Death and dancing

[clevermanka]

Heads-up on the next Aladdin Café gig: It's going to be the first Thursday after the end of Ramadan, so October 26. Our usual musicians have a gig that night, so we'll be dancing to taped music for a change. It'll be a nice break, and a good opportunity for the new girls to dance to actual songs.

mesniu, I'm toying with the idea of dancing to one of your songs that night, but I'd like to know what the lyrics are before I dance to it in front of people who know Arabic (I've heard too many horror stories about dancers performing to music that was inappropriate for dancing). Unfortunately I left the CD at home, so I don't remember the name of the song. It's the second middle-easterny sounding song on the CD, though. I think it's the only one with non-English lyrics on the whole CD.

In other, less happy-but-kinda-related news, Tahseen Alkoudsi died this weekend. I doubt anyone other than the dancers on my list knew him, but I wanted to note his passing. I hadn't spent much time with him or his wife, Kathe, recently. At the burial yesterday (nothing like a surprise funeral to mark a rainy Monday afternoon), I looked around at the other bellydancers gathered and I was ashamed. Kathe is a wonderful, precious woman who deserves a good network of friends. I wish I had helped provide that for her before. I shall make an attempt to be a better friend to her in the future.

Thank you, roya_spirit for the private in-car zaghareet on the ride back home. It's a pity it wasn't appropriate for the mixed (non-bellydancer) company at the burial. But it did sound pretty damn awesome in the close confines of the CRX.

Comments

[skyflame.livejournal.com]

Gah. I'll be in Lawrence all morning, but not in the afternoon. :(

[mesniu.livejournal.com]

If you are referring to the one I think you are, the song is called "Submit." The title is based on what I was told in 9th grade (by my social studies teacher--he could have been wrong, I've just never bothered to check) was the definition of the term Islam, "submission to Allah." Depending on the type of crowd you may have, it could either richly tantalize of deeply offend-- I'll leave that to you to decide. The lyrics are one of the five daily calls to prayer, repeated twice and synched to the beat.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oooo. OK, yeah, we'll file that under "deeply offend" and not pick that one to dance to. Thanks for letting me know!

[chandara.livejournal.com]

Yes, I remember him, but Roya had to remind me of his name. I never had the opportunity to spend time with them, but he & Kathe were always kind to me when I did see them around on the seminar circuit.

Poor Kathe. Yes, she'll need all the friends and support she can get in the future. They seemed like such a loving couple.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

As I understood it from Zaina, the zaghareet would have been totally appropriate, as it is also used to send warriors off to war, and the dead on to the afterlife, but with the mixed company, my gut instincts said "not here". So... at the Memorial later this month... look out ears of Lawrence!
Tahseen would love it, I'm sure.

And on Kathe...ditto my own feelings. Down to my foot in my mouth at saying it was so good to see her. I hope she knew what I meant.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Nope. As of yet, there is no such thing with me in it. And I doubt she will ever give up the Aladdin free dance night.