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Ataaba
The ataaba (Arabic: عتابا, meaning "plaint" or "dirge", also transliterated 'ataba) is a traditional Arabic musical form sung at weddings, festivals, and other occasions.[1] Popular in the Middle East, it was originally a Bedouin genre, improvised by a solo poet-singer accompanying themselves on the rababa.[2] As part of Arab tradition, ataabas are generally performed by a vocal soloist, without instrumental accompaniment, who improvises the melody using folk poetry for the verse.[3]
Sung unmetered in stanzas comprising four lines, the last word of the first three lines are homonyms, each with a different meaning, creating a pun. In urban settings, the ataaba is often paired with a metric choral refrain called a mījanā.[2]
The ataaba is also used to express grief or reproach.[4] The most common theme of an ataaba is love, though eulogies are also common. Less common themes include moral instruction, and descriptions of nature.[5]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Cavendishp996was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "The Two Tenors of Arabic Music". Turath. 2000. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ Kaschl, 2003, p. 249.
- ^ Armitage et al., 2002, p. 324.
- ^ Cohen and Katz, 2006, p. 262.
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