If you’ve followed Robert Frost’s Banjo for a while, & especially the banjo-related posts, you know that I admire Cathy Moore’s playing a good deal. There have been several posts about her on this blog, & in addition to the link above, which leads to her fine Banjo Meets World blog, I’d also encourage you to visit her YouTube channel, where you’ll find not only other fine performances, but also some great instructional videos—including a video on how to play today’s tune!
Of course, “Rampi Rampi” (AKA “Rompi Rompi” & "Çadırımın Üstüne") is pretty far from your typical banjo repertoire—it’s a Turkish song for accompanying belly dance, & it’s in 9/8 time. 9/8 does come up some in western European music, specifically in Irish jigs like “The Rocky Road to Dublin,” but it’s not a meter you’d associate with the banjo & especially the banjo played clawhammer style—clawhammer is traditionally associated almost exclusively with 2/4 or 4/4 time. But one of Moore’s strengths as a musician is her ability to adapt the clawhammer technique to unusual time signatures, which she does with great effectiveness & musicality on several eastern European & Middle Eastern tunes she’s adapted to the banjo.
Very fun indeed! Hope you enjoy this wonderful tune, & have a happy Friday.
Image links to source on Wiki Commons. The image is titled "Almeh du Caire - 19th century Egyptian dancer" by Frederic Goupil Fesquet (1806-1893); image is public domain.
Very interesting indeed! Cross-cultural stuff always gets my attention (says the guy who's been listening to Peter Gabriel from the beginning).
ReplyDeleteYes, I am enjoying this and it is quite different (cross-cultural, as Roy says).
ReplyDelete