aswan troupe for folkloric arts - the music of islam vol.3: music of the nubians, aswan, egypt (Celestial Harmonies) Cost $29.95

"From ancient times, Nubian peoples have flourished in the land along the Nile River. But Egyptian projects to dam the river at Aswan have, over time, submerged the Nubian territories along the Nile under water. And with the completion of the Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser came the inundation of the entire Nubian valley in southern Egypt. As a result, the Egyptian Nubians irrevocably lost what remained of their ancestral lands along the Nile and were forcibly relocated. The resettlement has given rise to a range of social problems, and many aspects of Nubian culture and social organization that previously existed have now changed or disappeared.

Despite efforts to survive or revive their culture, at this present point in the epic history of the Nubians, when their ancestral land is lost, and when their language is no longer the medium of either their religion or their government, music may in fact prove to be the best means for preserving something of the ethos of Nubian culture, and for adapting it to further changes in the future.

The traditional instruments featured, which are used to accompany Nubian song and dance, include the 'ud (fretless, short-necked lute), tabla (or tabalah, single-headed tapered drum) and tar (or duff, round framedrum). The typical song style is based on alternation of a solo singer with a chorus. Both song and dance are often accompanied by intricate patterns of hand-clapping and foot-stomping. Wedding celebrations, which can last up to a week, are the main social setting for performing traditional Nubian music and dance."