MERCY COLLEGE

Egyptian Music
Nader Fares

The music of Egypt has been an integral part of Egyptian culture since ancient times. The
ancient Egyptians credited one of their Gods Thoth with the invention of music, which Osiris in
turn used as part of his effort to civilize the world. The earliest material and representational
evidence of Egyptian musical instruments dates to the Predynastic period, but the evidence is
more securely attested in the Old Kingdom when harps, flutes and double clarinets were
played. Percussion instruments, lyres and lutes were added to orchestras by the Middle
Kingdom. Cymbals frequently accompanied music and dance, much as they still do
in Egypt today. Egyptian folk music, including the traditional Sufi dhikr rituals, are the closest
contemporary music genre to ancient Egyptian music, having preserved many of its features,
rhythms and instruments.

They also played recorders and clarinets. In general, modern Egyptian music blends these
indigenous traditions with Turkish, Arabic, and Western elements. Arabic music is usually said
to have begun in the 7th century in Syria during the Umayyad dynasty. Early Arabic music was
influenced by Byzantine, Indian and Persian forms, which were themselves heavily influenced
by earlier Greek, Semitic, and ancient Egyptian music. The tonal structure of Arabic music is
defined by the maqamat, loosely similar to Western modes, while the rhythm of Arabic music is
governed by the awzan (wazn, sing.), formed by combinations of accented and unaccented beats
and rests. Typically ancient Egyptian music is composed from the phrygian dominant
scale, phrygian scale, Double harmonic scale (Arabic scale) or lydian scale. The phrygian
dominant scale may often feature an altered note or two in parts to create tension. For instance
the music could typically be in the key of E phrygian dominant using the notes E, F, G sharp, A,
B, C, D and then have a A sharp, B, A sharp, G natural and E to create tension.

Since the Nasser era, Egyptian pop music has become increasingly important in Egyptian
culture, particularly among the large youth population of Egypt. Egyptian folk music continues
to be played during weddings and other traditional festivities. In the last quarter of the 20th
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century, Egyptian music was a way to communicate social and class issues. Among some of the
most popular Egyptian pop singers today are Mohamed Mounir and Amr Diab.

Religious music remains an essential part of traditional Muslim and Coptic celebrations
called mulids. Mulids are held in Egypt to celebrate the saint a particular church. Muslim mulids
are related to the Sufi zikr ritual. The Egyptian flute, called the ney, is commonly played at
mulids. The liturgical music of the Coptic Church also constitutes an important element of
Egyptian music and is said to have preserved many features of ancient Egyptian music.

Ancient Egyptian music:

In a culture as full of religious rituals as ancient Egypt, music tends to be a significant part of everyday life. With
countless wall murals showing musicians playing while dancers danced and others stood off and watched.
Instruments have been unearthed as well. But, despite knowing how they played, the ancient Egyptian music itself
-- the notes, the composition -- is wholly unknown to us.

Percussion instruments were the most common instruments used in ancient Egyptian music, with the simplest
being the human hands. Clapping was depicted on many walls as being a large part of most musical performances.
Drums were also popular during the Middle Kingdom, and bells were used frequently later, during the Late
Period.

While most percussion instruments have a very limited pitch range, other types of instruments -- those
of the wind and stringed variety -- were used as well. It is believed that the flute may have been
invented in ancient Egypt . Other wind instruments included the trumpet, the parallel double-pipes and
the divergent double-pipes. These were often made using reeds, until later, when bronze work was
more common.
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Stringed instruments were also used in ancient Egyptian music, predominantly in the form of harps,
lutes, and lyres. The lyres were introduced around 2500 BC in nearby Syria , while the lute was used more widely
during the New Kingdom period.

Harps were special instruments in that they were of a much more complex design than other string
instruments, and it was also common to deck out a harp with precious materials such as ebony, silver,
gold, lapis lazuli, malachite, or anything valuable both monetarily and aesthetically.
As for the ancient Egyptian music itself, there is very little notation from before the time of the Greek
invasion. It is believed that some of the music was either spontaneously created, or perhaps singers were able to
direct their accompanying music with arm gestures to indicate pitch and tempo. Once the Greeks came along, there
is evidence of musical notation on papyrus, though the resulting music and what is on the papyrus itself is Greek,
not Egyptian.

During the Old Kingdom, only the male musicians were allowed to play almost any instrument available while the
women were given options for the harp and percussion. By the Middle Kingdom, however, ensembles of both
genders were common, and during the New Kingdom, it was even common to see female-only musical ensembles
at rituals, celebrations, and where ever a song was needed.

