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Genres in Arabic Folk Music – Debka

Final Paper
Arabic Folk Music in Israel (Palestine)
Prof. Amazia Bar Yosef
Marina Toshich, oud, 3rd year, 309191450
Baraqat Abou Afash, 58162447
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Debka
Debka,  is a genre in Arabic folk music. This is a folk dance widely popular in
Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan. It is performed at weddings and other soci
al
occasions such as family parties, holydays or competitions. Debka is a line danc
e, similar
to folk dances in other parts of the world – Turkey, Azerbaijan, Balkan countrie
s and
Eastern Europe or even Ireland. Line dances, from the anthropological point of v
iew,
show the bondages in the community, solidarity and the spirit of nation. The sto
mping
shows the connection to the land.
The meaning of the word  in Arabic is "stomping of the feet" that characterize its
dancing steps. Debka dancing steps can be different – from traditional steps to
nowadays
new made choreographies. The dance includes line of the dancers and the leader,
called
“raas” or "lawih" who is allowed to improvise on the debka steps. The lawih wave
s a
handkerchief or masbha, while the rest of the dancers hold their hands together
on the
back, or clapping. The spectators usually clap their hand as well in the simple
debka
rhythm.
This is a sample of simple Lebanon debka “Qamrosh” steps:
“Open circle, "glu glu" position, fingers interdigitated forearm to forearm, arm
s bent at
elbow. Forearm is parallel to the floor.
Moving LOD, cross L over R (1), step R (2), cross L over R (3), step R (4), touc
h L front
(5), touch L side (6)
Variation: Step L (1), hop on L (&), step R (2), (3-6 same).” (1*)
(1*)Notes by Andrew Carnie, April 2008, http://folkdancemusings.blogspot.com/
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Debka’s measure + rhythm (“mizan”) and melody
The folk dance debka has a simple rhythm – 2/4 and the melody line is short, bui
ld from
one musical sentence of 2 parts.
Ala Dalaouna (Maqam Bayat):
Ya Rzael (Maqam Siga):
Ya Ein Mulayaten (Maqam Bayat):
The diapason (range) of the composition is not wide, as we can see from the exam
ples –
just a quint (5th). The low range is common if folk compositions, so sometimes w
e can
not even determinate the maqam.
In the showed examples the maqamat used are Bayati and Sika, very commonly used
maqamat in debka. Beside those two, the maqam Rast is also used.
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Mizan in Debka is traditionally Al Basita (not the poetical meter but mizan!), (
Brol,
Wahda el Saira, El Mukalafa) or Ajja, but today we can find other midel eastern
rhythms
as Malfouf, Masmoudi sager or other double beat rhythms.
Debka Words – Poetical Meter
Words in debka are usually written in Al Basita poetical meter, which we can def
ine as:
MUSTAFEILUN, MUSTAFEILUN, MUSTAFEILUN - - . - , - - . -, - - . –
The poetical meter show us the long and short syllabs. Simplified, long syllab i
s two
letters and the short one is one letter, pronounced with according, not written,
vowel.
The poetical meter, according to researchers Saud el Asadi and Musa Hafti, does
not
influence the performance of the debka. It means that long and short syllabs are
not
pronounced as short or long, but they are sung along with the rhythm 2/4.
YA RZAEL, YA ABU EL HEBA - Poetic meter Al Basita
YA HAWI YA MAATHEBA
YA BNAIA JARAHTENI
U J’RAH EL HAWA MAYETEBA
YA BNAYA HELWE EL BASME
TETMAYAL MAANASME
HUBEK ATLAF LI JISMI
UMADE SLAK EL KAHRABA
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Instruments Used in Debka Performance
Folk instruments used in debka are:
MIJWIZ,  – two reeds flute, both ot the reeds with holes
The mijwiz (Arabic:  ) is a traditional woodwind musical instrument in the Middle
East, sometimes referred to as a double-clarinet. The word in Arabic means "dual
," or
"married" because of its two bamboo reed pipes put together.
The mijwiz has two pipes of equal length, between 6 and 8 centimeters; each pipe
has
around five or six small holes for fingering. It requires a special technique of
playing
known as "circular breathing," and can only be done by trained musicians. The mi
jwiz is
played in Egypt and the Levant as an accompaniment to either belly dancing or da
bke,
the folkloric line dance of the Levant.
Although Egyptian in origin, the mijwiz is most popular today in the Levant (Leb
anon,
Palestine, and Syria).
Many popular folk songs either include the mijwiz on recordings, or include the
instrument s name in the song s lyrics. One example is the famous Lebanese dabke
song
"Jeeb el Mijwiz ya Abboud" (Arabic: 
 
 ) by the singer Sabah:
The recording of the song can be heard on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbDiuFugotc&feature=related
(information from: http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Mijwiz,
www.ethnomusic.ucla.edu/ensembles/worldmusic/neareast/Mijwiz.htm
and Vikipedia)
In debka “Ya ein mulayaten” mijwiz or zurna are played in “bridge” part:
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YARGHUL, - two reeds flute, with one drone reed
Is found mostly in Palestine but also in Egypt, and has similar principle as Mij
wiz, but
only one of its tubes has holes. The pipe without the holed produces drone sound
. The
“melody making” pipe, with usually six holes, is named "badan".
Darbuka, (table, darbeke) hand drum, usually referred as women’s instrument.
Keyboard – just like in India (they call it “casio” in India !) become widely us
ed
instrument in folk music. Huge variety of sounds together with rhythmic patterns
find
An important place in debka performance. Here is a sample of Debka Yaba Yaba Leh
performed by Tonny Hana, where we can hear the keyboard “mijwiz sound” :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixuGsLygrZw&feature=related
Performers of Debka
Widely popular debka dance are performed by numerous singers like: Wadih Al Safi
,
Sabah, Tony Hanna, Sabah Fakri and others.
The debka is performed both by man and women.
Bibliography:
- Notes by Andrew Carnie, April 2008,
- http://folkdancemusings.blogspot.com/
- http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Mijwiz
- www.ethnomusic.ucla.edu/ensembles/worldmusic/neareast/Mijwiz.htm
- Vikipedia
Music noted by: Me ;-)