Folk dance & popular songs of a town called- al- Nakeeline [Archives:2005/858/Culture]
By Thuraya Dammag
For the Yemen Times
Previously we talked about the Marriage Convention in al- Nakeeline and how its people hold their festivities during six days.
Now we will talk about folk dance in the seam area:
It is said that has got around one hundred of the folk dances , however , all this large variety could be confined to four general forms of dance:
1- Al- Baraa
2- Al- Dalal
3- Al- Nakileh
4- Al- Lahgi
The above Al- Baraa Dances used to be accompanied with popular songs and folk music . This dance is especially for men. They use it in the occasions such as: wedding, national festivals and the Greater Bairam (Eid Al- Adhha).
This kind of dance divided to two types of dances such as al- Hushaliah and al- Gazaeh. That two kinds are very similar but it differ in some steps.
The two types make a condition that the men have to wear especially address called al- Thaoub and dagger (Jannpia).
This type used to be performed by a group of men and it is accompanied with the tunes rhythm of folk music instruments (drums).
The viewers used to gather and stand in a circular shape while the dancers perform the dance in side the circle of the viewers . This sort of dancing is known as war's dance.
2- Al- Dalal
This type used to be accompanied by a couple of men or women and it is accompanied with the tunes and traditional songs in the middle of the viewers who should set in a circular shape and participate in singing and clapping.
In that type the dancers must stand next to, and hold the hand of, each other.
Usually the music instruments that use for this type of dance must to be with reed pipe and drums.
3- Al- Nakileh
It is a traditional dance used just in the area. And this type of the folk dance used to be performed by four men or women and it is accompanied with tunes and the rhythms of folk music instruments. Also in that dance the main instrument is the reed pipe and tambour.
Audiences of this dance used to sit or stand in a circular or rectangular shape.
4- Al- Lahgi
This type of the folk dance used to be performed by a couple of men or women, or maybe used to be man with woman and its is accompanied with tunes and the rhythms of fold music instruments.
Audiences of this dance used to sit in a circular shape and participate in singing and clapping.
Popular songs
Popular songs in al- Nakeelain can be classified into three main categories:
1- Songs of Handicrafts and Occupations
2- Songs of Social Rites
3- Songs of Traditional Occasions
Of course, there is category of titles of the above songs such as the following:
Al- Mahjal Songs
Folk songs use to be sung by men or women while they are working in the fields or farms especially in agricultural seasons. And it used to be sung by men while they're working on the palm trees.
Al- Zamel Songs
Folk dance used to be sung while water is being pulled out with a pocket from the wells. And it used also while the men ridding beefs in the fields or Camels.
Flood's Songs
Songs used to be sung while floods are flowing after the rainfalls. This type of folk songs used to be sung by men, women and children. The most famous of this Type called: (Ya Matar) it means: (Oh Rain), some of its words:
Ya Matar Emtor Ka Maaei Mashkur
Wa AL- Thurah Wa Al- Bor ..etc.
That means: Oh Rain ,rains I have a flower.
And the Corns And the Barely tc.
A farmer, SM, says: we were singing this song when we were children and now our children sing it every weeping day.
Grinding's Songs
Songs used to be sung by women or men while they're grinding the grains .
A farmer women NA, says: we fell tired when we use the old stony quern to grind the grains, so we sing a lot of songs to can forget our tiredness. I love one of these songs it called : Hla Wa Raheel.
It is a traditional song I don't what is mean?
2- Songs of Social Rites
Are of highly classical style originally composed by old Yemeni singers and lyricists.
These songs used to be sung by women or men in the traditional rites occasions such as birthday of prophet Mohammed, some of weeding conventions , and when the people received the pilgrims.
The most important type of these songs is: Al- Mowashaha that almost independent in its lyrical style and composition. We find that some words mentioned in the area's (al-Nakeelaine) mowashaha (Bali bala, Ya lail dana,…) have equivalent terms in the Arabic mowashaha (Ya laili Ya Aini). We also see the same equivalence in its originally-Arabic rhythms.
3- Songs of Traditional Occasions
Songs used to be sung by women and girls in the traditional occasions such as weeding, celebrates of circumcisions and confinements tc.
In point of fact this type starts to sink because a little of countries still use it. And I think this is one of risks that threaten our popular heritage , some of the more prominent of those risks are:
– The economical and social changes which Yemen has experienced since thirty years ago have brought about a direct threats on the songs of the farmers and craftsmen ,particularly , due to the use of technical mechanisms in all handicrafts.
– Popular Songs and Games of the children have become at the present something of the past reminiscences particularly , within the spread of cartoon' s films which attract them more and do not leave room for the popular songs and dance especially in the cities.
– The Commercial marketing for the cassettes which contain materials of popular songs performed by singers out of the social context of those songs , this matter brought about distortion of the folk songs resulted in serious imbalances in the artistic elements of the song.
– Yemeni weddings include folkloric rites embody folk songs and dances used to point out to the social stratum and segmental in the domestic society but changes that sweep weddings now especially in cities have already put those folkloric rites at stake.
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[archive-e:858-v:13-y:2005-d:2005-07-11-p:culture]
