Alf Layla wa Layla is one of the most well-known songs by Um Kultum, and one of the most famous belly dance songs of all time. Do you know what it means? The song Alf Layla wa Layla is ubiquitous both in the belly dance community and in the Arab world. Originally sung by Um Kulthum, this immortal classic has crossed language barriers and won the hearts of people all over the world. It is considered by some to be one of the best recordings ever made in music history. Since you've clicked on this article I assume you're already familiar with this song, so let's dig a little deeper into its background and meaning. Composer, Lyricist & Singer Alf Layla wa Layla (also spelled Alf Leilah wa Leilah, Alf Leila wa Leila, Alf Leyla wa Leyla, Alf Lela Wlela, among other variations) was composed in 1969 by Baligh Hamdi, a prominent Egyptian composer in the 1960's and 70's, written by Egyptian poet Morsi Jamil Aziz and sung by the legendary singer Um Kultum. Um Kulthum (1904? - 1975) Born "Fatima Ibrahim as-Sayed El-Beltagi" in Egypt, Um Kulthum was a poor girl from a rural town who grew up to become the most well-known Arab singer of her time, which she remains so to this date, even 45 years after her death. Due to her incredible vocal ability, style and fame she was given the title of "Star of the East." Her funeral in 1975 was attended by over 4 million Egyptians, and her music is still heard and recognized by Arabs all over the Middle East and around the world. Many of the most popular belly dance songs we hear today were originally sung by her. A Thousand and One Nights Alf Layla wa Layla means 1001 Nights, and it is one of Um Kulthum's most enduring songs. Here is a small piece of it translated, so you can understand its meaning: Oh beloved The night and the sky, and its stars and its moon Its moon and its night-time liveliness, and you and I Oh beloved, oh my life All of us, all of us experience love equally And love, how heart-aching it can be Love, how heart-aching it can be Love stays up with us to shower us with bliss And it says serenely to us Oh beloved, come let us dwell in the eyes of the night Come let us dwell in the eyes of the night And we'd say to the sun: come out, come out But only after a year from now And not before a year has passed For this is a beautiful night of love Worth a thousand and one nights more For what is a lifetime but a sole night just like tonight, just like tonight Tonight, just like tonight If you'd like a more complete translation, I highly recommend the 100 Songs Initiative video translation below, which includes the original words in Arabic as they are spoken, along with the transliteration and translation in English. Favorite Recordings The original recordings of Um Kulthum's music are typically 30-80 minutes long and are not meant to be danced to. However, they are still wonderful for us as belly dancers to listen to so that we can gain more appreciation and understanding for the music. For dance performances, we typically use much shorter and more modern renditions of the original classic compositions, and they can be purely instrumental or feature a vocalist. You can listen to a few of my favorite recordings of Alf Layla wa Layla below. Full Length Alf Layla wa Layla Sung by Om Kulthum Instrumental Version, Alf Layla va Laylah by Samir Instrumental Version, Alf Leyla Wa Leyla by Aziza Alf Leyla We Leyla as Sung by Sherine Do you love Alf Layla wa Layla? What version is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Was This Post Helpful?If you liked this article, you can visit our blog map to find other posts about Middle Eastern music and dance and other related topics. Or subscribe to our newsletter, YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram pages to be the first to see more content from us!
Happy learning, and happy dancing!
