The Great Search for Music
One of the most frequent questions that my students ask is “Where can I find music?” When I first started finding belly dance music could be challenging. I can’t tell you how many CDs I bought that had only one or two good songs, if I was lucky. Thanks to online music sources, it’s much easier to search, find and instantly buy music for belly dancing.
Start with Known Artists
A great way to find music and hone in your own tastes is to start with known artists that produce specifically belly dancing music, or music that is often used for belly dancing. Sample the artist’s songs and then start following the rabbit trails through “listeners also bought” listings. Here are some of my favorite artists/collections as a jumping off point:
Hossam Ramzy – many great, classical pieces as well as drum solos
Amr Diab – Egyptian pop
Al-Ahram Orchestra – beautiful classical pieces
Harem – pop/electronic
Natacha Atlas – pop, some with classical overtones
Rola Saad – Lebanese Pop
Dr. Samy Farag – solid belly dance routines
Issam Houshan – Belly Dance Superstars composer, drum solos
Any of the Belly Dance Superstars compilations CDs
Listen to Internet Radio
There are lots of services now that use algorithms to tailor stations to your tastes. This is a great way to explore Middle Eastern and belly dancing music. So many times, I’ve been cooking dinner, hands sticky from peeling garlic, and I’ll hear a song come through a playlist that I can’t wait to dance to. My poor phone has a slight garlic aroma from all of my excited playlist checking.
I’m partial to Pandora, but there are other services out there. Here are the Pandora “radio stations” that I like for belly dance inspiration:
Alabina Radio
Amr Diab Radio
Buddha-Bar Radio
Cleopatra in New York Radio
Fairuz Radio
Dr. Samu Farag Radio
Harem Radio
Karunesh Radio
Natacha Atlas Radio
Omar Faruk Tekbilek Radio
Rachid Taha Radio
Research Your Music
As you are getting familiar with music for belly dancing, it’s a good idea to do a little bit of research on artists and songs. This is a great way to begin to understand various styles throughout the Middle East, and also to check if what you are listening to is appropriate for belly dancing. Google the artist to see where they are from. Check YouTube to see if you can find any examples of dancers dancing to the artist’s music. If music is a specific regional style or more folkloric, it’s important to understand the appropriate style of dance for that music, and sometimes that style is not belly dancing. It’s also a good idea to check lyrics to songs. While there are plenty of songs about love, love lost, love hoped for, yearning for love, loving love (you get the picture), some songs might be political in nature. Political music both fueled and proliferated with the Arab Spring in 2010. Out of respect for the artists and the ongoing political struggles across North Africa and the Middle East, it’s probably a good idea to avoid political songs and instead lean on love songs for dance inspiration. Goodness knows, there are plenty to choose from!
Buy Music from Workshop Instructors
Many of the belly dance workshop instructors who tour nationally or internationally will have CDs for sale, either of music that they have choreographed to, or compilations that they have helped produce. I’ve found wonderful music this way, and often it’s difficult to find these pieces of music elsewhere. Plus, it’s a great way to support our beloved instructors who travel to teach us.
I hope this is helpful. Do you have a favorite artist or way to find music? I’d love to hear about it!
And happy hunting!