Iraq: Ud Classique Arabe Par Munir Bashir by Charles Duvelle

Review by: Gen'ichi Tsuge

Asian Music, Vol. 4, No. 2 (1973), pp. 36-37
Published by: University of Texas Press
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RECORD REVIEW
By
Gen'ichi Tsuge
IRAQ: UD CLASSIQUE ARABEPAR MUNIR BASHIR, Disques

OCORA OCR 63.

One 12 " 33 1/3 rpm disc (1973 ? General Editor, Charles Duvelle) Recording
by Office de Radiodiffusion-Telvision
Francaise, Paris 1971. Notes in
French and English by Simon Jargy, 6 pp., music examples and photos.
$7.98.
This album presents the classical
Cd music practiced in Iraq today.
The disc, being devoted entirely to taqsim performance by Munir Bashir,
will be treasured by connoisseurs.
Munir Bashir is considered "one of
the finest musicians in the Arab world and the uncontested master of the
Cud" (Jacket notes).
It is said that Munir, like his brother Jamil, first
studied the classical tradition with Sharif Muhiddin, a Turkish maestro
who lived in Baghdad in 1930-40's, and then developed and established
his own style and school of Iraqi music.
Here one can listen to a total of eight taqsTim on the following
maqa mat:
Nahawand
Rast
Hiijzkar Kurd
Awj
Awshar

Kurdi
Dasht

The longest taqsim in Nahawand lasts about 9 min. 30 sec., and the
shortest one in Awj taking 3 min. 03 sec. Leaving aside Munir's exquisite
performance in all these maqamat, the present reviewer is, in particular,
interested in the last four taqasTm in Awshar, KurdT, LamTand Dasht.
These are typical of the so-called Iraqi (vocal) maqam (al-maqam aliiraqT)which was briefly introduced elsewhere in this journal (Tsuge
1972). The inclusion of these maqamat made this album a unique and
valuable addition to thI scanty sound materials of the Iraqi maqam presently available to us.
It should be noted that these maqamat strikingly bear a close resemblance
to the Persian dastcqah, not only by their names (Awashar and Persian
Afshari, Kurdi and Bavat-e Kord, Dasht and Dashti), but also in terms of

36

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In addition to the previous

their modal characteristics.
pairs, the
of Awj and Segah, and of LamT and Shur must be also pointed
resemblance
out.
The reviewer feels keenly the necessity
of comparative
studies of
the Iraqi maqam, the Persian dastgah,
and the Turkish makam.
The notes by Professor
Simon Jargy of Geneve are talkative
enough to
in the world of classical
if not
interest
c&ud music,
general audience
information
to relate this music to the
without a tinge of misleading
that the Spanish guitarrists
Andalusian
music assuming
are the heirs of
the school of Ziryab (Zyriab), who immigrated to Cordoba in 822 from
Baghdad.

FOOTNOTES
1.

To best of this reviewer's

the followings
are the only
knowledge,
commercial
other
(LP) of the Iraqi maqam available,
recordings
than the 7" 45 rpm discs from Chakmakchiphon
of Baghdad.
Arabian Music:
Maqam (UNESCO Collection
Modal Music and Improvisation
VI-3),
Oriento no Minzoku-ongaku
(Living
Columbia
(Japan) EDS-19

Heritage

Ancient and Oriental Music (The History

1), RCA Victor LM 6057-1
Music

from the Middle

East,

Supraphon

Musical
Sources,
Philips 6586 006
of Asian

of Music

Music),

in Sound,

Vol.

SUA 12699

REFERENCE CITED
G.
Tsuge,
1972 "A Note

on the Iraqi Maqam"

in Asian

Music

37

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IV-1,

59-66