Palestinian folk music

2. As we know, the Palestinian Culture has always took a big,
important part of the Arab culture, and has always
represented that new, deep, interesting side of the Arab
World. We all know how much it played that magnificent
role and how much it contributed to shape and form what we
have now, from the united Arab Culture. And if we want to
have a look on what is the special thing of the Palestinian
Culture that enabled it to do all of this, we can tell you
that the answer is the Palestinian Culture's sides.. Those
many sides that strengthen and deepen the Palestinian
Heritage and identity inside of everyone living in Palestine..
Those sides are: Music, clothes, dancing, customs, and many
other ways of living.. And these various sides, of course,
unite us as a Palestinian people, and form our own Heritage
which covers all the fields of the Palestinian people's life ,
which is the most essential thing for us as it represents the
past and the history of Palestine and its people.. It is the
first point that our antecedents start with.. So we should
keep it contemporary for next generations.

3. And in this presentation, we
are going to present about
one of the side of the
Palestinian Culture, as we
see it, it is the most
interesting topic for us and
for you, which is the
Palestinian Folk Music.

4. We can define the Palestinian Folk Music
as it is the folk music which includes all
of the musical actions and practices that
are related to the folk cultural groups.
And most of these groups are villagers,
who are distinct from others with the
ability of keeping this culture and
protect it. And so, the folk music that is
related to these groups is the outcome
of rhythms, tools and musical
instruments.

5. The Heritage of Palestinian Folk Music circulates
orally, and it doesn't need an exact education,
or exact, professional artists to perform it.
Heritage's musical instruments are simple to
make, connected with the people, and doesn't
need a factory or a maker to make it, and
doesn't need a school to study the way to play
these instruments. This folk music also doesn't
need experts to create its rhythms.
Simply, Palestinian Folk Music is made by the
Palestinian people themselves, who use the
simplest materials to make its musical
instruments.

6. Evidently, many communities all over the world use musical
instruments as symbols of their cultural identities.
Traditionally, and in the African and Western setting,
musical instruments have often been used in special occasions
such as wedding ceremonies, for entertainment, and during
ceremonies for passage of rights.
Palestinians, like other peoples of the world, have resorted
to use musical instruments along side the popular singing at
weddings, religious and national occasions, and has become a
complete, integral part of their heritage which is rooted in
the depths of history.
And there are musical instruments that Palestinian people
make and use, such as:

7. A) Tablah or Derbekkeh: It is one of the types of drums, with
the difference in shape, made of clay or copper, or aluminum,
and it is played with both hands.

8. B) Drum

9. C) Tambourine and Zills

10. D) Baza

11. 1) Percussion
instruments:
E) Fuqashat or Dancing Wood: It is made from two hollow
pieces of wood that you wear in the Thumb and in the middle
finger

12. 1) Percussion
instruments:
F) Naqarat : Made of wood, the first one is less
different than the other, with two small, woody sticks

13. 2) Stringed
instruments:
A) Rababah

14. 2) Stringed
instruments:
B) Oud

15. 2) Stringed
instruments:
C) Kanun or Zither

16. 3) Wind
instruments:
A) Nye or Shababah

17. 3) Wind
instruments:
B) Oboe

18. 3) Wind
instruments:
D) Almjos and Alergoul : They are two Clarinets that are
combined together. It has a round opening hole. It needs a
lot of practice to play it well, 'cause it needs the ability of
keep blowing without stopping for a long time

19. And if we want to have a look on the
Western Music and how it is same or
different from ours.. Western Folk
Music is the Western Traditional Music,
which is made by musicians to the people
.. Western People are always proud of it,
and of course, we as Palestinians, and
even the Arab World itself respects and
supports such a culture and music.
So, let's start mentioning the Western
Musical Instruments:

20. 4) West
instruments:
1) Guitar: It was developed from Oud.

21. 4) West
instruments:
2) Cello : It was developed from
Violin.

22. 4) West
instruments:
3) Violin : It was developed from
Rababah.

23. 4) West
instruments:
4) Piano : It was developed from
Kanun or Zither

24. 4) West
instruments:
5) Drum : It was developed from Tablah

25. 4) West
instruments:
6) Flute : Same of Nye and Oboe

26. 4) West
instruments:
7) Clarinet : Same of Nye and Oboe

27. From here, we can figure out the great
overlap between the Palestinian Culture
and the western one. We can see how
much our culture is important and has an
effect on many various cultures. This
influence leads us to the bottom line,
Palestinian culture is a basic culture, is
the first point that helped forming and
shaping other cultures. And we think the
main point it could make its influence
appear, was in the Music.

28. But also, we can't deny the influence
of the western culture on ours,
example:
Beginning in the late 1990s,
Palestinian youth forged a new
Palestinian musical subgenre –
Palestinian rap or hip hop – which
blends Arabic melodies and Western
beats, with lyrics in Arabic, English
and even Hebrew.

29. Folk song is an important aspect of
popular folklore in the field of its
anecdotal arts. They are a kind of folk
creativity, rich in thought and
melodies, has great sense and
feelings, are lovely for people, and
people keep singing them in occasions.

30. The Palestinian Folk Song is a song that
may has an old, traditional, folk rhythm
and also may not. But it depends on using
the slang language. It aims to have an
effect on people, and spread it between
them whether they know singer or its
time, or even not. Beside the Palestinian
Folk Song, there always must be a
traditional, modern poetry, which is
empty from the element of folk rhythm.
But all aim to reach to people's hearts.

31. So, Palestinian Folk Songs has many characteristics:
1) Has a traditional rhythm (In groups)
2) Has not an exact singer or an exact time
3) The rhythms circulates orally, "Circulate the
rhythm from place to place, person to another,
and from generation to another in oral way"
4) Poetry
5) Spontaneous
6) Truthful expression
7) Contemporary
8) Defined based on the place it was spread in, not
the place it was found in.

32. The Palestinian Folk Songs are divided for the gender of
the singer into:
A) Women Songs: Songs circulates from generation to
another. A woman who perform them must have the
ability of good expression. She's called, "Baddaa“
B) Men Songs: Divided into:
First: Songs circulates from generation to another
by
people called, "anecdotist"
Second: Songs for special singer, 'cause he's its
own
writer and singer, who play it on Rababah. He's
called
Zajjal, and his art called Zajal

33. The Palestinian Folk Song is kind of the
emotional, melodious type of songs that is
full of blues. At the same time, it has
vitality, 'cause the original, traditional
dancing still as it was.
The most famous traditional rhythms are:
Al-YadiAl-
Shorokeh
GafraDalounaMeiganaMawwal Al-
Ataba
Abu El-
Zuluf
Asmar El-
Loun
MishaalLayya w
layya
Ya Zareef
Al-Tul
Ghzayyel

34. Our final words are collected in short sentences:
Your Palestinian Culture is really great in the
whole meaning, when we made this presentation,
we figured out many special, simple, little things
that made us adore our culture someway
somehow. Now we are totally proud of what we
have now from Palestinian Culture and Palestinian
people of course, all thanks for them who shaped
the beautiful Palestinian Culture and helped and
still helping to keep the original one with its blues,
its music and its parts as they were in the past.
So, we should always help them with that, and let
our print and efforts appear as much as we can.