Five Songs Every Belly Dancer Should Know

If you want to be a Middle Eastern dancer, you need to be familiar with Middle Eastern music.  Thus this week we are going to explore five classic songs every belly dancer should know.  This post isn’t intended to be a list of the five most important songs per se, and it’s certainly not an exhaustive list, but we are sticking with five for purposes of simplicity.  If are you just getting your feet wet with Middle Eastern music, these five songs will be a good jumping off point for you to start discovering more on your own.

There's a couple names that you'll hear repeatedly over and over again below, so I want to say a few words about those individuals before we go any further. The first is the composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab. Wahab was born in 1902 in Cairo and indelibly left his mark on Egyptian music.  During his lifetime, he was not only a composer, but also a singer, poet, and oud player.  He was known for, and even at times criticized for, incorporating western rhythms into his music.  Wahab worked closely with and composed 10 songs specifically for our second artist of importance, the legendary Oum Kolthum. 

Kolthum is quite arguably the greatest Arabic female singer of all time.  She was born in the village of Tamay e-Zahayra, and it's uncertain as to whether she was born in 1898 or 1904.  The 1940s and 1950s are known as her golden eras of singing.  During this time, Kolthum had a monthly radio concert.  These concerts were epic events lasting hours at a time, and they could clear the streets of bustling cities as residents rushed home to hear her broadcast. Kolthum is known for her exacting vocal control and emotive vocal impact, and her songs frequently touched the universal emotions of love, loss, and longing.

Alright, let's see how these individuals, as well as others, collaborated to produce our five songs of the week. Hundreds of versions by various musicians have been produced over time for each of these pieces.  To help newer listeners navigate, I've also included a suggested version that I've enjoyed using in my classes, performing to, or both.

Aziza
One of the most recognizable Middle Eastern tunes of all time.  This song was composed by Mohammed Abdel Wahab and made famous in the 1955 movie of the same name, when it was first performed to by Naima Akef. You can check out the video clip from the movie below.

 

Version to Try: Aziza (Arabic Popular Music Instrumental) from the album Oriental Guitar - Turkish & Arabic Music Instrumentals by Rashed el Youssef



Alf Leyla Wey Leyla
Another instantly recognizable melody.  This piece was composed by Baligh Hamdi and sung by the legendary Oum Kolthum.  The original song is over 40 minutes long, with the singing starting shortly after eight minutes in.

Version to Try: Alf Leyla, Wa Leyla from the album A Tribute to Om Kalsoum by The Cairo Orchestra

Leylet Hob
Another one by Mohammed Abdel Wahab, written especially for Oum Kolthum. The clip below shows the famous Soheir Zaki dancing to the piece.  Listen closely and you'll hear that Wahab specialty of mixing Western rhythms into the piece as well.

Version to Try: Leylet Hob from the album 10 Songs Every Belly Dancer Should Know by Andelus Ensemble

Enta Omri
A hauntingly beautiful song by again the same dynamic duo team of Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Oum Kolthum.  This was another song that was a long one, originally about 40 minutes.  Entra omri means "you are my life" and the lyrics are a soulful love song. Shira's website includes an extensive translation.  The clip below is just a piece of the original, but I like that it displays the translation as she's singing.

Version to Try: Enta Omri from the album The Rough Guide to Bellydance by Jalilah and featuring Mokhtar Al Said

Zeinah
Give you one guess on who composed this one? Yup, it's another Mohammed Abdel Wahab. Zeinah means "the beautiful", and it shot to popularity when it was danced to by the beautiful Samia Gamal in the 1956 movie Zanouba.

Version to Try: Zeinah from the album House of Tarab by House of Tarab
 

Favorite Music CD's for Belly Dancers

Music. The driving force behind any dance form. It's a necessity that as a dancer you are connecting with and inspired by your music choice. And especially for belly dancers, as we are striving to be the visible manifestation and interpretation of the music. I think we've all seen it when a dancer is not connected with her music. I've seen it happen with some really great dancers, and it's certainly happened to me more than once. Even audience members who may not be able to put their finger on what exactly is wrong will sense that something is not quite right. That the performance lacks that magical zing.

With that in mind, I wanted to share some CDs that have been my favorites.  These have been an inspiration to me and have infused fresh creatively and enthusiasm into my dance over the years. Hopefully some of them either have already worked or will work for you as well! (P.S. Read the whole post to catch the insider tip on free music.)

