ZAJAL
ABOUT
Mideastern and Andalusian Dance Music with Poetry from Medieval Spain
Dave Soldier’s new project with ancient poetry features stellar players and singers from the Gypsy flamenco, Arabic, klezmer, Iranian, Greek, and jazz worlds.
The Spinozas take lyrics from medieval Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, and Romance poetry and combine it with music by Dave Soldier influenced by the Mid East, Flamenco, and “acoustica.”
Artists:
Dave Soldier — Composer and Flamenco Guitar
Credits include the Soldier String Quartet, Thai Elephant Orchestra, John Cale, Kurt Vonnegut, Kropotkins, etc.
AnnaTi — Vocalist
Of Israeli descent born of Moroccan and Iranian parents. She did most of the translations of the lyrics (see below).
Rachid Halihal — Oud and Violin
Fine Moroccan instrumentalist who recently toured with Rachid Taha.
Maurice Chedid — Oud and Voice
New York's top oud virtuoso and one of its best singers of the Mideastern repertoire.
Richard Khuzami — Lebanese American Middle Eastern Percussionist
Composer, producer and performer of music combining both Eastern and Western elements.
Nelida Tirado, Lilliana Morales, Maya DaSilva — Palmas and Andalusian Rhythms
From NYC's two top flamencas.
Paul Frazier — Bass
Longtime and current bass with David Byrne and many others.
Rebecca Cherry — Violin
From London and Berlin Philharmonics.
Satoshi Takeshi — Percussion
Unique mixture of Latino and Mideastern percussion, conguero with Ray Barretto.
Alby Roblejo — Cajon and Assorted Percussion
Unique combination of Latin and Middle Eastern beats.
Tiye' Giraud — Dumbek
From Urban Bushwomen, Soldier String Quartet, and her own groups.
HISTORY
The Spinozas explore the very beginning of the European pop and art song traditions. This occurred medieval Andalusia (c. 800–1300), when the country was run by North African and later Arabic Muslims, and during much of which Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived under the Cordoba Caliphate and developed many new art forms.
This was the birth of song form with verses and choruses — the Arabic names for these lyrics was muwashshaha and zajal — which were different than the rhymed couplets in previous lyrics from all three traditions. These poems, hundreds of which survive, were always sung, and imitated by the singers up north in Provence. That became Provencal poetry, while the Andalusian oud (imported via Baghad from Iran) became the lute and guitar — the poetry directly began the troubador and mesitersinger traditions.
This “Golden Age of Hebrew Poetry” AND “Golden Age of Arabic Poetry” initiated virtually the entire Western song repertoire, meaning Schubert, the Beatles, Hank Williams, opera, and most of the other art and pop music of our world.
In addition to the most popular present day song forms, the guitar and lute, the European horse riding tradition (another story), European sheep herding and the wool industry (also another story), the Kabala and contemporary Jewish theology (OK, another story), the acknowledged start of the European poetry tradition, the novel (re: Don Quixote), knighthood, the European rediscovery of the ancient Greek scientific tradition, the importation of algebra and the concept of zero to Europe... this period in Andalusia was the start of the western orchestra, a term that came from the sitara, the cloth separating the audience and dancers from the musicians behind.
The Andalusian dance crazes that spread throughout the new and old world, such as sarabandes, bourees, to become the renaissance baroque dance suite and eventually the sonata and symphony, and many of the dances still used in salsa and ballroom dancing.
We rediscovered the old poetry in Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, and ancient Spanish or Romance, some of them in Soldier's visit to Andalusian bookstores and libraries. We combine it with Soldier's music which freely adapts flamenco, middle eastern music, along with salsa, and electronica (although the instruments are acoustic and it can all be performed outdoors — we're calling it acoustica). Florid and emotional, and dance music, also part of the old tradition.