Middle Eastern Music

Middle Eastern Music Styles

Though Middle Eastern music is an ancient artform, it is constantly evolving and manages to stay relevant in today’s pop music loving society, especially when it comes to Middle Eastern celebrations like weddings, birthdays and religious events. You can always find Middle Eastern musicians who excel at what they do, you just need to know where to look for a Zaffa RnB DJ or Middle Eastern drummers Melbourne-wide. Let’s learn a little about Middle Eastern music…

Where did Middle Eastern music originate?

Middle Eastern music can be traced back to ancient civilisations all across the Middle East. Court music and folk music were popular in Sumeria, ancient Egypt, Arabia, Persia and many other countries. No matter where you look in the Middle East, you’ll find a culture rich in musical history.

What themes are present in Middle Eastern music?

The overarching theme in a lot of middle Eastern compositions is love. Whether that be love of family, nature, country, religion or something entirely different. This is why most Middle Eastern songs are played and sung with true passion and emotion.

This passion incorporated into the music, makes Middle Eastern music the perfect sound for weddings, anniversaries and other occasions that celebrate love above all else.

What does Middle Eastern music sound like?

Well, that all depends on where in the Middle East the music you’re listening to originated. Today’s music that’s been influenced by Persian villagers of old is going to sound much different to the music influenced by Bahrain seafarers. You’ll find different instruments are used, different themes within the lyrics and other differences appear depending on the music’s origin.

You’ll find that multiple rhythms intertwine themselves throughout most Middle Eastern musical pieces on instruments like tablas (small drums), ouds (stringed instruments) and sagats (finger cymbals). Each instrument keeps its own beat and weaves in and out of the melody with ease, creating a beautiful and energetic mix of sounds.

There also tends to be quite a lot of “call and response” used where two instruments go back and forth playing complementary tunes, almost like they’re having a conversation. This makes for such an interesting and engaging experience for the listener.

In recent times, Middle Eastern musicians have introduced modern Western instruments like pianos, violins and accordions to harmonise with or to replace traditional instruments. The sound may be different when these instruments are used, but the heart and soul is still very much alive.

DJs will sometimes introduce a techno/electronic element to their Middle Eastern mixes which can help bring the energy up even more than it already is.

What kind of Middle Eastern musicians are available for my Melbourne event?

You can find a wide range of Middle Eastern musicians and DJs to play your event in Melbourne. From a Lebanese DJ Melbourne loves to the best Arabic DJ Melbourne has on offer and an Egyptian DJ Melbourne based that will keep you entertained all night long!

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