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the fascinating history of arab music

A great site for the music history buff, this exhaustive, four-part text by Drs. Ali Jihad Racy and Jack Logan traces the development of Arab music from the seventh (!) century through the present day. These two academics know their stuff; in their fascinating essay, they cover the five principal processes that shaped Arab music's growth. They also discuss the influence of Western and other cultures, the development of Arab music's distinguising characteristics (such as its distinctive melodies), and the unique instruments that give Arab music its one-of-a-kind sound. Although chock full of photos, graphs, and illustrations, the site is sadly lacking in audio clips. That shouldn't dissuade you from visiting, however; the depth and detail in the scholarship here make it well worth a visit.

Mon, 17 Jan 2000 08:11:18 -0800