efficiently
organized and easy to access, complete with a list of the
Top 15 Recommended Songs that every dancer should know. I
think it's a great idea and a wonderful site - I also agree
with their picks.
Performance
Music
On
Friday nights I dance in a traditional Moroccan restaurant
with a mainly American clientele. The owners prefer authentic,
ethnic music that will make diners feel like they've gone
back in time or traveled to a far away place. On Saturday
I dance in a modern Persian nightclub and they want the music
Loud and Fast. It took me a while to find modern pop-song
bellydance music that I like - I tend to lean more to the
traditional side of things - but I think I've found a nice
balance that most people are happy with. This list includes
only the albums without which I would Certainly Die. It is
not complete and I have another list somewhere on my desk
of music that I really want to buy but haven't gotten to yet.
I
realize that everyone's taste is different, but here some
of my favorites:
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Jalilah
Raks-Sharki series Jalilah has done us all a favor
by re-recording classic bellydance songs like Mashaal,
Tamra henna, Zeina, Lissa Fakir and so many others. The
production and sound is excellent, as they were recorded
with a full, traditional orchestra with an exceptional
rhythm section led by Moktar Al Said. They have a very
full sound with tracks suitable for both nightclub performing
and more traditional venues. They are upbeat, but with
not too much keyboard, as I find is the problem with many
modern recordings. These albums are a necessity and a
great way to familiarize yourself with the classics.
There are currently 5 CDs in the series, and volumes 1
and 5 are my favorites with a good mix of fast introductions
and moderately paced taksims. The drum solos alone make
these albums worth the purchase price and they are all
available on Amazon.
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