Cool Stuff: Arabic and Indian Music

Umm Kulthum: After watching a video of Umm Kulthum in class, I was really captivated by the richness of her voice and fell in love! I was curious to know more about Umm Kulthum and decided to delve further into her life to see what an impact she was on the Arab community. Umm Kulthum’s career started through her father who was an imam ( The leader of prayers in a mosque). Besides being an imam, he also had other jobs such as singing religious songs at weddings and holidays in order to keep a roof over his family’s head. Umm Kulthum would often hear her father sing and mimic his singing. After her father realized the potential her voice had, he took Umm with him to perform in the family’s ensemble but because she was a girl, she had to be disguised in a boy’s coat and a headdress, leaving her mouth and eyes visible. Over time, her career started to skyrocket and paved the way for the Arab community. Below are two videos: One is a recording of Umm Kulthum singing "Alf Leila We Leila" and the second video is a performance of the same song but sung by Mai Farouk.



Kathak: Dancing is a cultural tradition in India. When I was watching a video on Bharatanatyam for our India before quiz, it opened my curiosity to see what other traditional dances are in India! There are six traditional dances in India but the one that really caught my attention was Kathak. Kathak is based in Northern India and it is a dance of love that can be performed by both men and women. The dance actually originated from the Kathakas, who were known as the professional storytellers of Kathak. Just like any typical Indian dances, it started as a temple dance but eventually made its way to the top! Below is a Ted Talk video on Kathak Dancing by Vidya Patel!


Bollywood: You can't spell India without Bollywood in it, you just can't! You can't miss the dancing, the singing, the acting, and not to mention, the most attractive male actors (and I meannn, attractive)! Bollywood is the biggest film making industry in India and it is all thanks to Dadasaheb Phalke. Bombay was the center of Indian cinematography and that Phalke was considered as the father of India cinema because he paved the way with his first movie. Becuase of Phalke, he inspired many others to create their own films and join the movie production. The main drive of Bollywood movies are not necessarily the plots, but the big stars. The first major Bollywood star pair was in 1938 and it featured Ashok Kumar and Devika Rani who swept the people of India off their feet. Bollywood still remains as the largest film industry in India today and is available for everyone to watch worldwide! Below is a Bollywood movie clip, "Besharam." Listen to this if you have a hard time getting up in the morning, it'll definitely have you on your feet!

Comments

  1. Cultural Echoes by ChelseaJanuary 29, 2021 at 11:43 AM

    Okay, I'm a hopeless romantic. So reading on your post that there's an Indian dance of love immediately peaked my interest! I really enjoyed the video. I tried to interpret the story through some of her hand gestures. Also, can we talk about how good her makeup looks?!

    ReplyDelete
  2. SimonJanuary 30, 2021 at 9:22 PM

    Hi Tisha! I love reading your blogs. They are well-written, they have your voice, and they're always informative!
    I also wrote about Umm Kulthum in my blog. I think she was an extraordinary woman and a fabulous performer! The way she captivated her audiences is unforgettable.
    The Kathak is a gorgeous dance! You can tell by the way the way she moves that this is a dance meant to tell stories.
    I mentioned on another blog that Bollywood always reminds me of the movie "Bride and Prejudice." If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend! Bollywood is so magnificent because it has so much energy, meanwhile incorporating eye-catching regalia and Indian culture.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Zelena J HullJanuary 31, 2021 at 11:56 AM

    It's interesting how almost every culture has music or dancing. It's so interesting that humans want to tell stories and express themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Taryn ElizabethFebruary 1, 2021 at 1:38 PM

    Your blog was really interesting, Tisha. I loved the Kathak! I thought it was interesting how she spent so much time on the floor. There seems to be a common theme in Indian art forms about being grounded/connected to the earth. Interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sabrina RocheFebruary 1, 2021 at 10:07 PM

    Hey Tisha! Your blog was so interesting! I loved learning more about Umm Kulthum and getting to hear one of her pieces. She's got such a unique voice. I always find the music in the Bollywood movies to be so upbeat and the definitely get stuck in your head because they're so catchy. Thank you for sharing!

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