CONGRÈS DE MUSIQUE ARABE DU CAIRE 1932 - THE CAIRO CONGRESS OF ARAB MUSIC 1932

Here an importent release which might have gone unnoticed by many music lovers. It contains, amongst other jewels, two and half CDs by the great master of Iraqi Maqam Muhammad al-Qubbanji.

CONGRÈS DE MUSIQUE ARABE DU CAIRE 1932 - THE CAIRO CONGRESS OF ARAB MUSIC 1932 - Coffret 18 CD avec livret trilingue français, anglais et arabe de 256 pages - Box of 18 CDs with a book of 256 pages in French, English and Arabic - Sous la direction de Jean Lambert et de Pascal Cordereix, Texte original de Bernard Moussali, Restauration sonore par Luc Verrier, CDs 1 to 10: Egypt, CDs 11 to 13: Mashriq (Near East), CDs 14 to 18: Maghreb (North Africa), LA BIBLIOTHÈQUE NATIONALE DE FRANCE

This box can be obtained from info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com for € 199,00 including postage.

"Le Congrès du Caire de 1932 est un mythe pour tous les chercheurs et les amateurs de la musique arabe en particulier et de la musique en général. Rares étaient ceux qui avaient, jusqu’à cette édition, accès à ces enregistrements. Après un important travail de restauration du son effectué dans ses studios, la BnF, en collaboration avec l’émirat d’Abou Dhabi, et sous la direction scientifique de Jean Lambert (Centre de recherche en ethnomusicologie), publie l’intégralité des enregistrements du Congrès du Caire, authentique document d’archives sonores de plus de dix-huit heures de musique, soit 18 disques compacts accompagnés d’un livret descriptif de 256 pages. 

Le Congrès de musique arabe qui s’est tenu au Caire en mars-avril 1932 a fait date dans l’histoire de la musique au XXe siècle. Première manifestation scientifique d’envergure consacrée à des musiques non occidentales, il a permis la rencontre entre musicologues occidentaux et orientaux. Il est le premier congrès de musicologie à consacrer une part importante de ses travaux à l’enregistrement sonore d’interprétations de référence. C’est dans ce cadre que la filiale égyptienne de la firme His Master’s Voice de la Gramophone anglaise enregistre 334 faces de disques 78 tours, enregistrements non destinés à l'époque à une diffusion commerciale. Quatre-vingt-deux ans plus tard, l’art et le savoir de grands musiciens du monde arabe deviennent accessibles.

Il s’agit de la première manifestation scientifique d’envergure consacrée à des musique savantes non occidentales. Le Roi Farouck d’Egypte avait confié l’organisation au musicologue Franco-Britannique Le Baron Rodolphe François d’Erlanger. Ce congrès du Caire 1932 à fait date dans l’histoire de la musiques du XX siècle."

It is for the first time that the complete recordings of this historical event are published. In the 1990s there existed 5 CDs (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia & Iraq) published by Club du Disque Arabe and a double CD published by Institut du Monde Arabe. These are no longer available for more than 10 or 15 years. This is truly an outstanding publication for lovers of classical Arab music.

Iraq - Makamat par l'Ensemble Al Tchālghī Al Baghdādī et Yusuf Omar (1918-1987) – LP published in France in 1972

Yusuf Omar was, next to Muhammad al-Qubbanji, the greatest Maqam singer of the past century in Iraq. This singer and especially this recording is the crown of Iraqi Maqam music and Maqam music in general. I discovered this great singer and this great musical tradition with this LP shortly after it was released. It was amongst the very first LPs - I think the second - of Arabic music I have. This LP was later released as a CD with an additional track, unfortunately no longer available for many years.

The scans of the booklet inside this gatefold LP I took from an earlier post of this LP somewhere in the internet. I don't remember anymore where that was.

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In 1995 a fantastic double CD was published by Inédit - Maison des Cultures du Monde in Paris. It can be obtained from their website: 

http://www.maisondesculturesdumonde.org/irak-maqam-irakien

In the booklet to this double CD one can find good information about this tradition and the singer and his musicians. This booklet can be downloaded here.

