Mike's Oud Forums

Favorite Makams

mavrothis - 11-21-2003 at 07:12 AM

Hi guys. Do you guys mind posting what your favorite makams are? I'm interested in hearing people's opinions.

And please post 'why.' For example, if you want to play a song and/or taksim in each one, or want to post a clip of one of your favorite players...I think it would be cool.

Here are two of my favorite makams, huzzam and segah, by Yorgos Bacanos::airguitar:

mavrothis - 11-21-2003 at 07:14 AM

Here is the segah, which is of course closely related to huzzam::bounce:

Please post your own favorites too...

elrabee3 - 11-22-2003 at 07:56 AM

nice subject my friend,
well, i dont have fav maqams, but i really enjoy listen to taqaseem on the nahawnd and kurd, i feel more "shajan" in these two taqaseems (sorry guys, i dont know what is the actual translation for Shajan, mybe Mike can help me here).
i also like the saba and ajm

Mike - 11-22-2003 at 08:55 AM

Hey Guys,

Yeah, nice topic Mav. My favorite maqams are rast and bayyati. Some might think that's boring, but for me I feel they are very "sharquee" (eastern) sounding with their quarter tones. I experience the most tarab listening to a taqsim on rast or bayyati. But I tell you what, even though Ajam is similar to the major scale in western music, it also has a lot of Tarab in it too. Afif plays a semai in ajam and also does a beautiful taqsim on Ajam with a killer modulation to saba in his upcoming CD. It will blow you away. Anyway, here's a taqsim for Farido. It was shared on the Farido message board by Ra7aal, who is an outstanding oud player himself, and the quality might be better if you go download it from there. But I'll attach it here too. Listen to how he modulates from rast to other maqams, like the saba part, in this taqsim too.

Take care,
Mike

David Parfitt - 11-22-2003 at 09:42 AM

I would agree - Rast and Bayati are my favourites too, for the same reason as Mike gave. I also like the sound of Saba.

There is a great Bayati taqsim on Adel Salameh's CD 'Master of the Oud', as well as the one by Muhammad Qadri Dalal that was posted previously on the Taqsim MP3 page.

David

samzayed - 11-22-2003 at 11:49 AM

Hey guys,

This is a great conversation . . .
My favorite maqam is rast. To me, its a very "uplifting" maqam. Abdel Wahab has a great taqaseem in Rast from 1932. (It's usually very easy to get from Kaza.)

Another favorite maqam of mine is Hijaz Kar Kurd. It has a very "sharqi" and pensive quality to it. The first track on the Simon Shaheen/Ali Jihad Racy TAQASIM album is one of my favorite taqasims. It lists the track as "Kurd", but I think its Hijaz Kar Kurd (at least the begining is). http://www.maqamworld.com/maqamat/kurd.html#hijaz-kar-kurd

Mike - 11-22-2003 at 02:09 PM

Hey guys,

Check this taqsim out. This is just a preview of the upcoming MP3. I'll also add another track and the rest of this longa. But listen to the tarab in this ajam taqsim. This was encoded from a tape I got from Afif for Mohamed Abdel Karim, a Syrian oud and bouzuk player. He told me that he is related to Mohamed Matar.

Mike

Jameel - 11-22-2003 at 03:11 PM

That's a great taqasim. I would have to say that Rast is also a favorite of mine, as well as Ajam. I find my self modulating to one of these two quite often. I also like Hijaz Kar Kurd (Kurd on C). Farido also plays this maqam quite a bit, it seems. I'm no music theorist, but isn't this related to Phrygian mode? I think it is used quite a bit in Spanish music.

Here is one of my favorite oud players (hint, hint) playing a Rast taqasim on my oud.

Taqasim Rast

elrabee3 - 11-23-2003 at 01:19 PM

ok guys, here is somthing for all of u.
taqaseem on diffent maqams by Hussain Sabsaby

Ajam
Bayat
Saba
Saba (2)
Hejaz
Zngran
Hejaz karkurd
Rast
Seka
housaini

Muhayer Sumbule

mitskits - 11-23-2003 at 03:22 PM

I love all maqams, each has its own personality and suits a different mood or time. But I distinguish a maqam called Muhayer Sumbule in turkish. Unfortunately I do not have any songs in this maqam, I have just heard a live taqasim in the past and I was captivated. Speaking about it, if any of you could post some music in this maqam it would be greatly appreciated.

Dimitri

mavrothis - 11-23-2003 at 09:35 PM

thanks for all your responses guys. i have to say again, i love sabsaby man.

his playing just makes me feel good.

elrabee3 - 11-24-2003 at 03:41 PM

here is a maqam u dont hear too much in the taqaseem.

is this maqam Nishambour or Jiharkah ?

mavrothis - 11-24-2003 at 05:42 PM

wow elrabee, that is really amazing. sounds like Indian music almost. thanks for that.