Al Jeel, also known as Jeel, is an Egyptian alternative to foreign popular forms of music that developed in the 1970's. Modeled after foreign rock and roll and pop music, Al Jeel became oriented around dance/pop, and had a background similar to reggae. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s Al Jeel also included many distinctively Egyptian characteristics, somewhat related to past Egyptian musical influences.
The style was called "new wave" by many, emphasizing the transition from the first form of Egyptian pop music to spring up in the 1960's, Sha'abi. Sha'abi is the name of a style of living a style of dance and a style of music Sha'abi had sprung up in the slums of Egypt as a type of ghetto music, but after a decade of popularity the educated youth of Egypt began to look for different styles of music. A ghetto is described as a "portion of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social legal or economic pressure Internationally savvy, high-tech Al Jeel became the music of the educated, well-to-do youth. Sharing common roots with Algerian Raï and Pop-Raï, Al-Jeel incorporates Bedouin, Nubian, and Egyptian rhythms with bass and synthesizers. Raï (راي is a form of folk music, originated in Oran Algeria from Bedouin Shepherds mixed with Spanish, French, [1]
Although radio stations frowned upon the simple lyrics and music of the Al Jeel performers, the under-25 crowd embraced Al Jeel more than any other styles of Egyptian music. Egyptian music has been an integral part of Egyptian culture since ancient times Hameed Sharay, quite possibly the most influential of Al-Jeel's early performers, developed many performers in Egypt, allowing the once sedate youth of Egypt to become invigorated with this new style of pop music.
Feeling that Al Jeel had lapsed into stale imitation by the mid -'80s, another multi-faceted producer and composer Fathy Salama broke from the scene to play more rocking, dry-eyed pop with his band Sharkiat. Fathy Salama (born March 27, 1969) is an Egyptian musician who was born in Cairo, Egypt. Though success came to him, Fathy Salama wanted more than anything to be understood, and so he spent a great effort attempting to link traditional and modern music from the Orient to Al Jeel.
Jeel usually shares the same central themes with traditional and popular Egyptian music, yet it is usually about love and often about lament rather than joy. As for the sound of Al Jeel music itself, just as rock and roll is perceived differently by different people, the same is true of Al Jeel. The music style is simple, yet carries with it a beat that one is able to dance to. With regard to belly dancers, Al Jeel is quite often the genre of choice. Al Jeel, as well as other classical Arabic music ensemble in Egypt, often consisted of instruments such as the 'oud, qānūn, rabab, ney, and violin. The oud ( عود ʿūd, plural أعواد, a‘wād; kaban; Persian: بربط barbat; ud See also Kanun (disambiguation. Qanun ( قانون) refers to laws promulgated by Muslim sovereigns in particular the Ottoman Sultans The rebab ( Arabic الرباب or رباب; also rebap, rabab, rebeb, The ney ( Persian: نی; Arabic: ناي; also nai, nye, nay, The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member
Bibliography
JSTOR, Rai Tide Rising, Middle East Report, No. 169, Crossing the Line, (Mar. - Apr. , 1991), pp. 39-42
Afropop Worldwide, http://www.afropop.org/explore/style_info/ID/3/Al%20Jeel/
Afropop Worldwide, http://www.afropop.org/explore/style_info/ID/6/Shaabi/
MySpace, Fathy Salama, http://www.myspace.com/fathysalama
Fathy Salama, http://fathysalama.free.fr/gb/gb-biographie.htm
Salome, http://www.orientaldancer.net/guest-stories/guide-arab-music.shtml
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