David Parfitt - 7-27-2012 at 07:21 AM
I absolutely love this piece...
Modou Gaye - Sindidi
...but have to admit that some of the oud playing sounds out of tune to me. This could either be because it is, or because I'm unfamiliar with
Senegalese music. Can anyone shed any light on the notes/scales [maqam(s)??] being used here, by the oud player and singer?
Many thanks
David
Sindidi
Oud 42 - 8-3-2012 at 12:28 AM
Hi David,
I'm glad you like the piece. To answer your question, there were a few factors that influenced the outcome of the recording and in effect the
tuning...
1) The session was impromptu, and believe it or not, the whole thing was improvised. I was in Paris and received a call the night before to meet at a
studio early the next morning and improvise with Modou for a documentary (Modou: The Hang Player).
2) My oud had recently been stolen less than a week prior. The one in the video wasn't mine and was borrowed from a friend who literally had it
hanging on a wall with strings that were probably 5 years old! Ironically, it was the same maker as my old oud (Ilyas Cakan).
3) If that weren't enough, the Hang was tuned to a tonic of Bb. So rather than play in the first position and not have the resonance of open strings,
I tuned it up a 1/2 step, which may have slightly affected the tuning.
The scale for the most part is in Nahawand (Bb), but I sometimes reverted to a tonic in Eb for a Dorian feel.
Incidentally, I had no idea it would be the choice cut from the stuff we recorded, and even ended up on Rough Guides Sufi Music CD. Sometimes that's
how it goes when you go with feeling over planning!
Hope the explanation helps.
Best,
Ronnie Malley
David Parfitt - 8-3-2012 at 01:05 AM
Hi Ronnie
Great to see you on the forum - talk about getting it straight from the horse's mouth! 
Hope you weren't offended by my post, and I really appreciate your explanation. To my mind, I don't think you could have improved on what
you played here, and it no doubt helped that it was spontaneous. The vocals are so unique that if you'd had time to sit down and try and plan what you
should play, it probaby would have been impossible!
All the best
David
Ararat66 - 8-3-2012 at 01:33 AM
What a great thread
Leon
Fritz - 8-7-2012 at 11:09 AM
Indeed.. it is :-)
I hear and like this song since months... since I found it on YouTube
It´s just a nice strange thing that I "meet" the person here in this forum who played the Oud in this piece... and getting some ifo about the
circumstances of making this song
Very well done, Ron... really nice !!! ... and the Hang is played in an extraordinary way... just percussion... awesome !
Fritz
Germany
fadel - 8-7-2012 at 11:45 AM
hi
nice song ( allah )
thank
Oud 42 - 8-10-2012 at 03:46 PM
No offense taken David! I'm glad you enjoyed the piece and was happy to collaborate with Modou Gaye in making it.