Laith - 1-3-2008 at 06:39 AM
I am performing at a middle eastern restaurant every other week and I'm trying to find some songs that the audience (mostly egyptian) might recognize
and get into. Doing takasims I think bores them after a while--they want to sing and dance. I've been trying to find Fairuz, Kulthum and anybody
else that might get the audience a little more into the music and not be too difficult.
I'm only playing oud, so a recognized melody really works well for them. Although I shouldn't try too hard, there are bellydancers with
pre-recorded dance music that perform after me...(sigh) can't really compete with them, and they're both married so I can't try and date them
either...
MatthewW - 1-3-2008 at 09:17 AM
Hi Laith- well one song that comes to mind which isn't too difficult to play and ought to be recognizable is "Lamma Bada Yatathanna". if you don't
have the notes for it do a search, it's somewhere in this forum, and there are some versions on youtube. If that dosen't get work then go into an oud
version of "Smoke On The Water"...
Brian Prunka - 1-3-2008 at 10:29 AM
some good ones:
zeina (m.a. wahab), Aziza (m.a. wahab), al-burtuqaal (m.a. wahab)
ya hamam (rahbani bros?, saalouni el nass (rahbani), zourouni, qadduk al mayyass, raqsat el jamal. most of the oum kulthum songs are pretty long, and
people may be disappointed if you cut off after the intro . . . asmahan has some fairly easy songs, ala baladi il mahbub, emta hataaraf, ya habibi
ta'ala.
Oud covers
Laith - 1-3-2008 at 02:55 PM
It's funny you mentioned "Smoke on the water". I played a gig with some friends and they asked my to play the oud--the venue was not the most
culturaly hip place to and I think some of the people there were uncomfortable with the middle eastern aspects (closed minded). So I kicked into
"smoke on the water" and I got the biggest applause. Of course "Sunshine of your love" works too.
But I will check out all the songs you both suggested, thank you.
stringmanca - 1-3-2008 at 04:53 PM
Nassam Alaina Al Hawa, El Helwa Di, Samra Ya Samra and Hebbina are ones that we do that are upbeat and not too difficult. The intros to Laylet Hob
and Alf Layla Wa Layla are good ones to learn, also.
Have fun!