Instrument · Keyboard & Bellows
Arabic Electric Organ
أورغ (org)
An electronic keyboard instrument with sustained electric tones. Arabic organ playing combines melodic lines with simple chords and ornamentation.
Western electronic instrument; Arabic adaptation: Egypt
Origin
Electric organs were Western electronic instruments, but an Arabic performance tradition developed in Egypt during the late 1960s and 1970s. Musicians modified some instruments to approximate quartertones, creating one of the defining sounds of that musical period.
Role in the dance
The organ is particularly valuable for recognizing late-1960s and 1970s Egyptian orchestration. It appears in music associated with major singers, films and stage dance from that era. Its melodic attacks can be interpreted similarly to accordion or electric guitar but with a distinctly vintage electronic character.
Music
Rhythms it plays
Maqsum
4/4Probably the single most important rhythmic cycle for an oriental dancer. It appears in Egyptian popular music, classical compositions, baladi music, shaabi and modern Arabic pop, and frequently serves as the neutral rhythmic foundation to which other rhythms return. MaqamWorld describes it as the most widely used iqa‘ in Arabic music.
Baladi
4/4Heavy, grounded rhythm strongly associated with Egyptian baladi music and baladi progressions. The doubled opening dum creates a heavier feeling than Maqsum. “Baladi” is also a much broader cultural and musical term, while this specific rhythmic skeleton is more precisely called Masmoudi Saghir.
Malfuf
2/4A fast, rolling rhythm often heard at the beginning or end of an oriental routine. Excellent for travelling steps, entrances, exits, veil entrances and fast transitions. Its accent structure has a characteristic 3+3+2 feeling.
Wahda
4/4Spacious rhythm that leaves considerable room for melody, vocals and improvisation. Particularly important beneath sustained vocal phrases and expressive tarab passages. The name means “one,” referring to the prominent single dum anchoring the cycle.