“YaHalaly Yamalay” is a dance song, an energizing Arabic party tune that you may hear at a wedding while dancing the dabke.
In our classes we take “YaHalaly Yamalay” out of the wedding hall and use it, conceptually, as a window into Arabic rhythms. Noting that Arabic music features fascinating time signatures, with rhythms that could bring any number of beats, we count any number — 5, 12, 19… — then, just to get the feel, stomp or clap along. Because 7 is a lucky number, when we say 7 we say, “YAY!” Since 13 is unlucky, when we hear it we BOO. An exception — at points in Egypt’s history, 13 was considered lucky because it aligned with the number of Gods. So, when we say, “13 in Egypt,” what do we say…? YAY!
Tag Archives | Palestine
Sabreen
In All Around This World classes this season we sing, “Thirty Stars,” by the Palestinian band Sabreen, whose performers traveled a long journey from being “just” fantastic musicians (as you’ll see in this video) to being both fantastic musicians and impactful internaitonal activists.
Sabreen (the patient ones/”steadfast”) formed in 1980 in Jerusalem, primarily the work of Palestinian-born musician Said Murad, and soon added Murad’s partner and co-producer, Kamilya Jubran, who was born in Israel of Palestinian parents. According to the band’s website, Sabreen “formed in 1980 with a vision focused on the development of the Palestinian modern song, reflecting the humanitarian and cultural reality in general, and the suffering endured from the political situation in particular. Thus, their recordings remain imbued with a sense of hope, yet reflect the frustrations and longing associated with Palestine.” Working as a Palestinian band in Israel within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict inspired Sabreen to step beyond producing music to form the Association for Artistic Development in 1987 “as a non-profit, community based organization that specializes primarily in promoting music and combining it with different artistic expressions and forms.” Sabreen’s Association for Artistic Development has focused on using music to inspire cultural and political change, in Israel, the Palestinian Territories and beyond.