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Background & Breakdown of One of the Most Famous Belly Dance Songs of All Time Even if you haven't been belly dancing very long, you might have already come across Leylet Hob before. And if you've been doing this for a while, you've definitely danced to it countless times by now! But how much do you really know about this timeless classic and belly dance favorite? If your answer is "actually, not much" you've got to keep reading this post because it's packed with information about this absolutely must-know composition. About Leylet Hob Leylet Hob (ليلة حب, alternatively spelled Laylet Hob, Laylet Hobb, Lailet Hob, Laylet Houb, Lelat Hob, or Leilet Hob) is a classic Arabic song that was composed in the 1960's by Mohamed Abdel Wahab, written in 1973 by Ahmed Shafiq Kamel and subsequently sung by Om Kalthoum. Its title means "Night of Love." The original song, like many of the Arabic orchestral classics, was an entire concert on its own, at over 50 minutes in length. Today there are countless modern renditions of it by Arab and non-Arab musicians alike, usually around 5 to 15 minutes long, with or without vocals. Singer, Lyricist & Composer Om Kalthoum (1904? - 1975) was a legendary Egyptian singer who was--and is to this date--renowned across the Arab world. Her face, name and voice are recognized and loved throughout the region, where she is likely the most famous singer of all time. Such a revered figured she was, her funeral was one of the largest gatherings in the world, attended by around 4 million people. Many of the most famous Arabic songs (and most popular belly dance songs) were originally sung by her. Mohammed Abdel Wahab (1902? - 1991) was one of the most prominent composers and singers in Egyptian history. He was responsible for composing many of the classic masterpieces that us belly dancers perform to on a regular basis. He introduced Western instruments such as the guitar, bass, accordion, organ and synthesizer to some of his compositions, innovating upon existing traditions and influencing all Arabic music thereafter. Ahmed Shafiq Kamel was an Egyptian poet who became known as the "Poet of the Two Pyramids" for unifying the two great talents--Om Kalthoum and Mohamed Abdel Wahab-- in his work on Leylet Hob, which became the first of many collaborations between the two. The Full Rendition You can listen to the full, 59-minute rendition of Leylet Hob sung by Om Kalthoum here: Can you spot the guitar, accordion, and synthesizer in this composition? The Lyrics Leylet Hob is a song of love and longing. You can hear in Om Kalthoum's voice the longing that is felt for an absent lover. It speaks of yearning for that lover's return, where the singer imagines their night together while describing their love in the deep, poetic terms the Arabic language is so well-suited to relate. You can read a full, line-by-line translation of Laylet Hob by clicking here. Interpretation One of the most famous interpretations of Leylet Hob is this one by Soheir Zaki, one of the most famous belly dancers of the 1960's-80's: Soheir Zaki is a classic, timeless dancer. You can read more about her in our Timeline of Egypt's Biggest Stars post.
Musical Breakdown Laylet Hob is played in the Maqam Nahawand, a type of melody that is perfectly suited to evoke the feelings of love and passionate yearning that this song speaks about. Some of the rhythms encountered are malfuf, maqsum, baladi (masmoudi saghir), masmoudi kebir, and 6/8. Let's break down* each rhythm by section, using the shorter 8-minute version of Leylet Hob in the Soheir Zaki video above as our reference: Baladi/masmoudi saghir (0:11-1:09, 1:27-1:52, 6:37-6:57, 7:19-7:40) 4/4 Rhythm |DD| T|D |T | Malfuf (1:10-1:20, 6:57-7:19, 7:40-8:34) 2/4 Rhythm |D T| T | 6/8 (1:53-2:24) 6/8 Rhythm |D | | |T | | | Maqsum (2:25-4:01) 4/4 Rhythm |DT| T|D |T | Masmoudi (4:02-4:15, 5:51-6:01?) 8/4 Rhythm |D|D| | |D| | | | Maqsum (4:15-5:51) 4/4 Rhythm |DT| T|D |T | Taqsim (6:01-6:37) Guitar solo - no rhythm Is Leylet Hob one of your favorite classics and go-to songs, like it is mine? If so, I hope this post has been helpful to you. I encourage you to listen to the hour-long version for study and for enjoyment, and that you hear as many versions of this beautiful composition as you can get your hands on. What's your favorite version of this song? Which dancer have you seen do the best interpretation of it? Let me know in the comments below... And if you've found this post informative, don't forget to spread the knowledge by sharing it with your belly dance students, teachers, and peers. Happy learning, and happy dancing! Sources: Leylet Hob Leylet Hob/Mohammed Abdel Wahab Om Kalthoum Om Kalthoum's Funeral Mohammed Abdel Wahab Ahmed Shafiq Kamel Leylet Hob Translation Maqam Nahawand Leylet Hob Rhythms Rhythms Rhythms App *Note regarding the rhythm breakdown: I am not musically trained, so I am breaking down this song by rhythm to the best of my knowledge and untrained ability. If you are a musician and have any corrections to make to this breakdown or anything to add, please contact me via email. |
AuthorYamê is a Brazilian-American View Posts By CategoryIf you'd like to read more articles by Yamê or SharqiDance's guest authors, please view our blog map here.
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