Arabic music can be characterized as very alive and independent. In its colorful history of integrating with music from other regional genres and styles, Arabic music has resulted to the kind of music that most of the time radiate an atmosphere of festivity. Today, there are many renowned Arabic composers and musicians who did very well not only in the local music industry but also around the world. Below are some of the most famous Arab composers with few of their well known works.
Saleh Al-Kuwaity
When it comes to the 20th century Arab and Iraqi music, Saleh is one of the most popular figures that can be attributed to it. His Iraqi Jewish family was living in Kuwait when he was born in 1908. Saleh has a brother named Daoud who like him also became famous in the music industry. Saleh is a genius musician for he has created a new style of Iraqi music. From the traditional Iraqi maqam music, which is characterized by restrictions, he created an Iraqi maqam music that is free of restrictions. To add more taste to it, he mixed it with urban music.
Saleh Al-Kuwaity’s songs have transcended generations. People today are still singing his famous compositions. He has written meaningful songs for stars such as Munira Al-Hawazwaz, Zohour Hussein, Afifa Iskander, and Zakiya George. Part also of their precious achievements was them becoming one of the favorite entertainers of King Faisal. HE and his brother Daoud have composed music and performed them during formal gatherings. One of the most notable was during the coronation ceremony of King Faisal. The two have also took part in the establishment of the first radio station in Iraq.
One of his famous compositions was his first song entitled
Like any other regional or continental music, Asian music is very diverse and rich. I don’t think there is a word one can use to generalize the Asian music. One thing that is sure is that Asian music is very rich when it comes to the culture, genres, and styles. It would be easier to describe Asian music based on their regions. For example, you can have a general description of Middle East Asian music and Southeast Asian music. With this, I have listed great composers from the different regions of Asia.
Levi CelerioCelerio was born in Manila, Philippines on April 30, 1910 and died on April 2, 2002. He was a Filipino composer known not only in his country but also around the world. He was a very prolific music composer. During his life he has written more than 4,000 songs. Many of them are still influential in the music industry in his country.
Perhaps, he is best known for being a genius in leaf-playing. Because of his talent as a leaf player, he was placed in the Guinness Book of World Records. One of his greatest achievements is to be awarded the National Artist of the Philippines for Music.
He has composed very popular Christmas songs such as Pasko na Naman, Misa de Gallo, and Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon (Ang Pasko ay Sumapit). He has also written very popular love songs such as Kahit Konting Pagtingin, Saan Ka Man Naroroon, Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, and many others.
Most of his compositions expresses so much emotions particularly love for a special someone and love for parents such as his mother.
Bombay RaviRavi Shankar Sharma, or well known in his stage name Bombay Ravi, was born in 1926. He is an Indian music director and has composed music for Malayalam and Hindi films. He had a successful career in Hindi films.
Part of his achievements is hit songs and Filmfare nominations for the films Do Badan (1966), Ankhen (1968), Chaudvhin Ka Chand (1960), and Nikaah (1982). It is in the films Khandaan (1965) and Gharana (1961) where he won Filmfare awards.
Some of his unforgettable compositions are Yeh Mausam Rangeen Shamaa (Modern Girl), Jab Chali Thandi Hawa (Do Badan), Yeh Hawa (Gumraah), Chalo ek baar phir se (Gumrah), and Neele Gagan Ke Tale (Hamraaz).
Chen YiChen Yi is a Chinese composer who was born on April 4, 19543 in Guangzhou, China. She is a famous composer of contemporary classical music. In China, she was the first woman to earn a Master of Arts in composition of music. She earned it from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.
At the tender age of seventeen, she has worked as the concertmaster in Beijing Opera Troupe’s orchestra in Guangzhou. Her famous compositions are Ancient Beauty, Ancient Dances, As Like a Raging Fire, Arirang, As in a Dream, Ba Ban, and many others.
Her music style is highly influenced by Western composers such as Mozart and Bach.
YirumaI Ru-ma, or better known in the stage name Yiruma, was born in South Korea on February 15, 1978. He is known around the world for his music compositions that are colorful and uplifts the listener’s spirit. His piano music can be characterized as introspective and expressive.
His popular compositions include Kiss the Rain, Maybe, and River Flows in You. First Love is his most popular album.
Nat YontararakNat Yontararak is a Thai music teacher, composer, and a classical pianist. He was born in Bangkok on 1954. In 1971, he was awarded first place in the first ever Siam Music Festival. He was 16 years old then. In 2006, he was awarded the Silpathorn Award for contemporary artists in Thailand.
