Eastern Musical Life

Musical life in Syria, especially in Aleppo, was founded on the deep-rooted art known as al-Mouwashahat, that reached its climax at the hands of the artists in the city.

Musical life in Syria, especially in Aleppo, was founded on the deep-rooted art known as al-Mouwashahat, that reached its climax at the hands of the artists in the city. The popular song, whose musical material is derived from daily life, lives on in the hands the popular artists who maintained and spread the popular song throughout Diyar al-Sham (Syria), according to the Syria Times.

The popular song was compiled and polished by the artist, Mustapha Hilal, to become a folklore heritage. Apart from the art of singing, there is the classic heritage - al-Mouswashahat and al-Kasida - and the art of the popular song.

Musicians and singers transferred the Egyptian art al-Dour to Syria to play the prominent role that it deserves, in addition to other arts of singing which begin with the world Ya Leil, al-Mawaliya al-Uhzouja, al-Taktouka, al-Mouwashahat, Anashid, and the religious hymn.

At the time of the French mandate, the European art of the monologue, romantic, critical and comic, was introduced through the French song to become one of the arts of Arabic singing. This was followed by the dialogue and the European dance music such as tango, rumba, waltz, etc. to occupy in contemporary singing, especially during World War II and later, an important place within the Syrian Arab Republic.

The traditional music band al-Takhet al-Sharki had had limited musical instruments up to the 1920's - Oud (lute), Kanoun, may (flute), daf (tambourine), derbakeh (small drum) - and then the European instruments were gradually introduced. They were the violin, the violoncello, the contrabass, and bass.

From the mid- 1930's, the musical band has introduced the European musical instruments fabricated to give one half adjusted sound such as non- electronic guitar, mandolin, mandola, bango and accordion. Copper and wood wind instruments are limited to military musical bands and scout troops. In the late 60's, many types of electronic musical instruments began to be used in musical bands – Albawaba.com