Music is generally important in any society, for many reasons, and ancient Egypt is no exception. Whether
honoring the gods, mourning the deceased, or celebrating a joyous event, the art of song was one utilized
frequently, and most likely will continue to for a very long time.

However, the evolution of Arabic music was not one-way. Being one of the oldest musical traditions in the world
still existing it naturally had its influence on other forms. Spanish music shows a strong ancestry of Arabic music
due to the conquest of Spain by the Islamic empires (8th-15th Centuries), as does the "Mediterranean" music of
Greece and Italy. The effects of Arabic music can even be felt as far as the United States as traditional maqamat

surface in nightclub techno music and the Tejano music of the Southwest.
Modern Egyptian music:

Modern Arabic music now fills all genres. There are musicians who perform traditional melodies and there are
those that are closer to the Western conventions of pop and "Top 40." Throughout the years the Egyptians have
never lost their love for music. If anything, it has intensified, and today Egypt is seen as a major focus for music in
the Arab world. Lebanese-born conductor and composer Salim Sahab, now a citizen of Egypt, once said, "No
matter how brilliantly an Arab singer or artist shines in his own country, he or she will never fulfill dreams before
setting foot in Egypt."

Egypt's importance in Arabic music is shown by the fact that many of the great masters of Arabic music were
Egyptian: Sayed Darwish, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Umm Kulthum, Mohamed Al-Qasabji, Zakariyya Ahmad, and
Riad Al-Sunbati just to name a few. Egypt has also opened its doors to artists of other countries, some of them
persecuted in their own lands. For example, when Abu Khalil Al-Qabani was accused in Syria of being a negative
influence on the youth, he went to Cairo and there founded the first true orchestra for Arabic music. Egypt loves its
musicians, and it is said that the funeral of Egypt's greatest singer, Umm Kulthum, in 1975 was larger than that of
President Nasser.

Today the ranks of Arabic musicians are filled out with names like Ilham Al Madfai, Fairouz, and Magda El
Roumi. Yet the name that is truly taking Arabic music to the world is that of Amr Diab. His talent for music has
garnered him numerous accolades including the 1998 World Music Award for his song "Nour El Ain," making him
only the second Arabian singer ever to win the award. His English version of that song, called "Habibi," was a top
song in Europe and became popular in dance clubs in the United States. He has toured around the world and is an
artist with broad appeal because his songs show a variety of musical styles, from traditional Arabic rhythms to
European dance to the soulful ballads of the Americas.

The music of the Middle East is now coming full-circle as the modern musicians assimilate elements from many of
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the musical forms that had their beginnings in Arabic music. Guitar virtuosos like Ilham Al Madfai play with a
deep, rich Mediterranean sound that comes from the Moorish Conquest, and the techno and rave music of Ibiza
comes now to Alexandria and Cairo, not realizing that it is in fact returning to its homeland. The future paths of
Arabic music will show that what is old really can be new again.

Religious Music

There are the Coptic music and Islamic music:

Coptic music is the music sung and played in the Coptic Orthodox Church (Church of Egypt). It consists mainly
of chanted hymns in rhythm with instruments such as cymbals (hand and large size) and the triangle. Coptic music
is purely religious. Coptic chant is a very old tradition, assumed to have links with the ancient liturgies of
Jerusalem or Syria, while some of the melodies had been adopted from Ancient Egyptian burial practices and other
rituals; however, manuscripts survive only since recent times and little is known for sure about the older tradition.
Until these recent liturgical books, the music was transmitted orally. In the modern chant, there is extensive use
of melody types, which allow some improvisation by the singers.

The percussion instruments used in the Coptic Church are unusual among Christian liturgies. Since similar
instruments appear in ancient Egyptian frescoes and reliefs, some believe that they may represent a survival from a
very old tradition.

The most famous modern Coptic cantor is the late Cantor Mikhail Girgis El Batanouny, whose recordings have
helped preserve and unify many ancient chants that otherwise would have been lost, however, they were recorded
in Greco-Bohairic Pronunciation.

Islamic music is Muslim religious music, as sung or played in public services or private devotions. The classic
heartland of Islam is the Middle East, North Africa, Iran, Central Asia, andSouth Asia. Due to Islam being a multi-

ethnic religion, the musical expression of its adherents is vastly diverse. The indigenous musical styles of these
areas have shaped the devotional music enjoyed by contemporary Muslims.

REFERENCES
1. www.ancient-egypt-online.com
2. www.aldokkan.com
3. www.touregypt.net
4. www.africaguide.com
5. www.Coptic.org