Traditional music and dance
Although traditional Jordanian music shares some similarities with that of its neighbors, it is distinguished from them by its strong Bedouin influence. Representing 5% of the local population, the Bedouin are paradoxically emblematic figures of Jordan whose culture is widely infused in the country's culture. There is a lot of poetry and song, some improvised and some not, often accompanied by the rabab hurdy-gurdy, flutes, derbake (drums) or the clapping of feet and hands. Performed a cappella, the huda and hjeyni are camel drivers' songs intended to encourage the mount during long journeys. Accompanied by the rebâb, the dahiya (also called sahja, halaba or samer) is generally performed by two alternating groups while theatâba or shurûqi, both built on an improvised melody, are sung solo to express (generally) pain and sadness. In the same family, we can also distinguish the mawwal, a melismatic song accompanied by the derbake drum. On the dance side, the Bedouin practice the dabkeh meaning " pounding of the feet
", a male form accompanied by fast songs, sometimes performed by women and interspersed with pounding of the feet (hence its name).While Bedouin poet-singer Jamal Khleif is considered one of the best rebab players in Jordan, it is undoubtedly Omar Abdullat who is the most popular Bedouin singer in the country. So popular, in fact, that he has contributed greatly to the popularity of Bedouin music. Patriotic songs like Hashimi, Hashimi and Jeishana
have become Jordanian standards.In addition to Bedouin aesthetics, there are also musical forms common to the Arab world in the country. For example, the zajal, a traditional oral poetry of Arab-Andalusian origin, semi-improvised and semi-sung. Still very much alive in the Levant (especially in Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan), this tradition is sometimes accompanied by ensembles playing the shabbaba flute, made of reed, which is very typical, associated with other instruments of the region such as the ney (a very common flute in the Arab world), the mijwiz, a wooden wind instrument with two pipes and a single reed, thearghul, similar to the previous one and used since ancient Egypt, the tablah, a percussion instrument, the gerbeh
, a kind of bagpipe or the oud.To this popular aesthetic are also added other traditions of the Arab world such as the muwashshah and the qasida, two poetic forms, the dawr, a kind of vocal music and more recently the ughniya, a long song that appeared in the middle of the twentieth century and can last up to one hour. In the port city of Aqaba, theughniya is accompanied by the famous simsimiyya
lyre. An appointment and an address to note for the amateurs of folklore: first Petra By Night, night visit of the site illuminated by 1 500 candles and accompanied by traditional music, then the Roman theater of Amman, building built under the reign of Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century and dug in the mountain, magnificent frame for dance shows and traditional music in summer.Learned and classical music
The codes of the Arab world are also used in Jordan in the field of art music. Instead of scales, musical writing here is based (traditionally) on the makam (or maqam
), a system of organization of melodic scales and aesthetic conventions found from the Maghreb to China.Also, we elaborate here noubas
, these large compositions formed of a succession of vocal and instrumental pieces executed according to a precise order, base of all the Arab contemporary musics. With variations specific to each country, these compositions generally start slowly, then accelerate to a crescendo, guiding the emotion to a paroxysm of power and depth.Among the important national musicians, Sakher Hattar is considered one of the greatest contemporary oudists while percussionist Hani Naser was a reference in the field of both derbake and oud.
If classical music, according to the western definition, has not (yet?) flourished in the country, it is not totally absent. The country has a philharmonic ensemble, the Amman Symphony Orchestra (ASO), now the JOrchestra, which is part of the Middle East's current opening to classical music. The ensemble usually performs at the King Hussein Cultural Center, a modern building in the city center. Let's not forget to mention Saed Haddad, the only notable Jordanian composer played by some of Europe's prestigious ensembles and festivals, as well as Zade Dirani, a pianist whose compositions blend variety and classical music in the manner of Richard Clayderman (and with whom, not surprisingly, he has collaborated).Popular music
The Jordanian variety cultivates strong family ties with that of neighboring countries. Stars such as the Egyptians Farid el-Attrache and Amr Diab or the Lebanese singer Fairuz are popular here too. Jordanians also love some local celebrities such as the aforementioned Bedouin singer Omar Al-Abdullat, famous for his patriotic songs, Diana Karazon, winner of the Arab version of Pop Idol, or Hani Mitwasi, who invented the "Hispano-Levantine" genre, a mix of flamenco guitar and folklore, all of whom are real local stars.
Current music
Since Rum, a group led by Tareq Al Nasser (a local figure) brought together East and West in their songs in the early 2000s, the current Jordanian music scene has continued to flourish. Reinterpreting Jordanian folklore by inviting aesthetics from all over the world, the group has gained regional and international notoriety that has prompted many other entities to take the plunge. This is how Jordan has been able to enjoy a rather dynamic rock scene carried by groups such as JadaL, Autostrad, Akher Zapheer or El Morabba3 which have become unavoidable references in the country. More recently, a new wave of young composers, even more open and travelled, has also distinguished itself by the amplitude of its range of influences. Sign of Thyme and its oriental-jazz-ethnic fusion are the figurehead, as well as Albaitil Ashwai, a group settled somewhere between experimental rock and the trance of Arab music. With its program of young talents from Jordan and the Arab world, the Al-Balad festival is an excellent opportunity to discover the local young guard.
