The Man Who Shaped Middle Eastern Music

Рет қаралды 14,438

Жыл бұрын

In this video, we talk about what is perhaps the most significant music theorist and systematizer in the history of Middle Eastern & Persian music - Safi al-din al-Urmawi, and his fascinating life.
Music by:
Ali Sabah
Fares Charestan
Filip Holm
Sources/Suggested Reading:
Arslan, Fazli (2007). "Safī al-Dīn al-Urmawī and the Theory of Music: Al-Risāla al-sharafiyya fī al-nisab al-ta’līfiyya - Content, Analysis, and Influences". Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilization.
Arslan, Fazh (?). "Qur’ān’s Tacwīd at Qutb Al-Dīn al-Shirāzī’s Music Notation". International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Vol. 1 No. 10.
Nielson, Lisa (2021). "Music and Musicians in the Medieval Islamicate World: A Social and Cultural History: A Social History". I.B. Tauris.
Shiloah, Amnon (1995). "Music in the World of Islam: A socio-cultural study". Scholar Press.
Van Gelder, Geert Jan (2012). "Sing Me To Sleep: Safi al-din al-Urmawi, Hulegu, and the Power of Music". NUOVA SERIE, Vol. 7, Arabic Literature and Music (2012), pp. 1-9. Istituto per l'Oriente C. A. Nallino.
Wright, Owen (1978). "The Modal System of Arab and Persian Music: A.D. 1250-1300". Oxford University Press.
Wright, Owen (1994). "'Abd al-Qādir al-Marāghī and 'Alī B. Muḥammad Binā'ī: Two Fifteenth-Century Examples of Notation Part 1: Text". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol.
57, No. 3 (1994), pp. 475-515. Cambridge University Press.
Wright, Owen (1995). "A Preliminary Version of the "kitāb al-Adwār". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol.
58, No. 3 (1995), pp. 455-478. Cambridge University Press.
#maqam #middleeast #music

Пікірлер: 78

@mwflanagan1 Жыл бұрын

Filip, I’m sorry your subscribership is not higher than it is, but just know that those of us who are here appreciate immensely the effort it takes you to create your always informative and interesting content. I’m here for the long haul. Thank you.

@FilipHolm Жыл бұрын

I appreciate it! It is nice to have a smaler audience too 🙂

@Pleasedunkmeintheoceanagain Жыл бұрын

I have a similar opinion… this is rare :)!!! and no one knows yet… 😮

@MeditativeHandle 4 ай бұрын

your body is an instrument, your life is a song and the world is a stage.

@FarabiOSina 16 күн бұрын

Wow, did not know you have a channel dedicated to music. Religion and music are the two things I spend most of my time thinking about, of course by association about evolution, history, genetics, linguistics as well. You are probably unaware of my existence, but you are an important part of my life Filip.

@user-er4jl6dr6o 2 күн бұрын

incredible video! I thought this would have millions of views!

@deathandcats Жыл бұрын

As someone learning western music theory, but is in love with the quarter tones of middle eastern musical, thank you for posting this video! I will do some more reading, but would love to learn more on this topic if you are thinking of planning another!

@FilipHolm Жыл бұрын

Would love to make a video diving deeper into the Maqam system! Need to read up a little bit first though, as I am a bit rusty.

@almedina8348 Жыл бұрын

I recently discovered your channel and I’m so happy. I’m 18 years old and I’m preparing to audition to study music at a jazz-oriented school. But my real passion is Middle Eastern music and I would love to specialize on this area and be able to play Bağlama (currently I play guitar). This video made me feel euphoric and also a little sad to know that there are so many things about Middle Eastern music that I don’t know. But I have all my life to dedicate to it and maybe even use it to create music. Thank you so much for this video ❤

@FilipHolm Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Both western and "eastern" music history and theory are really cool and interesting.

@Benjiroyoface Жыл бұрын

watch Sami Abu-Shumays' maqam lessons series, its great

@graceyang-ss6dh 14 күн бұрын

Wow! Just found this channel and did not except to hear your voice! With love 💕

@alrajeem Жыл бұрын

dude your a gem. thank you so much

@ibrahimchowdhury9779 Жыл бұрын

Great video - thank you for shedding light on the rich & varied musical history of the ME region, especially that of the contributions of Safi al-din and others that has shaped almost every single aspect of modern music today.

