Search - Aswan Troupe for Folkloric Art :: Music of Islam 2: South Sinai Bedouins

Ten years in the making, The Music of Islam series recorded in Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Yemen, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iran and Qatar represents the most comprehensive sound documentation available to Westerners today, of a world religion dating back to 1/622. Although governed by strict rules for fourteen centuries, contact with other cultures has radically affected Islamic music throughout history. As the world enters the XV/21st century the timing of this collection serves an even larger purpose, documenting the traditions that have survived and will continue to survive for centuries to come. Today, one fifth of the world's population, one billion people, are Muslims, occupying a large territory stretching from the Atlantic shore of north and west Africa, through west, central, and south Asia to island southeast Asia, and attracting an increasing following in India, western Europe, north America, east Asia, and southern Africa. This is a global presence which cannot be ignored.The Sinai, under the control of Egypt today, is a triangular peninsula bridging North Africa and the Middle East. The unique and varied landscape, resources, demands and dangers of the South Sinai has allowed the Bedouin there to develop their own lifestyle and culture. The Bedouin music culture also developed against the backdrop of the desert - a place of intense silence. Out of the silence, the desert Bedouin culture has evolved a profound sensitivity and mystical appreciation for sound which permeates every aspect of Bedouin life. The piercing cry of women's ululations express acclaim on festive occasions, the plaintive melody of the shepherdess's flute accompanies her watch over the sheep and goats, and the rhythmic beating of frame-drums exorcise evil spirits from holy places and tombs. But for the Bedouin, the most subtle and charged of man-made sounds is the spoken or sung word.Bedouin music is probably the oldest part of the entire repertoire of folk music in the Arab world. Thus, this recording is a celebration as well as a sound document of their traditional culture and unique identity.