Palestinian music

As we know, the Palestinian Culture has always took a big, important part of the Arab culture, and has always represented that new, deep, interesting side of the Arab World. We all know how much it played that magnificent role and how much it contributed to shape and form what we have now, from the united Arab Culture. And if we want to have a look on what is the special thing of the Palestinian Culture that enabled it to do all of this, we can tell you that the answer is the Palestinian Culture's sides.. Those many sides that strengthen and deepen the Palestinian Heritage and identity inside of everyone living in Palestine.. Those sides are: Music, clothes, dancing, customs, and many other ways of living.. And these various sides, of course, unite us as a Palestinian people, and form our own Heritage which covers all the fields of the Palestinian people's life , which is the most essential thing for us as it represents the past and the history of Palestine and its people.. It is the first point that our antecedents start with.. So we should keep it contemporary for next generations.

And in this presentation, we are going to present about one of the side of the Palestinian Culture, as we see it, it is the most interesting topic for us and for you, which is the Palestinian Folk Music.

We can define the Palestinian Folk Music as it is the folk music which includes all of the musical actions and practices that are related to the folk cultural groups. And most of these groups are villagers, who are distinct from others with the ability of keeping this culture and protect it. And so, the folk music that is related to these groups is the outcome of rhythms, tools and musical instruments.

The Heritage of Palestinian Folk Music circulates orally, and it doesn't need an exact education, or exact, professional artists to perform it. Heritage's musical instruments are simple to make, connected with the people, and doesn't need a factory or a maker to make it, and doesn't need a school to study the way to play these instruments. This folk music also doesn't need experts to create its rhythms.

Simply, Palestinian Folk Music is made by the Palestinian people themselves, who use the simplest materials to make its musical instruments.

Evidently, many communities all over the world use musical instruments as symbols of their cultural identities. Traditionally, and in the African and Western setting, musical instruments have often been used in special occasions such as wedding ceremonies, for entertainment, and during ceremonies for passage of rights.

Palestinians, like other peoples of the world, have resorted to use musical instruments along side the popular singing at weddings, religious and national occasions, and has become a complete, integral part of their heritage which is rooted in the depths of history.

And there are musical instruments that Palestinian people make and use, such as:

A) Tablah or Derbekkeh: It is one of the types of drums, with the difference in shape, made of clay or copper, or aluminum, and it is played with both hands.

B) Drum

C) Tambourine and Zills

D) Baza

1) Percussion instruments:

E) Fuqashat or Dancing Wood: It is made from two hollow pieces of wood that you wear in the Thumb and in the middle finger

1) Percussion instruments:

F) Naqarat : Made of wood, the first one is less different than the other, with two small, woody sticks

2) Stringed instruments:

A) Rababah

2) Stringed instruments:

B) Oud

2) Stringed instruments:

C) Kanun or Zither

3) Wind instruments:

A) Nye or Shababah

3) Wind instruments:

B) Oboe

3) Wind instruments:

D) Almjos and Alergoul : They are two Clarinets that are combined together. It has a round opening hole. It needs a lot of practice to play it well, 'cause it needs the ability of

keep blowing without stopping for a long time

And if we want to have a look on the Western Music and how it is same or different from ours.. Western Folk Music is the Western Traditional Music, which is made by musicians to the people .. Western People are always proud of it, and of course, we as Palestinians, and even the Arab World itself respects and supports such a culture and music.

So, let's start mentioning the Western Musical Instruments:

4) West instruments:

1) Guitar: It was developed from Oud.

4) West instruments:

2) Cello : It was developed from Violin.

4) West instruments:

3) Violin : It was developed from Rababah.

4) West instruments:

4) Piano : It was developed from Kanun or Zither

4) West instruments:

5) Drum : It was developed from Tablah

4) West instruments:

6) Flute : Same of Nye and Oboe

4) West instruments:

7) Clarinet : Same of Nye and Oboe

From here, we can figure out the great overlap between the Palestinian Culture and the western one. We can see how much our culture is important and has an effect on many various cultures. This influence leads us to the bottom line, Palestinian culture is a basic culture, is the first point that helped forming and shaping other cultures. And we think the main point it could make its influence appear, was in the Music.

But also, we can't deny the influence of the western culture on ours, example:Beginning in the late 1990s, Palestinian youth forged a new Palestinian musical subgenre –Palestinian rap or hip hop – which blends Arabic melodies and Western beats, with lyrics in Arabic, English and even Hebrew.

Folk song is an important aspect of popular folklore in the field of its anecdotal arts. They are a kind of folk creativity, rich in thought and melodies, has great sense and feelings, are lovely for people, and people keep singing them in occasions.

The Palestinian Folk Song is a song that may has an old, traditional, folk rhythm and also may not. But it depends on using the slang language. It aims to have an effect on people, and spread it between them whether they know singer or its time, or even not. Beside the Palestinian Folk Song, there always must be a traditional, modern poetry, which is empty from the element of folk rhythm. But all aim to reach to people's hearts.

So, Palestinian Folk Songs has many characteristics:1) Has a traditional rhythm (In groups)2) Has not an exact singer or an exact time3) The rhythms circulates orally, "Circulate the

rhythm from place to place, person to another, and from generation to another in oral way"

4) Poetry5) Spontaneous6) Truthful expression7) Contemporary 8) Defined based on the place it was spread in, not

the place it was found in.

The Palestinian Folk Songs are divided for the gender of the singer into:

A) Women Songs: Songs circulates from generation to another. A woman who perform them must have the ability of good expression. She's called, "Baddaa“

B) Men Songs: Divided into:First: Songs circulates from generation to another

bypeople called, "anecdotist"Second: Songs for special singer, 'cause he's its

own writer and singer, who play it on Rababah. He's

called Zajjal, and his art called Zajal

The Palestinian Folk Song is kind of the emotional, melodious type of songs that is full of blues. At the same time, it has vitality, 'cause the original, traditional dancing still as it was.

The most famous traditional rhythms are:

Al-YadiAl-

Shorokeh

GafraDalounaMeiganaMawwal Al-

Ataba

Abu El-

Zuluf

Asmar El-

Loun

MishaalLayya w

layya

Ya Zareef

Al-Tul

Ghzayyel

Our final words are collected in short sentences:Your Palestinian Culture is really great in the whole meaning, when we made this presentation, we figured out many special, simple, little things that made us adore our culture someway somehow. Now we are totally proud of what we have now from Palestinian Culture and Palestinian people of course, all thanks for them who shaped the beautiful Palestinian Culture and helped and still helping to keep the original one with its blues, its music and its parts as they were in the past. So, we should always help them with that, and let our print and efforts appear as much as we can.