The song I chose is titled “Shik Shak Shok” and is a belly dance song composed by Hassan Abou El Seoud. This was the sixth song I looked at from the list of Middle East songs that I found. It being a belly dance song makes it very different from the pieces I have chosen previously. I chose this because I really like how the instruments all sounded together.
The song starts with two percussionists and at :16, chimes come in, another percussionist at :26 and at :35, there is an electric melody being played, almost reminding me of mario kart music. After a minute of the song being played, the female vocalists come in singing “Shik Shak Shok” at different tempos. I would say the general tempo feels rushed and upbeat throughout other than the solo part. The dynamics stay the same, as the vocalists match the volume of the instruments.
From 1:47 until 2:40, there is a long accordion solo that moves really quickly, but it is very beautiful. The percussion joins back in along with the shakers at a slow tempo and at 3:15, the song really speeds up until the end. Throughout the five minute song, the vocalists are only singing for roughly 1 minute, if that. I think the different tempos are necessary for a dramatic feel when belly dancing. 🙂
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