One of his famous works is the Glory to Our Great Kings (piano sonata).
Phoon Yew TienPhoon Yew Tien is the most recorded composer of classical music in Singapore. He is known not only in Singapore but also around the world. Aside from being expert in Western and Eastern styles and genres of music, he is also well-grounded in music for concert hall, music for theatre, and chamber music. He has won the Distinguished Prize in the National Song Writing Competition from 1977 to 1979.
His popular compositions include Ripples, Butterfly, Dream, and Love Song. All of these are for solo performances.
Ryan CayabyabCayabyab is a Filipino musician. He was one of the resident judges of Philippine Idol 2006. He also became the Executive and Artistic Director of San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts.
His popular works include Iduyan Mo, Kahit Ika’y Panaginip Lang, Tunay na Ligaya, and Nais Ko.
Rizaldi SiagianSiagian was born in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. He earned his B.A. at the University of North Sumatra, while it is in the San Diego State University where he earned his M.A. Currently, he is the University of North Sumatra ethnomusicology department head.
His popular compositions include Lebah, Gambus Binal, and Gambus Menjelang Magrib.
Kanchman BabbarBabbar is a multi-instrumentalist and a music composer. He learned playing the flute at the age of 14. From there, his musical journey began. During his college days, he is heralded as the best student performer due to his winning performances.
Like Asian music, it is hard to generalize African music. It would be easier to characterize them according to its region such as North Africa, East Africa, South Central Africa, and West Africa. But the most common in most African music is its festive mood. Below are some of the most famous and notable composers in Africa.
Michael Mosoeu Moerane
Moerane is a South African pianist, choral director, and composer. He is the first black to graduate in music at the South African University.
One of his famous compositions is Fatse la heso (My Country). His other popular works include Chorale, Sunrise, and Why Worry? He has also composed for solo performances. These include Joy ride, Fantasia, Lonesome, and In Hout Bay.
Solomon Popoli Linda
Linda is a South African singer, musician, and composer. He has written the popular song
For any kind of entertainer, the most important thing, aside from the talent, is finding the right places where to perform music. This is actually a common dilemma among musicians and singers alike. Some do not know where they can perform and showcase their talent. This article will basically guide you on how you can find places to perform music.
If you are still a relative neophyte, finding a place may seem too hard. However, as you gain experience and gather more contacts, things will be a lot easier. The first thing you need to do is to assess your own expertise and genre. If you want to perform in a bar, for instance, you need to make sure that your genre fits the bar where you are planning to perform.
Here are some practical tips intended to help the budding musicians and singers out there.
Do the legwork. You can scout for possible places where you can perform through your own observation. You can also search through the Internet. If you want, you can come up with your list on which of the bars or venues you know your musical talent can fit it.
In this industry, you are your own salesperson. It is like selling a product to a potential buyer. You need to prove them that you are worth their time and money. Thus, make sure you always do your best if you are given the chance to prove your worth.
Learn how to blow your horn. This is important so you can get noticed.
Forget about your shyness. Some talented musicians and singers end up having rare performances since they are not confident about themselves. And apparently, lack of confidence often leads to a poor performance. If you are too shy to be on the stage, then forget about your dream of improving and sharing your talent.
Be professional enough whenever you are given the opportunity. For instance, if you are invited to sing in an event, you need to be on time and be pleasant with the guests. If you are snob and late, then you cannot expect to get more gigs in the future. You will only get a negative impression. And they will never get to appreciate whatever talent you may have. Remember that you are still starting, and you do not have something yet to brag about.
Always be ready with a professional demo tape. You will never know when a talent scout would approach you. Some of the popular musicians of today started in performing in small venues. Bear in mind that great things start as small things.
Learn how you can widen your network. This will help you get in touch in the most number of people possible. If there are a lot of people who know you, it is possible also that they will recommend you with their respective networks whenever they need a musical performance from someone like you. Network is everything is this kind of field.
See if you can work with an agent. An agent can help you have bookings in the future. However, make sure the agent has enough contacts and knowledge in this kind of industry. Otherwise, you are just wasting your time, effort and talent.
Try to be persistent and resilient as possible. Along the way, you may feel very frustrated. But those challenges are all part of the success you are bound to. If you will stick to your dream, you will surely get what you want in due time. Aside from having the chance to share your musical prowess to other people, you can also earn a lot from this.
