Instrument · Strings
Cello
تشيلو (cello / tashīlū)
A large bowed string instrument with a deep, warm and resonant register.
Italy; adopted throughout the Arab orchestral tradition
Origin
The cello developed within the European violin family, especially in Italy during the 16th and 17th centuries. It later became integrated into large Arabic orchestras during the modern orchestral expansion of Egyptian and Levantine music.
Role in the dance
It often supplies sustained bass and dramatic melodic passages in classical Egyptian orchestration. Because Arabic string instruments are fretless, cello can accommodate maqam intonation and has been widely used in Arabic orchestras. Dancers may respond to cello with slower, heavier and more emotionally sustained movements.
Music
Rhythms it plays
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.
Masmoudi Kabir
8/4One of the most important long Egyptian rhythms. Slow and spacious, allowing a dancer to stretch movement across the musical phrase. It is especially common in classical tarab repertoire.
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.
Chiftetelli
8/4Slow versions provide large spaces between accents and are ideal for expressive improvisation, veil, floor-level work and instrumental taqsim. Faster variants have a much lighter social-dance feeling. MaqamWorld identifies it as a Turkish usul that became established in Arabic music.
Sama‘i Thaqil
10/8One of the most important long classical cycles. The standard Sama‘i musical form is built primarily on Sama‘i Thaqil, making the rhythm relevant to dancers working with classical or muwashahat repertoire.