1. Bellydance Superstars Vol. V: The first track, Yearning, is the real shining piece of this album. If you haven't performed to it yourself, you're almost guaranteed to have seen someone else do it. The rest of the CD is good as well, with a number of upbeat tracks that are good for gym classes or when you just want to crank up the energy.
2. Made in Zanzibar: Produced by Tamalyn Dallal, this CD is Western classical meets Middle East masterpieces meets African folkloric. Classical orchestral pieces like Canon in D, Scheherazade, and Bolero are mixed with famous Middle Eastern pieces, like Lamma Badda, and smoothed over with a unique east African feeling. It's like a yummy, gooey dessert all blended together with perfect harmony.
3. Bellydance Superstars Vol. III: With tracks like Habibi Ya Eini, Ana Wel Leil and Fi El Awel, this CD is regular in my rotation for restaurant shows and parties. The CD has good variety and I've been able to use every track on this album at some point or another.
4. House of Tarab (Self-Titled): This album is must for learning the classic belly dance pieces. It's tracks include Aziza, originally composed by Mohamed Abd el-Wahad, and Hibbina, originally composed by Farid al-Atrash, two of the great composers of the Egyptian Golden Age.  There is also a beautiful violin solo and a short piece perfect for exit music.
5. Turkish Hits Vol. 1: The tunes on this compilation are infectious. And currently, on Amazon, they are also free (just follow the link). My favorites that have recently been in regular rotation for both classes and performances are Dilli Duduk by Tarkan and Askim Baksana Bana by Nazan Oncel. I think the nuances of Turkish music can at times be easier for Western ears to grasp than classical Egyptian, which, at least for me, has made them good starting off points for introducing Middle Eastern music in gym and beginning belly dances classes.  Additionally, just about anything by Tarkan is good, which you can also listen to and download from Amazon.

So what are your favorite albums or songs? I'd love to hear what makes you have to get up and shimmy. Share in the comments section below!

Online Resources for Belly Dancers

1. BellyTalk: This is a Yahoo! Group for greater Seattle area based dancers. Teachers post about new classes and workshops. Producers post about openings in hafla-style shows. As well as general announcements and discussions related to belly dance. One of the most memorable posts in the last year was famous dancer Tamalyn Dallal writing about her experiences in Egypt while the revolution was going on. Pretty interesting stuff. If you'd like to join, head over to the Yahoo! Groups home page. You'll need to create a Yahoo! email account if you don't already have one (it's free). Then search for BellyTalk and send a request to join.

2. eBay: One of the questions I'm asked most frequently is where is a good place to buy costumes, and my first response is always eBay. Whether a newbie dancer looking for something inexpensive or a professional dancer looking for a designer costume, this is my first pick. If you're just starting out, you can get hip scarves, veils, basic circle skirts, and other essentials at good prices. I've also purchased used designer costumes from other dancers, brands such as Pharonics of Egypt and Joharah, at a fraction of their original prices. A few tips for buying costumes online:

• Know your measurements and know the measurements of the costume. However, even if the costume isn't your exact size and you simply adore it, know that most costumes can be altered (within reason), just be prepared to pay pricey alteration fees if you don't know how to do it yourself.
• Read the descriptions carefully to make sure you understand what's included and what condition it's in.
• Feel free to ask the seller to email you additional photos to better see the item.
• Check the seller's rating and feedback to make sure they are reliable and their merchandise meets expectations.




• Many of cheaper items are massed produced in factories in Asia, and there's nothing wrong with these items, in fact I have some myself. The purple costume in the picture above is one such costume and only came to about $130 for the belt, bra, skirt, and shipping (note that I did add a few extra rhinestones of my). However, if you want something more original, try searching for used costumes only and you'll often find dancers selling pieces out of their personal collections, which is how I got the fabulous pink costume below (the picture doesn't do it justice).
• Understand the shipping prices and terms - if you need something right away you don't want it coming to you on a slow boat from China.

3. The Best of Habibi: Habibi was a print magazine dedicated to Middle Eastern dance that was published from 1992 to 2002. Just recently, the magazine created a website featuring some of its best content from its past issues. Great resource for dancers who want to lean more about the history of this art form, and the dancers who have shaped its evolution.

4. Saqra's Pacific NW Calendar: A local dancer, Saqra, keeps a comprehensive online calendar of monthly/weekly reoccurring belly dance events, one-time performances and festivals, and special workshops from visiting teachers for both the Seattle and Portland areas.

5. iShimmy.com: This is an online magazine with articles ranging from costume fashion trends and interviews with famous dancers, to book reviews and stage makeup tips.

6. Amazon.com: I buy most of the music I use in my classes and performances from Amazon.com. In particular, I like the Cd's by Belly Dance Superstars. (I would have listed their website, but their Cd's are generally cheaper on Amazon).