Maqam-Al-Iraqi - Three concerts in Bonn, Cologne and Baghdad broadcast in 1977, 1978 & 1979 by WDR, Cologne, Germany

Here our second post in our series of recordings of the Maqam music of Iraq. Here we have longer Maqam suites which give a much better impression of this great musical tradition.

Many thanks to our friend KF who recorded these broadcasts, made a double CD out of them and created the covers. Many thanks for sharing them generously.

CD 1 - wave + Scans

CD 2 - wave

CD 1 - mp3 + Scans

CD 2 - mp3

Arabian Music in Baghdad - LP published in Japan in 1980

With this LP we start a series of three posts of the Maqam Music of Iraq - Maqam al-Iraqi. In 2011 we posted already an LP having a recording by the same singer as on this LP here. See here.

Iraqi Maqam is one of the great Maqam traditions. In some respects it has some affinities to the Mugham music of Azerbaijan and to Dastgah music of Iran, but it is for sure through and through Arabic. I discovered this music in the first half of the 1970s with the legendary LP "Iraq - Makamat - L'Ensemble Al Tchalghi Al Baghdadi et Yusuf Omar" which we will post here as the third post in this series. For a long time there were hardly any other recordings available.

Here on this LP - which to my knowledge was never distributed in Europe or the US - we have mainly the lighter and more vivid and shorter pieces which in a performance are played usually towards the end. In the next two posts we will have the serious longer Maqam performances. Here the singer is also accompanied by a Takht ensemble as it is used normally in Maqam music in Egypt and other Near Eastern countries. In Iraq this a more recent development. Normally the Maqam music is accompanied by the Chalghi Al Baghdadi ensemble consistung of a Santour player, a Djoze player and two or three percussionists, as we will have it in the next two posts.

The singer on this LP is Salah Abdel Ghafour (1952-2012). In the 1970s he toured quite frequently also outside of Iraq. In our next post we will have three broadcasts with him from 1977, 1978 and 1979 done by the WDR in Cologne, Germany. 

Later he seems to have turned more into a singer of popular music.

"Iraqi artist Salah Abdel Ghafour was killed in a road accident in the Iraqi city of Irbil on Sunday evening, April 7, 2012. A medical source said the late singer was injured and hospitalized following a road accident, and passed away at the hospital. Salah Abdul Ghafour was born in 1952 in Al Saadiya district in Diyala Province in Iraq. He was of Kurdish origin. Abdul Ghafour applied to the TV and Radio auditions in 1961 via the program "Rukn Al Huwaa" (Amateurs' Corner), he was only 8 years old at the time. He rose to fame by singing the songs of renowned Iraqi artist Nathem Al Ghazali. In 1973, he joined the National Troupe for Folklore Arts, and later became a member of the Iraqi Inshad Troupe. For the next four years, he participated in a number of festivals and celebrations in Iraq and abroad. In 1977, he joined the Institute of Musical Studies as a student, where he specialized in the Iraqi Maqam and in playing the violin. Six years later, he graduated from the institute and joined the Iraqi Musical Heritage Troupe, founded by the late Mounir Bashir, whereby he took part in many Arab and international festivals and concerts. The song he is most famous for is "Helwa Yal Baghdadiya" (Pretty Baghdadi Girl), the music of which was composed by Nathem Naeem. Some of his most popular hits include "Mou Beedaya" (Out of My Hands), music by composer Mohamed Noushi; "Ridt Ansak" (I Wanted to Forget You), music by composer Farouq Hilal; "Kulman Yahin Lahla" (Whoever Yearns for their Family) and "Khasartak Habibi" ( I Lost You My Darling), music by composer Jaafar Al Khafaf. Song artist Salah Abdul Ghafour made more than 30 albums and 300 songs, including the Iraqi Maqam and Iraqi heritage songs. In addition, he had many national and love songs. Many artists performed his songs, the most famous of which is veteran Turkish singer Ibrahim Tatlises, who performed the song "Shlonak Ainy Shlonak" (How are you my love?). Abdul Ghafour's most famous hits include "Helwa Yal Baghdadiya" (Pretty Baghdadi Girl), "Khasartak Habibi" ( I Lost You My Darling), "La Tulomony" ( Do Not Blame Me), "Anta Al Ghaltan" (You Are Mistaken), "Kul Yom Lak Mee'ad" ( You Have a Time Every Day) and "Il'ab Yal Asmar" ( Play You Dark-toned One)." 

