4/4: Baladi, Maqsum and Saiidi

Leigh Ann, myself and Hannah Nour performing Sayed Reda's Meleya choreography. Three nights a week, 6 dancers and 6 or so musicians performed for a predominantly Arabic audience."Can you show me the difference between a Baladi and a Saiidi?" I asked my best friend Dorit, an amazing bellydancer, musician and composer. "Sure!" she said. It was nighttime at the Lafayette, where we sipped wine, waiting for the bellydancer to hit the stage. Finally, I thought, knowledge would be mine. Finally, I would learn the difference between Baladi and Saiidi.

Before Dorit answers, let me tell you why this was so important. Let's backtrack to the moment when I first recognized a 4/4 Middle Eastern Rhythm on an event I call Night of the Aziza. I was an intermediate student, fairly new to New York and lucky enough to be performing several shows a week at an Egyptian Supper Club. That night, I was in the dressing room, getting ready for my next number, when the sound of a familiar melody froze me in mid-lipstick touch-up. The music came from the stage, where the band was playing for Shahira, the principal dancer. How was I able to recognize this song and why did it make me think of home?

After a long moment, "Oh my gosh!" I assaulted my fellow rookies, "My teacher in Mexico had me come out of a purple trunk and dance to this music!" "Oh, yes..." said Kristen, turning her head slowly towards me in her praying mantis sort of way, "It's Aziza, right?" Wow, she even knew its name. I realized then that this wasn't exclusively my song.

But I loved it so. Even more than its melody, I found Aziza's rhythm magnetic. It was evocative of a give-and-take... or perhaps a tease. I'm sure that imagery was influenced by my experience dancing out of that purple trunk: I would peek out and get back in a few times, slowly working my way out, like a snake coming out of a basket. 

Serena, our teacher and choreographer, had her own Aziza story. When playing it in class, she told us she was able to go anywhere in the world, and dance to any Middle Eastern band, simply by saying the word "Aziza." The rest of the communication afterwards would happen through music and dance.  

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