Customer Reviews

Best of Bellydance from Egypt, Lebanon, Arabia & Turkey

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is probably the best belly dance CD that you carry. It doesn't get better than this!

This is one of the first CDs I got when I started. I still use it often! If you are just starting out, and not sure what type of music you like best, this is where to start. This CD has fast, slow, and medium beats, and there is going to be at least one song that you will like.

I own this CD, and I believe it is a wonderful, wonderful compilation of artists from the Middle East. And the music is great to dance to-trust me, I know. I'm a belly dancer myself. The music from Egypt all the way to Arabia is, to me, traditional sounding. I recommend it completely.

Great, absolutely great belly dancing music. Typical of the region, best of Lebanon and Egypt. Great at parties or solo listening. I highly recommend it.

This is an excellent CD, since it's an excellent tool for beginners! It features songs from all over the Middle East, with author, song title, and who arranged it. The songs themselves are unique and full of individuality. There are a few songs that are great for veil routines, and many of the songs have strong drum rythms that make it easy to shimmy to!

This CD has great variety and selection. There's lots of different music to listen to. From the silky "Ya Cemil" to the jazzy "Sahara Groove," it's a good cross-section of modern bellydance music. For those who like a more traditional sound, this may not be for you.

This is the CD to choose if you like contemporary music to dance to, or want to listen to modern Middle Eastern music. Dancers who prefer traditional stuff will probably not like this. If modern music is your style, there are some terrific selections on Best of Bellydance from Egypt, Lebanon, Arabia & Turkey. Since it's also a compilation CD from other CDs, it's also a good sampler of those other CDs. (The liner notes will tell you where the songs appeared before they were here.)

This CD is a good start for listeners unfamiliar with the diversity of unique music and instruments from the Middle East and Arabia. The first six tracks are the most appealing as the music of each country, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, and Arabia is presented. One can develop an appreciation and taste for the 'belly dance' rhythm, unique progression of musical paths, and traditional instruments, that compose this most outstanding and easily recognizable genre of music (and dance). While the music is "contemporary" it is also at times, highly orchestrated. Luckily this occurs mostly in *only* the last 6 tracks. The first 6 selections have an interesting introduction before the primary music is played, it begins with either a dumbek or kanun or tanbur (tambur, lute-like instrument) which teases the listener, knowing full well, it is an 'appetizer' before a sumptious musical feast. Most of the selections include very dramatic and captivating improvisations on *traditional* instruments, such as the ney, the kanun, or the violin. One is *easily* drawn into this sensuous and delightful music by the introduciton which, at times, is markedly different than the main musical melody. There is a musical transition musical to most of the selections that is smooth and very intense . The dumbek or other traditional instrument often defines the "raks araby" (Greek "tsitetelli", i.e. 'belly dance') styled rhythm although there are tracks when it is the lute or kanun which defines the rhythm.

The most outstanding piece on the CD is track #1, "Aziza" (Arabia) played by Hosssam Ramzy and his orchestra. It is exotic and has jazz-like improvisations on the ney, violin, and kanun which capture the sounds, sights, and smells of the souk and casbah. You *know* you have arrived into another world of music ... Track #2 "Dert Ortagim Benim", is Turkish and played by Ensemble Huseyn Turkmenler. It begins with a dumbek intro that is soon accompanied by traditional instruments, the ney, lute, kanun, and violin. Together these instruments create a dynamic melody and rhythm that captivates the listener. Eventually each instrument, ney, kanun, lute, and violin is provided a solo opportunity to shine, to stand out, to be heard when it is played by a virtuoso, who demonstrates jazz-like improvisaitons and explores the full depth and breadth of musical possibilies on a solo instrument. #4 "Ghannili Sheway Sheway" by Hossam Ramzy and orchestra create a sensational sound, played on the ney, kanun, violin, lute, and keyboards ... this one creates labyrinthine musical pathways with unusual twists, turns, and curves. Hossam Ramzy is a master musician, world reknown for his creativity and stylizations of the Middle Eastern sound. #5 is translated as "Happiness" ("Saiedeh"). The music has Arabic influences, played on a violin or cello-like instrument, there are occasionally keyboards. The end is especially explosive with "ullalations", high-pitched vocalizations often done by women with the tongue against the pallate but can done by men also, during times of intense joy, happiness and unexpected pleasure. #6 sounds Egyptian due to the frequent dumbek rhythm, although somewhat orchestrated, they music retains the original flavor and ambience of Arabic music.
Overall, this CD contains a wide variety of exemplary belly dance music, although it slightly disappoints due to orchestration, when traditional instruments would be preferable. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

I am a very new bellydancer, and wanted some music to practice with at home. Some of what I've heard at class has been, well, WAY too 'out there' for me. I find this CD wonderful to just sit and listen to (it lives in my car most of the time!) and also to dance to. I finally managed to improvise for the first time to this CD, and am working on a choreography for song #7 (my favourite)! A great CD!

This CD rocks. I enjoy dancing to it. Number 3 is especially fun

I bought this CD because I wanted to take up Belly Dancing, although I'm not Belly dancing I still play this CD a lot! I love the beats and the songs esp. track 3! Even if you don't Belly Dance you'll love it. I put this CD in and get lost dancing to the music so I get a great workout! If you love exotic music and dancing to great and fast beats you'll love this CD.