Hamid Al-Saadi

The methodology of Iraqi Maqam is based on oral transmission. Normally, the master teaches a student or group of students by singing the phrases, and the students attempt to imitate all of the details of the master’s performance. By teaching orally, as opposed to written representation of the music, the students integrate the melodies and eventually create their own interpretations and variations of each phrase. Hamid Al-Saadi has replicated this type of format in his Iraqi Maqam classes at Sarah Lawrence College. Every week, he chooses a Maqam on which to focus. He gives the students the poetry and sings the phrases, teaching students the intricacies of each melodic phrase as well as the overall structure of the composition. Al-Saadi is assisted by oud player and vocalist George Ziadeh, who translates the poetry and Hamid’s instructions from Arabic to English while analyzing the musical material to facilitate the students’ understanding of the music and poetry. During the semester, students are exposed to a variety of Maqam compositions in addition to Iraqi folk songs and rhythms. Depending on their ambition, some of the students are even able to memorize and sing one or more maqams, which they will have a chance to demonstrate during the recital at the end of the semester. This class represents a rare opportunity for students to engage with an ancient musical language through the encounter with a seasoned master.

The methodology of Iraqi Maqam is based on oral transmission. Normally, the master teaches a student or group of students by singing the phrases, and the students attempt to imitate all of the details of the master’s performance. By teaching orally, as opposed to written representation of the music, the students integrate the melodies and eventually create their own interpretations and variations of each phrase. Hamid Al-Saadi has replicated this type of format in his Iraqi Maqam classes at Sarah Lawrence College. Every week, he chooses a Maqam on which to focus. He gives the students the poetry and sings the phrases, teaching students the intricacies of each melodic phrase as well as the overall structure of the composition. Al-Saadi is assisted by oud player and vocalist George Ziadeh, who translates the poetry and Hamid’s instructions from Arabic to English while analyzing the musical material to facilitate the students’ understanding of the music and poetry. During the semester, students are exposed to a variety of Maqam compositions in addition to Iraqi folk songs and rhythms. Depending on their ambition, some of the students are even able to memorize and sing one or more maqams, which they will have a chance to demonstrate during the recital at the end of the semester. This class represents a rare opportunity for students to engage with an ancient musical language through the encounter with a seasoned master.

See course description under Lectures and Seminars.

See course description under Lectures and Seminars.

Inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the maqam is the classical vocal tradition of Iraq and one of the most refined of the many maqam traditions found throughout the Arab and Muslim world. In Iraq, the term maqam refers to highly structured, semi-improvised compositions that take years of disciplined study under a master to learn fully. Often rhythmically free and meditative, they are sung to classical Arabic and colloquial Iraqi poetry and are followed by lighthearted, rhythmic songs known as pestaat. In this course, students will learn to sing and play melodic phrases of the Iraqi maqam. The class serves as a introduction to the maqam system, vocabulary, and intonation for students wishing to familiarize themselves with Arab and Middle Eastern music. The class will be taught by vocalist Hamid Al-Saadi, currently the world’s foremost practitioner of the maqam and the only living master who knows the entire tradition. Al-Saadi will be assisted in each class by an Arab instrumentalist and, in each session, he will teach singers and instrumentalists to sing/play melodies of the Iraqi maqam. Vocal students will learn to sing the lyrics, which are drawn from the vast body of Arabic poetry—although knowledge of the Arabic language is not required. Each session ends with the students learning a pesteh, or lighthearted rhythmic piece, during which students will learn to sing and tap the rhythms. At the end of each semester, there will be a performance. No previous experience in Arabic music or language is required for this class.