Lists of Recordings for Dancers
Featuring Iraqi Songs

Table of Contents

Introduction    Abart Al Shat  Ammi Ya Bayaa Al Warid  Ana El Meskeena  Ben el Asser  Fog al Nakhel  Salamtak Biad Allah  Shlonak Eyni Shlonak  Ya Ein Moulayetten

Acknowledgements Related Articles

Introduction

Most music albums designed for the target market of belly dancers focus on presenting music from Egypt, Turkey, and Lebanon. However, if you look around a bit, you can find some that include an Iraqi song or two. This page features some Iraqi songs that have appeared on made-for-belly-dancers music albums, to help you find danceable tracks that may meet the needs of an upcoming performance or class playlist. Be aware that many traditional and folk songs are better suited for folk dance styles such as debke than they are for raqs sharqi (belly dancing). When in doubt, please ask an experienced dancer who is knowledgeable about Iraqi music and dance.

Abart al-Shat (عبرت الشط)

• Year: 1989
• Composer: Kazem al-Saher
• Lyricist: Mohamed Sharhan
• Lyrics translation

Other ways to spell al-Saher's name include "Kathem el-Saher", "Kadhum El Sahir", and "Kadim es-Sahir". Another way to spell the song title is "3obart Al Sha6" or "Obart al Shat".

Album Title	Album Artist	Name of Track	Length
50 All Time Greatest Belly Dance Hits: Disk 2	Setrak Sarkissian	Abart Al Shat	3:25
Setrak, Vol. 18, Champagne Dance	Setrak Sarkissian	Abart Al Shat	4:32

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Ammi Ya Bayaa Al Warid (عمي يا بياع الورد)

• Composer: Saleh Al Kuwaiti
• Original artist: Hadhari Abu Aziz

Album Title	Album Artist	Name of Track	Length
Oud Mosaics	Amer Ammouri	Ammi Ya Bayyaa Il Ward	4:26

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Ana El Meskeena (أنا المسكينة)

• Year: Unknown (Iraqi Folklore)
• Composer: Unknown (Iraqi Folklore)
• Original Artist: Unknown, but some popular versions have included:
  • Souad Abdulla
  • Shatha Hassoun

Album Title	Album Artist	Name of Track	Length
Dance with Adam Basma Middle Eastern Dance Co.	Bellal Hakkani	Ana Elmsakenah	4:33

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Ben el Asser

• Year: Unknown (Iraqi Folklore)
• Composer: Unknown (Iraqi Folklore)
• Original Artist: Unknown

Album Title	Album Artist	Name of Track	Length
Dance with Adam Basma Middle Eastern Dance Co.	Bellal Hakkani	Ben Alasser	3:40

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Fog al Nakhel (فوق النخل)

• Year: 1963
• Composer: Othman Al Mousali (some sources say Saleh Al Kuwaiti or Rashid al Sheikh)
• Lyricist: Muhammad Ali Al-Agha
• Original Artist: Nazem al-Ghazali
• Language: Arabic, Iraqi dialect
• Lyrics translation

The artist's name is sometimes spelled Nadhim el-Ghazali or Nazim al-Ghazali. The song title is sometimes spelled "Fog Ennakhal", "Fogh In Nakhal", "Fawk al Nakhl", or "Fog Elna Khel". Has also been recorded by Sabah Fakhri and Dania (2006).

Album Title	Album Artist	Name of Track	Length
Belly Dance Fantasy	Unidentified	Fog El Nakhel	1:12
Oud Mosaics	Amer Ammouri	Fog al Nakhel	2:12
Al Andelus	Andelus Ensemble	Fog al Rakhel	4:07
Belly Dancing with Amira Mor	Amira Mor	Fog El' Nakhal	4:22

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Salamtak Biad Allah (سلمتك بيد الل)

• Year: 1990
• Composer: Kazem al-Saher
• Lyricist: Aziz Al-Rassam
• Original Artist: Kazem al-Saher
• Lyrics translation

Album Title	Album Artist	Name of Track	Length
Setrak, Vol. 20, Make Me Dance, Dance with Ameerah	Setrak Sarkissian	Sallamtak Bidallah	3:29

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Shlonak Eyni Shlonak (شلونك عيني شلونك)

The original artist was Salah Abdel Ghafour. This song is appropriate for the line dance debke.

Album Title	Album Artist	Name of Track	Length
Essential Bellydance	Salatin Tarab Orchestra	Shlonak	2:10
Belly Dance Fever	Salatin Tarab Orchestra	Shlonak Eyni Shlonak	2:24
50 All Time Greatest Belly Dance Hits: Disk 1	Salatin Tarab Orchestra	Shlonak	2:48
Setrak, Vol. 18, Champagne Dance	Setrak Sarkissian	Shlounik Ayni Shlounik	5:47

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Talaa Min Beyt Abouha (طالعة من بيت أبوها)

• Year: Unknown (Iraqi Folklore)
• Composer: Unknown (Iraqi Folklore)
• Lyricist: Unknown (Iraqi Folklore)
• Original Artist: Unknown, but some popular versions:
  • Nazem el-Ghazali
  • Mokhtar el-Sayed, 1981
  • Munir Bechir, 1993
• Lyrics translation

Album Title	Album Artist	Name of Track	Length
Al Andelus	Andelus Ensemble	Talaa Min Beyt Abouha	0:48
Dance with Adam Basma Middle Eastern Dance Co.	Bellal Hakkani	Talamin Bet Abouha	3:37
Oud Mosaics	Amer Ammouri	Talaa Min Beit Abouha	3:37

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Ya Ein Moulayetten

This traditional old Iraqi folk song, also known as "Al Molaya", is also claimed by Syrians, Egyptians, Lebanese, and Palestinians. An artist whose version became very popular was Dr. Sadi Al-Hadithi. He is an internationally regarded folklorist and vocalist from the upper Euphrates valley, Iraq. As an ethnomusicologist, he has researched the origins of this song and pinpointed it to Iraq. In his book The Choobi Songs of the Upper Euphrates, Dr. Al-Hadithi devoted 17 pages to the history and lyrics of this song.

This song is appropriate for the line dance debke.

There are many spellings for the song title. In addition to the track titles shown below, alternatives could include "3al 3een Molayeteen" and "Al Ya Ein Moulayetin". In Turkish, it is known as "Șașkin" (the Turkish letter "ș" is pronounced like the English "sh").

Album Title	Album Artist	Name of Track	Length
Leylet Ouns	Mohamed Hussein	Ala En Mulayyiten	2:25
Gems of the Middle East, Volume 3	Mary Ellen Donald	Ya Ain Munayyati	3:44
Mid-East Music of Scott Wilson Minus Dumbek & Percussion	Scott Wilson	Saidi	4:07
Ensemble Al-Asdeka	Al-Asdeka	Shashkin	4:59
Golden Oriental Belly Dance Music	Music World Prods	Alla Ein Moulaetein	6:36
Middle Earth Ensemble		Shaskin	6:45

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Sara al-Hadithi and Amani Jabril for their assistance in answering my questions about these songs.

Related Articles

These lists of recordings for belly dancers can help you find tracks of your favorite songs to meet the needs of a particular show or classroom playlist:

Songs Catalogued By Original Artist Songs by Abdel Halim Hafez  Songs by Fairouz  Songs by Farid al-Atrache  Songs by Mohamed Abdel Wahab  Songs by Oum Kalthoum

Other Music Mejance Compositions  Songs from Iraq  Taqasim, Mawawil, and Drum Solos