From: http://www.alowaisnet.org/en/news/slahairaq.aspx

About Iraqi Maqam music see:

http://iraqimaqam.blogspot.de/2012/10/iraqi-maqam.html

http://www.amirelsaffar.com/2012/01/08/about-the-iraqi-maqam/

https://web.archive.org/web/20120313035422/http://www.taqasim.net/en/a/6.html

http://www.qdl.qa/en/dusty-streets-and-hot-music-baghdad-iraqi-maqam-music-and-chalgi-ensembles

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maqam_al-iraqi

A blog devoted to Iraqi Maqam with many many historical recordings:

http://iraqimaqam.blogspot.de/

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Abdel Hamid Hussain (1932-1992) - Qur'an Karim - Warsh Recitation from Morocco - Cassette, probably from the 1980s, published in Morocco

Another wellknown Qur'an reciter (Qari) from Morocco. He represents a style quite different from the very beautiful one of the outstanding Haj Abd er-Rahman ben Moussa, of whom we posted eight cassettes (see here).

This is the only cassette by Abdel Hamid Hussain we have. Warsh is the version (or reading) of the Qur'an used in Morocco.

On YouTube one can find a complete Qur'an by him: 

https://www.youtube.com/user/alhouma100/videos 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4vyz-aE90E

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Hassan Haffar - Cassette from Syria

Hassan Haffar, who was part of the "Muezzins d'Alep" of our previous post, is one of the most famous Munshidin (singers of religious or Sufi songs) of recent decades in Aleppo, Syria. He toured a couple of times in the west, especially in France, where two CDs were released, and at the Fez Festival. See below one of the CDs.

Our dear friend Danny bought this cassette many years ago in Syria and was so kind to share it with us. Many thanks to him.

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In France this fantastic set of 3 CDs was released in 2009. As always it can be obtained from: info@raga-maqam-dastgah.com

Hassan Haffar (Vocal) - Suites d'Alep - The Aleppo Suites, 3 CDs, CD 1: Suites dans les modes Yekah, Nahawand & Rast (47:27), CD 2: Suites dans les modes Hijaz, Zanjaran, 'Ajam & Sikah (47:14), CD 3: Suites dans les modes Kurd, Bayati, Bastanikar & Nakriz (48:09), INSTITUT DU MONDE ARABE, IMA 321.082-84

With an excellent booklet in French, English & Arabic including the sung poems.

„Hassan Haffar is the soloist in the eleven 'Aleppo Suites' presented here, performing with great freedom of expression. His musical and vocal skills blend introspection and sensuality and these three albums confirm him to be a master of the genre...Muezzin at the Great Mosque in Aleppo, Hassan Haffar was born in the city in 1943. A true craftsman, he was singled out for the quality, precision and strength of his voice. He was the pupil of the hymnodists Bakri Kurdi, Sabri Mudallal and 'Abd Al Ra'uf Hallaq...Accompanied by a chorus made up of his pupils he entrances the listener with the rich fullness of his lower register and the precision of his upper register. His brillant range and vocal power do not, however, exclude a rare subtlety and an exquisite refinement... “

Syrie - Vol. 1 - Muezzins d'Alep - Chants Religieux de l'Islam - LP published 1980 in France

Here a wonderful LP of a group of Munshidin (religious or Sufi singers) from Aleppo, under the direction of the legendary Sabri Mudallal. Amongst them also the wellknown Hassan Haffar. We posted already three recordings by the great Sabri Mudallal (see here). We will post soon one of the many recordings by Hassan Haffar.

This LP was released later also on CD, but is no longer available since many years. A volume 2 was never published.

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Algeria - Shaykh Al 'Alawi's Diwan recorded in Annaba - Cassette published in UK in the 1980s

Very beautiful Sama' (singing of  Sufi poetry) from Annaba in eastern Algeria.

