The “Rawdat al-Balabel” Broadcast
Since we launched the “Foundation for Arabic Music Archiving and Research”, our first priority has been to spread the rare musical heritage in our possession. Since 2009, we have decided to resort to the periodic publishing of CDs. We have started this as we have also decided to produce and to conduct a research for broadcast programs on the Internet drawn from our archives. These broadcast programs remained projects until our foundation reached an agreement with the Sharjah Art Foundation to work in partnership in order to conduct the execution of this project. This is how our broadcast will start, with two weekly programs, throughout the year, uploaded simultaneously on the Sharjah Art Foundation’s and our Foundation’s web sites. Each program will be 30 minutes to 45 minutes long and will be available to all as every person can listen to the programs or download them on his personal computer. It is also possible to read the programs in Arabic or their English translation. The subjects are defined and use the treasures of our archives, treating every subject as required. All these programs -two a week- will always be available on both Foundations’ web sites: two music libraries from which music amateurs can take what they like.
Our broadcast program this year, “Rawdat al Balabel”, is in 4 specialized parts:
- Part 1 “Sama'” (Audition). The analysis of a given work: it puts it under a microscope and looks at it from a musical angle, studying its Maqam, rhythm and performance, as well as the circumstances surrounding it including events, historical changes and/or musical changes.
- Part 2 “Nizamuna al-Museeqi” (Our Musical System). The treatment of anything related to Arabic Musical Experience, composing and rhythm systems. This program explains the various musical and singing Maqamat (keys), rhythms and forms in the Arabic Classical Music traditions.
- Part 3 “Min al-Tareekh” (History). It is about the historical events and figures that were contemporary or had an influence on Arabic music, especially during the renaissance period in the second half of the 19th century and the early 1900s.
- Part 4 “Duroob al-Nagham” (The Paths of Melody). It explains the systems of performance and its paths, as well as the instruments and various musical traditions existing in the Arabic Orient.