@yassinezennar9423 4 ай бұрын

I just want to say, ur content is art brother 🙌🏾

@barca29np Жыл бұрын

Asalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa barakutu. I love your videos. I'd love to donate if it's possible. It'd be interesting to do a video on jabir al hayran and his connection to music. Or a general overview of him on your main channel... Or possibly, a video on khidr Alih Salam. Peace to you my brother.

@algo7147 Жыл бұрын

What a fantastic documentary. Intensively informative.

@FilipHolm Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@alainvalodze Жыл бұрын

Thanks Filip .. greatly appreciated. Always look forward to your enlightening work..re reading Minquari-i Musiqar (Hazrat Inayat Kahn) so this came as a timely diversion to a greater inquiry. Best.

@FilipHolm Жыл бұрын

Love his work on the Mysticism of Sound and Music

@YassineKAOUANE Жыл бұрын

2:57 It says that " The prophet (pbuh) said :"If you knew what I know you would've laughed very little, and you would've cried very much"."

@alexgabriel5423 4 ай бұрын

Congratulations upon accomplishing such a 'tour de force' by presenting vignettes on the beautiful music of the Middle East and Turkey❤☆☆☆☆☆please consider expanding this work...and hopefully finding musicians who will exemplify practically. Very little exists for academic presentations! 🎉🎉🎉

@DrSleep-yq8en Жыл бұрын

I have been studying and practicing Sufism, esoteric sciences and Iranian music for a decade and I'm always shocked by the titles of your videos and the precision, marvelous 👏👏

@mikediaz5309 5 ай бұрын

Sufis are the goofiest people that ever walked on earth

@iamleoooo Жыл бұрын

Would you ever put this on your main channel? I simply fond on how you explain the music as a culture in the medieval islamicate world

@FilipHolm Жыл бұрын

I don't plan to! There is no clear connection to religion or philosophy as such, so I wanted to put it here instead.

@volumeuppp Жыл бұрын

Thank you :)

@intermezzoina 5 ай бұрын

Thank you 😊

@DrSleep-yq8en Жыл бұрын

And, as an Iranian musician and musicologist, I highly recommend you to take a look at Abdulqadir Al-Marqei

@FilipHolm Жыл бұрын

Definitely!

@sajforever7865 7 ай бұрын

You’re amazing Filip!! Your Arabic pronunciation is perfect and your knowledge of the region is amazing!! I’m from the area (north africa) and learning so much from you already. Thank you 🙏🏼

@nikhillrao3799 Жыл бұрын

Great vid! Are you planning to cover Indian music at all?

@FilipHolm Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I did a similar video last year about Tansen.

@mamadun7 Жыл бұрын

Hey Filip, thank you so much for this amazing video. Is there any way I can get into contact with you? Thanks

@FilipHolm Жыл бұрын

You just did! Is there anything in particular you want to discuss? :)

@scottkunghadrengsen2604 Жыл бұрын

Fantastic, thank you again. Adam Neely has a video "White Supemacy in Music Theory" which is a very interesting exploration of how western pedagogy has maintained its hegemony over other theories of music.

@aidanlogan4384 Жыл бұрын

Do you have any suggestions for books on middle eastern music theory which are accessible to a modern reader? I have a need to broaden my understanding. Thank you once more for your inspiring content

@deathandcats Жыл бұрын

@Joz Gan that's very helpful thank you!

@creamabdul-jabbar Жыл бұрын

Inside Arabic Music: Arabic Maqam Performance and Theory in the 20th Century by Johnny Farraj and Sami Abu Shumays. very comprehensive overview of the instrumental structure of arab music ensembles, maqams, and more. sami has a great YT channel as well!

@FilipHolm Жыл бұрын

Not so much in terms of books, but there are good online resources. Maqamworld.com is a good place to learn the modal system, for example. In terms of historical context etc., check the sources in the description of these videos on Middle eastern music history, and you'll have a few places to start. It's usually very dry and academic stuff, but valuable if you are interested in the topic.

@FilipHolm Жыл бұрын

I can see previous commenters have given great suggestions, too! Awesome.

