Farid el-Atrache; Composer Extraordinaire

As a student or follower of Middle Eastern dance it's important to learn about the artists who paved the way & laid the groundwork for our art form.  Therefore, in my next few blog postings I would like to introduce you to some of most important composers of Middle Eastern music.

The composer, Farid el-Atrache, was one of those people.  This Syrian born musician composed some of the most beautiful & well-known pieces of music we still enjoy today.  "Noura Noura", "Gamil Gamal" & "Touta" are just a few of his most popular works.

Farid began his musical training as an Oud player & singer.  (The Oud is stringed instrument similar to the lute.)

Oud

At one point in his life Farid was romantically linked with the dancer Samia Gamal.  They starred together in a number of movies in which Farid sang & Samia danced.  (See the video in my newest post).

"Farid el-Atrache has left a legacy to Arabic music. He is considered by Arab musicians as the best oud player of his time. His songs are still popularly used in many belly dance routines today. His voice and sweetly-sad singing style was so unique and popular that Farid is still one of the most imitated singers.

Composers consider Farid a leader in his field. These days, the Arabic music world is overflowing with short songs that lack musical depth. Serious oriental dancers would do well to investigate the golden age of Arabic music from the 1940’s to 1970’s, when the music was rich with meaning and orchestration and the artists, like Farid el-Atrache, moved their audiences with emotion."Source 

I will help guide you on this journey with more blog posts.  Enjoy!