Many would presume that topping the list of a man’s choice for a musical instrument is a drum kit while others would argue that it is the guitar. Another contender for top instrument played by males would be the saxophone. Although many of the top empresarios who play flute or violin are males (Perlman and Galway come to mind), these instruments seem to get short shrift with male musicians.
To resolve the seemingly subjective preferences, several researches and reports over the past few decades tried to determine various factors that affect a female and a male’s choice for musical instruments: Factors such as: gender, peer influence, parental influence, music educators influence, personality, media, exposure to music, and the instrument’s timbre, pitch, size, shape, weight and loudness.
Just like any piece of art, fine musical instruments can increase its value over a certain period of time. But to determine its value more than its worth when it was bought decades ago or even a few hundred years back, the quality and condition, on who played it (great musical geniuses and even its previous elite owners), and on who made it are all highly considered. Its value also increases especially if few or limited instruments of its kind exist in the market.
However, some collectors also have their own set of criteria like if it is a newly discovered piece of antique, etc. With this, it is no surprise that some musical instruments are valued at whopping millions of dollars or close to it like this Top Ten Most Expensive Musical Instruments.
Jens Ritter’s bass guitar is a work in progress and once finished, it is estimated to value at $100,000 USD making it the world’s most expensive in its category. The bass is being made by Germany-based luthier named Deidesheim who is driven to perfect his creation
Over the past decades, musicians come and go but only a handful musicians engraved their names in the memories of people and etched their niche in popular culture. They swayed the audience with their songs. Even their lives made lasting impressions thereby making them the greatest musicians of all time.
The Beatles. There is no question on why John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr achieved an iconic status. Their numerous singles landed in the #1 in the music chart. Audience in the U.S. and Europe, also in other countries across the globe, sing to their songs, watched their concerts and followed their lives. The Beatles is one of the most critically praised bands in the history of popular music who defined popular culture in the 60’s.
The King, Elvis Presley. Four music Halls of Fame and dubbed as the
Music yields many benefits be it in emotional, psychological, mental and physical aspects. Music helps cure ailments and basically it is used for a man’s well being. Even recently, several studies show how music affects the brain and how music can affect spirituality.
There are even recent and modern studies that use brain scans to detect how music affects brain activities and its relation to spirituality and religion. The research brings science to an old belief that normally cannot be or in any way supported by science. Yet, there are efforts that tried to decode and understand how a human mind works and how music affects the mind that leads to a man’s deeper spirituality.
The scientific efforts further give importance to music and how it is placed as an integral part in a man’s spirituality and religion. Even various researchers and anthropologist suggest that music are perhaps used by ancient men in a social and religious context.
Like in ancient civilizations like Egypt and Greece, music plays a significant part in the religious celebration honoring their gods and deities. Music has a special place in the culture of ancient civilizations. In ancient Greece, it was believed that music nurtures the relationship of man with his god, and along with it are the myths that surround various musical instruments
The 33rd Annual International Musical Saw Festival Aug. 13-14, 2011 in Santa Cruz, CA
For great music that’s a cut above the rest, come to the 33rd Annual International Musical Saw Festival, Saturday and Sunday, August 13 and 14, 2011, in beautiful Santa Cruz County, California.
The Festival starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13 with a free acoustic jam near the world’s only life-sized bronze statue of a saw player, in front of Bookshop Santa Cruz (1520 Pacific Avenue). At 6 p.m. Saturday, the cutting-edge fun moves to the outer parking lot of Roaring Camp in Felton, just seven miles north of Santa Cruz, for a free potluck dinner and jam.
The Festival’s big events begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 14, at Roaring Camp, when the world’s greatest saw players join other acoustic musicians in a variety of musical performances. You’ll hear bluegrass, country, folk, gospel, blues, classical works and show tunes (though, oddly enough, no heavy metal) throughout the day. The forecast also includes outbreaks of spontaneous acoustic jams at any time.
The International Musical Saw Contest (the Saw-Off) is held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Later that afternoon, around 3 p.m., is the Presentation of Awards, followed by the Chorus of the Saws, when up to 50 saw players attempt to play in unison. At 4 p.m., for those who want to learn to play music that really has some teeth in it, there’s a free Musical Saw Workshop.
From beginning to end, the Saw Festival is free, and fun for the whole family. For more information, check out www.SawPlayers.org, or www.RoaringCamp.com. Produced by volunteers of the International Musical Saw Association, this event is sponsored in part by the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County and KUSP Public Radio. Come to the 33rd annual Musical Saw Festival, and say you saw it here first!
