MUH 2512: Self-Study Assignment Chapter 12
NAME________________
1. The interrelated domains of Egyptian dance examined in this chapter are:
a. raqs baladi, raqs sharqi, and belly dance
b. zaar, takht, and tabla solo
c. maqam, dum, and tek
2. The Arab-Islamic world encompasses
a. the Arabian Peninsula
b. Iraq, Syria, Jordan
c. the Maghrib region of northern Africa
d. all of the above
3. True or False: Two important features unifying the vast and culturally diverse ArabIslamic world are the religion of Islam and the Arabic language.
4. The adoption of Islam and the Arabic language in Egypt fostered
a. significant cultural developments in the realm of religion, science, politics, literature,
and music.
b. more accepting societal attitudes regarding the place of music and dance in religious
worship
c. increased isolation of the Egyptians from other peoples of the region
d. all of the above
5. The rise of Egyptian nationalism was inspired by
a. resentment toward the occupying Greeks and Assyrians
b. general opposition towards foreign domination of Egypt
c. a new nationalist spirit that led to the rejection of pan-Arabism
d. Both A and C, but not B
6. A maqam in Arab music
a. is identical to a raga in Indian music; maqam is an Arabic translation of the term raga
b. features both musical and extramusical characteristics that distinguish it from other
maqamat
c. traditionally employs a “scale” of seven ascending and seven descending pitches
derived from the 12 pitches of the chromatic scale; the ascending and descending forms
may differ from one another
d. is the sole basis of any taqsim performance; as in Indian music, modulation from one
“mode” to another is strictly forbidden
7. True/False: The French occupation and British colonization of Egypt had profound
political ramifications on Egyptian society, but Egyptian music and its related culture
were affected only to a small extent by these sociohistorical developments.
1
8. According to the speculative theories of Al-Rawi and others, the ancient roots of
Middle Eastern women’s dance are to be found
a. among the cultures of prostitutes and concubines that flourished in the royal courts of
the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt
b. in Ancient Egypt, where women are believed to have first developed dances in
imitation of the dances of male courtiers who entertained the Pharaohs
c. in the court of Pharaoh Ramses II, who decreed that all women of noble birth should
learn to dance in order to refine their character
d. in cultures of antiquity that predated the great civilizations of Ancient Egypt
9 -10. The hereditary families of dancers who formed the foundation of professional,
public women’s dancing in Egypt are called __________ .The word may be translated
literally as _____________, which is telling in terms of the traditionally marginal
position of professional female dancers in Egyptian society.
11. _______ is the name of the ancient healing ritual involving spirit possession and
trance that is discussed extensively in this chapter?
12-14. Identify three pieces of music from the CD set that incorporate rhythms derived
from the music that accompanies the ancient healing ritual referenced above.
15. True/False: The movements employed in the ritual dancing of the above healing ritual
have been absorbed into the movement vocabularies of belly dance and raqs sharqi.
16-19. Identify four of the standard Arab-Egyptian percussion instruments
(membranophones/idiophones) that are used to accompany raqs baladi, raqs sharqi, and
belly dance performances.
2
20-22. Notate (using the “D - t – “ notation format of the chapter) the basic, skeletal
rhythmic patters of the following dance rhythms:

Fallahi

Zaar

Saaidi
23-26. Indicate the timings (e.g., 1:02-1:09) where each of the following rhythms occurs
in “Belhadawa Walla Belshaawa?” (CD tr. #3-17):

Masmoudi

Saaidi

Malfuf

Fallahi
27. If called upon to distinguish a Saaidi rhythm from any of the others discussed in the
chapter, what would be the main thing to listen for in terms of the sequence of drum
strokes?
28-29. Name three instruments of the traditional takht ensemble that are heard in “Zeina”
(CD ex. #3-13) and are discussed in the related Guided Listening Experience text.
30-31. Name two instruments heard in “Zeina” that are not part of the traditional takht
instrumentation.)
3
32. Sayyid Darwish was a pioneer in Egyptian music in the early 20th century who:
a. established a new aesthetic ideal for Egyptian music and other arts.
b. achieved the status of a musical legend and a cultural hero of the Egyptian nation.
c. became an inspiration and a musical leader for later generations of Egyptian composers
and musicians, including Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab
d. all of the above.
33. Badiaa Masabni was:
a. Sayyid Darwish's counterpart in the domain of women's dance; she was responsible for
many choreographic innovations and for launching the careers of great dancers such as
Samia Gamal
b. both a leading dancer and the greatest Egyptian female singer of the 20th century
c. an important choreographer who is credited with having saved the art of raqs sharqi
from the ravages of excessive Western influence during the mid-20th century
d. all of the above
34-39* (6 points). In a brief paragraph (3-6 sentences), summarize the major
contributions and innovations of the following Egyptian “media stars” of the mid-20th
century era (1930s-1960s): Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab, Umm Kulthum, and Samia
Gamal. Link these individuals to Egyptian music/dance, nationalism, and mass media arts
and entertainment.
40-41. Name one instrument that you would likely find in both a firqa ensemble and a
takht ensemble and one instrument that you would likely find in a firqa but not in a takht
4
42. Under the presidency of Gamal 'Abd al-Nasser, Egypt experienced
a. a preoccupation with “authentic folk” (baladi) culture and its revival and preservation.
b. a major revival of raqs sharqi
c. censorship of Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab and Umm Kulthum on account of their
“radical” political views
d. all of the above
43-47 (5 points). In a brief paragraph (2-4 sentences), discuss Farida Fahmy and her
contributions to Egyptian nationalism as a symbol of Egyptian “folk/peasant” ideals
during the ‘Abd al-Nassser era (terms and ideas to use: Reda Troupe, purported “freedom
from Western themes and ideals,” fallahin, nationalistic ideals, baladi).
48-51 (4 points). Where do the names of the rhythms fallahi and Saaidi come from?
From what regional and cultural traditions of Egyptian dance did they arise? (terms to
use: Upper Egypt, Lower Egypt [Nile Delta region], tahtib, peasant).
52-53.What is a Tabla Solo dance? What instrument or instruments accompany the
dancing and what kind of form does the musical arrangement typically have? (use
examples from “Belhadawa Walla Belshaawa?” [CD tr. #3-17] to support your answer).
5
54-56. Fill in the blanks with the correct term from the following options: raqs baladi,
raqs sharqi, belly dance.
 Egyptian professional women’s dance is ________________
 Egyptian folk and rural dance traditions are ________________
 International dance styles rooted in Middle Eastern dance are ____________
57-66 (10 points). The types of exoticization and stereotyping associated with Middle
Eastern dance that are discussed in this chapter (i.e., relative to female dance traditions
specifically) are hardly unique. Many other peoples—Native Americans, African
Americans, Roma (“Gypsies”), Jews, Indians (i.e., of India), etc.—have been similarly
essentialized through popular cultural images and stereotypes: in films, television shows,
video games, sports team names and symbols, musical compositions, etc. Identify five
cultures (you can use the ones listed above or others) where such processes of
essentialization have occurred relative to dance and/or music traditions, and identify at
least two substantive Websites or other sources (books, articles, documentary films) for
each of these cultures that you would use as primary sources to research this topic. For
each source, give a complete citation (see the Further Reading/Listening/Viewing lists at
the Online Learning Center for models of citation formats) and write a 1-2 sentence
annotation summarizing the relevant content of each cited source.
6