Cleopatra had a Jazz Band
There are quite a few songs from the early 20th century Vaudeville Days that feature the Middle East. Did you know that Cleopatra had a jazz band? Feel…
Tag: Music and Dance
19th Century Song called “Yemen”
In 1894 the composer Harry G. Martin wrote a piece of sheet music called “Yemen,” drawing on a stanza in the famous poem Lalla Rookh by Thomas Moore.…
Yemen Film 1973
This exquisite film was produced in 1973 and filmed in 1972, thus representing Yemen half a century ago. It is now available on Youtube. The filmmakers were Karen…
Lebanese Music at Baalbek
This is a beautifully filmed and played Youtube video of Lebanese music performed in the ruins of a temple in Lebanon.
Old Photos of Mandate Era Jerusalem
There is a fascinating Facebook site on old photographs of Jerusalem. Below is one of the images. Note the Victrola.
With Pierre Loti in Persia
My friend, the historian G. Rex Smith, has recently translated into English a marvelous travel diary by the French military official and traveller Pierre Loti (1850-1923). It is…
Being Si Al Sayed
Music videos in the Arab world, and not least in Egypt, are at the same time widely viewed, popular and relatively understudied. They can reflect pressing contemporary issues, controversial…
Persian Kamancheh Music
This new recording by Misagh Joolaee is sad but enthralling at the same time. Read about it and listen on the Qantara Website.
Damascus Heritage
For an impressive website devoted to the heritage of Damascus, check out “Damascus Heritage.” There are several Youtube videos accessible from the website. I especially like the im…
Parading with the Pharaohs
Yesterday there was an extravaganza parade in Cairo parading the embalmed remains of 22 ancient Egyptian pharaohs to their new “eternal” resting place in the National Museum of…
Cairo in 1920
This is an interesting Youtube video posted by Mostafa Khalifa. It has the voice of Munira al-Mahdiya with footage taken in Cairo and Alexandria in 1920.
Nai Barghouti – “About a human” by Mahmoud Darwish
A beautiful song by Mahmoud Darwish, sung by the Palestinian Nai Barghouti.