Publisher’s Note:

(Taqseem Qanoon )   A good day to you ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to this musical presentation and documentary, about learning Arabic Music.  My name is Fawzi Zedan of Multi Media Publishing Co.  The organization that is responsible for the revival of this educational and entertaining Musical work.  We are a web-based,  Southern California Educational Publishing establishment, dedicated to promoting and preserving cultural musical heritage.  

 This Presentation was inspired by, and based on an old musical documentary that was published on vinyl disks (records) back in the 1980’s in the Republic of Tunisia, with research and documentation done by a musical academician, a scholar, a composer and a talented artist, Dr. Salih Al- Mehdi.  We have been working diligently on restoring and reviving this publication by re-formatting, enhancing, translating and re-publishing it on a modern media with the hope that it will be preserved for future generations to learn and appreciate this great musical heritage.    

This series of lectures in Comparative Classical Arabic Music, in my opinion, is one of the most extensive and exhaustive research, in the study of classical Arabic Music, it’s history, compositions, modes, forms and rhythms.   It discusses the various aspects of this musical genre in the Middle East including Turkey and Iran, the Arabian Peninsula and the Arab countries of North Africa.  The examples cited in the various discussions are some of the most beautiful and rare pieces of musical compositions and forms.  Dr. Al- Mehdi shows his multi artistic talents in utilizing several musical instruments to explain the various modes, scales and rhythms, to educate us in this rich heritage that spans three continents and about 1500 years of musical evolution in the Arabic and Islamic world. (Taqseem Oud )   

Comparative Arabic Music, the Documentary

Arabic Music of the distant past took on a special significance among scientists and philosophers, and was given ample attention as a science, and as an art.  Among those notables were; Abu-Nasr Al-Faraby and Ali Ibn Siena of the Arab East, and Abu Bakr Ibn Al-Saigh, who was known by Ibn Bajah, in the Andalusia of old Spain, and the like s were many.  Kings and princes were delving into music, and a notable Khalifa, Ibraheem Ibn- Almahdi and his sister Uleiah (both were the children of the Abbasiad Khalifa Al Mahdi and the brother and sister of the well known Khalifah, Haroon Al Rasheed), and were the ones to head the school of musical renewal during their times. 

      Arabic music had gone, since those day, through a period of stagnation, during which, known historical personalities have avoided it or have shown little serious interest, until the 30’s of the last century.  In the early 30’s(1932), a symposium and a convention for Arabic Music were held in the city of Cairo, after which, many institutions and organizations, to revive the classical Arabic Music, were formed throughout the Arab countries.  Consequently, the International organization for the arts, which is a part of the U.N. I.S.C.O., have become the benefactor of this art form, and established an international institution in Berlin to care for, preserve and promote Oriental music, where Arabic music is an integral part.  The Arab League has also established a special organization for Arabic music and was in the process of establishing an international institution in the city of Al-Manstir in the republic of Tunis.  

       And here we are also contributing to these efforts with this series of recordings, through which we will introduce brief historical notes and studies of the Maqamat (plural of Maqam), which is called Tuboo in North Africa, as well as studies in rhythms and musical forms, supported by many musical examples taken from the musical heritage of the various Arab countries, Turkey and Iran.(Taqseem Piano   3) 

Historical Notes
       As we go back to the time before Islam in the Arabian Peninsula, we will find the extreme attention and care given by the tribes to the many musical personalities of that era.  They were invited to join the caravans that traveled north twice a year, which were told by the Holey Quraan, and were requested to sing along a musical style called Al-Hedaa, which camels have responded to, and traveled long distances without rest and enduring grueling conditions.  History tells us that some of the Al-Hedaa singers have persisted in singing with these caravans for long periods where camels have fallen and died of exhaustion, upon which they were punished by the Khalifah Al-Mamoon for their actions. 

The Sixth century was a time when the Arabs came in contact with other forms of music.  The Persian labors who were brought to help build and repair the Kaabah, were the ones to introduce Persian music to Arabia (singing while working).  The proliferation of Islam, have brought with it an appreciation for good sound and music, and the Prophet Muhammad was always complementary of those with good voices.  It was told that once the prophet Muhammad was praising Abu-Musa Al-Ashary for having a voice like of that produced by a flute from the house of David.  The Prophet has also appointed Belal the Ethiopian to be the first Muazzin for having such a wonderful voice. (Taqseem 4 )