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Scheich Ahmad al-Alawi (1869-1934)

On Sheikh al-Alawi (qas) see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_al-Alawi

and especially this site which contains a lot of material about the Sheikh:

http://al.alawi.1934.free.fr/

His Diwan exists in English and French translations, as also many of his other works. 

Mohammad al-Zahraoui - Sufi Songs (Sama') - Cassette published in Fes, Morocco

Since 27th of may it is Ramadan again. To celebrate it, especially the blessed nights, we post here some cassettes and LPs of Sufi ceremonies, Munshidin from Syria and Qur'an recitation.

First a cassette from Morocco, which I bought in an Islamic bookshop in Brussels in the late 1980s or early 1990s. It contains: Amdah (songs of praising Allah) & Dhikr (remembrance of Allah), Mouloud an-Nabi (celebration of the birthday of the Prophet (saws)) and Wafa ar-Rasoul (?) (I don't know what this means exactly). This is a typical repertoire as it is sung in the first part of a Majlis, a Sufi gathering.

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Alla Rakha Khan (1919-2000) - Tabla - LP released in Pakistan in 1973

Here a rare LP from Pakistan by the great Ustad Alla Rakha. 

Sarangi Lehra is by Ustad Nathu Khan.

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Ghulam Mohammad Khan (1910-1974) - Sarangi - LP released in 1975 in Pakistan

Here our fifth post of great Paksitani Sarangi masters. Unfortunately I don't know anything about this artist, except that he was wellknown as the regular accompanist of Nazakat & Salamat Ali Khan. He is present on several of their CDs and LPs. See for example here.

A friend lent me this LP many many years ago to digitize it. At that time I didn't know yet how to do it, but I had a friend with a lot of experience in digitizing LPs. Unfortunately he didn't scan the covers and created instead new covers, the ones you see here. Many thanks to this friend (KF).

Here the infos with which Dr. Kashyap Dave, the wellknown Sarangi expert, player and teacher, who has helped us out already a couple of times with valuable pieces of information, came up:

"Here are the available details for Ustad Ghulam Mohammed Khan with original credit to my friend Mr. Ali Zafar.

U. Ghulam Mohammad Khan was born in Hoshiarpur in 1910 in a family lineage of eminent sarangi and tabla players. He started learning sarangi at a very young age from his father Bahadur Ali alias Babu Khan. After his father’s death he continued learning this difficult art from his maternal uncle Ghulam Hussain Khan. Later he became a formal disciple of the illustrious Mamman Khan of Delhi Gharana and also of Raheem Buksh Shamapuri. From a very early age he was a very skillful and melodious sarangi player, and attended many music conferences and he accompanied Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan quite frequently in Hyderabad in the early sixties. U. Ghulam Mohammad migrated to Pakistan to settle in Chak Jhumra, a small town in Punjab. Soon he became an artist of Central Production Unit in Radio Pakistan Lahore. In Pakistan he accompanied almost all the great classical vocalists like U. Nazakat Ali & U. Salamat Ali, U. Amanat Ali & U. Fateh Ali He was also an accomplished solo sarangi player. He died in 1974 in the premises of Radio Pakistan Lahore. U. Ghulam Mohammad Khan's sons Ghulam Shabbir Khan and Ghulam Jaffer Khan are respected vocalists in Faisalabad.  His grandson, Akhtar Hussain is carrying his tradition of sarangi playing in Karachi. 

Hope this helps." Sure it does. Thank you so much.
See Dr. Kashyaps websites:
https://www.facebook.com/sarangi.lessons.online/
https://www.facebook.com/pg/sarangi.lessons.online/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1246603635397313

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Bundo Khan (1880-1955) - Sarangi Nawaz - LP released in Pakistan in 1974

Bundo (Bundu) Khan was one of or perhaps the greatest Sarangi player of 20th century. He had a very particular style and played also on a very particular Sarangi.

We posted in 2012 a broadcast on him:

http://oriental-traditional-music.blogspot.de/2012/04/sarangi-legend-ustad-bundu-khan-1880.html

The same year we also posted some more recordings:

http://oriental-traditional-music.blogspot.de/2012/04/ustad-bundu-khan-1880-1955-more.html

Interesting information on the artist you can find under the first of these links.

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