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George Moawad created this 3-volume series of books specifically for the purpose of helping U.S. Oriental dance artists who don't speak Arabic to enhance their understanding of Arabic music. Dancers who don't know what songs are about run the risk of interpreting songs in ways that would look stupid to people who understand what the words are saying. For example, a dancer who writhes seductively to the song Lessa Faker whose lyrics speak of a heart suffering and crying with tears following a failed romance would be seen as ignorant. In contrast, a dancer who gestures appropriately to what the words are saying would be appreciated by Arabic audiences. Each book the series is 24-26 pages long, with translations for 8-10 songs in each. The rest of the book consists of advertisements, interviews, and reviews of Moawad's other products. There is no sheet music included, only the text of the lyrics. If each book had contained translations for more than 8-10 songs, I probably would have given this series 5 stars. With only 8-10 songs per book, there is still enough value to justify three stars, because this knowledge is very important to dancers who wish to develop a truly professional level of skill that will be respected by their ethnic audiences. The translations contained in each book include: Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
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For each song, Moawad includes both the translation and the transliteration (writing out the lyrics in the Roman alphabet rather than the original Arabic alphabet). This allows a dancer to determine where in the song a given idea is expressed so she can gesture appropriately. Moawad selects well-known songs made famous by prominent Arabic musicians such as Warda, Abdel Halim Hafez, and Oum Kalthoum. A dancer who doesn't yet know much about Arabic music can use the song titles in here as a guideline for songs that would be enjoyed in performances for Arabic audiences. A dancer who already knows something about Arabic music will appreicate that many familiar songs are included. The books are staple-bound instead of using plastic spiral binding, so they're not too difficult to identify on the bookshelf when I'm looking at the spines and they don't take up too much space. Companion cassettes are also available from Moawad which include recordings of the songs. These can help dancers become familiar with songs they hadn't previously heard of, and expand their repertoire of Arabic songs that they know how to dance to. |
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Each volume features a very small number of songs, only 8-10. The books feel skimpy. I really wished each book would have started with a table of contents. It's annoying to thumb through each volume in its entirety when searching to see whether it contains the translation of a song I'm looking for. Volume 3 doesn't have any page numbers. |
| It's very important for a dancer to know what the lyrics are saying in the songs she uses for her shows. This knowledge will allow her to incorporate techniques into her performances that add credibility with Arabic audiences, such as lip-syncing to the Arabic lyrics or making appropriate gestures at certain places in the music. For those of us who don't speak Arabic, these books provide the information we need to truly understand this music and enrich our dance performances. Unfortunately, each book is short, featuring only 8-10 songs. |
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To purchase a copy, contact: George Moawad Phone: (+1) (818) 368-5411 Email: happytimessinger@verizon.net |
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