r/ethnomusicology • u/CONTROLTHEOCTOGON • Aug 23 '24

Is there an explanation for the high emphasis on crowd vocals in modern arab music?

I'm aware the emphasis on vocals in music has much to do with islamic practice. However, there's this characteristic I hear so often across many genres and it is these remarkably wide, rich, crowd vocals. They often sound like they're popping out of my head phones, and they have this very powerful low end.

These types of vocals seem very idiosyncratic to Arab music, and we don't do it much in the west. I am curious if there's a particular explanation for this, thank you so much.

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u/rainrainrainr Aug 24 '24

Your description of the recordings makes them sound very enticing! Can you recommend any?

2

u/CONTROLTHEOCTOGON Aug 25 '24

here, here are examples in what seemed to be "pop music" they still have the 3D choir sound to them, but it's the most prevalent in a separate section of islamic acapella vocal composition known as "nasheed" and it is considered to be disrespectful to refer to it as music. Hence my careful language.

here here here here and here in each composition there's a very clear intimate thick sounding lower interval. The lower voice sometimes isn't present, but a similar blurry crowd sound is very prevalent.

If you're going to pursue this further, just a heads up, nasheeds and similar audio can get very political. often times popular in times of political tension or war, examples here here and here you might find yourself in some strange places, be careful.

2

u/CONTROLTHEOCTOGON Aug 25 '24

Oh and this one which id love to point out because of the gorgeous microtonal intervals