@aidanlogan4384 Жыл бұрын

Thank you all this is already a great abundance of information which will keep me busy. What an amazing community this corner of KZfaq has

@pacoshuman7642 7 ай бұрын

Thank you for this wonderful lesson in history. It doesn't surprise me that in the U.S., music is strictly limited to the 'European' version...its as if music just didn't exist in other countries/cultures. Yet I grew up with beautiful Indian music, and I remember hearing the Islamic chants at sunrise...nothing can replace this beauty.

@MPLifts1111 6 ай бұрын

Saw a video with a microtonal guitar on IG and ended up here on my rabbit hole journey

@BcClarity Жыл бұрын

Where are the quarter tones in the 17 note scale? Thank you. wouldn't a 24 note scale be a quarter-tone scale? 440 v. 432? which one works for you?

@creamabdul-jabbar Жыл бұрын

very few people playing arab music care about what A is tuned to, it's all about relative pitch and following traditional melodies (ie maqam). basically the only time absolute pitch matters at all is if you're trying to play it on an instrument that can't easily alter intonation on a specific note, like a keyboard. quartertones are a way to describe arab music in a western context, they aren't an innate part of the vocabulary of arab musicians. even if something gets notated as a quartertone, the intonation of it will often be something less precise and fractionally between a quartertone and a half or eighthtone. the closest analogue in western popular music would be the blues third, which is inherently ambiguous and tends to follow a vocal melody. source - me, a mediocre oud player

@deathandcats Жыл бұрын

@@creamabdul-jabbar as someone with excellent relative pitch but not perfect pitch, this is encouraging!

@mohsenbayati3627 Жыл бұрын

Oud is also called "Barbat" which means Duck because of the shape of its back side.

@SaladDongs Жыл бұрын

There's something about your character, I don't know what it is, beyond the superficial spiritual aspect, that reminds me a little of Dostoyevsky's Alyosha. You seem so equally passionate and informed, it's been great discovering you from your other channel. Have you read much of Dostoyevsky's books, by the way?

@FilipHolm Жыл бұрын

Haven't read much Dostoyevsky unfortunately. But your words are very kind and I appreciate it!

@MariaIsabel-tp3iw 7 ай бұрын

👏👏

@shauniebnaturalista6672 Жыл бұрын

They treated Dr. Sebi the same way. Same sad end.

@malachi5813 6 ай бұрын

he is like the carravggio of baghdads late music renaisance

@a.s2205 7 ай бұрын

It's commonly known Urmawi was Iranian. He was from Urmiya. Even Baghdad was an iranian city, copy of ctesiphon. Basically all the arts and sciences were a continuation of Persian empire that muslims claim now after invading. It's like mexico attacking america and saying look, we made the best tech companies. mexican golden age lmao

@houseofsuren510 5 ай бұрын

Baghdad itself was originally an Iranian city. Bagh = God, divinity, Daad = Gave/gifted. The word has a vary similar sounding cognate in Slavic languages in the name Bogdan. Muslims arrived from the deserts of Arabia, snapped their fingers and magically generated this sophisticated civilization from scratch. Which begs the question, if Islam and Arabian culture was the cause of these advances, why didn't the birthplace of Islam itself not become the center of learning and advancements?

@a.s2205 5 ай бұрын

@@houseofsuren510 from tent to amazing engineering. Just say inshallah

@houseofsuren510 5 ай бұрын

@@a.s2205 hahah... exactly...

@ramzan6949 3 ай бұрын

@@houseofsuren510Iraq was semitic land forever. The achamenid empire occupied babylonian empire. Babylonian were semitic people not persian. So semetic civilization is older than persian civilization.

@ramzan6949 3 ай бұрын

@@houseofsuren510Before the Islam Arab aren’t belong to Saudi Arabia only , Arab has presence to iraq, Syria, Lebanon before Islam. You should read about lakhmids Arab Kingdom. Sassanid occupied Arab lands. Mesopotamia civilization belongs to semitic people not persian. Persian Cyrus occupied babylonian empire. Islamic Golden Age belongs to Islam. Islam is not nationalism, Arab, persian, Turk, Kurd, Any nationality can practice Islam. It is funny that how persian Nationalist claim Islamic Golden Age is persian😂😂😂, if Islamic Golden Age was persian, why this Golden wasn’t born in sassanid period.