Do we have confusion about fusion?

I thought it was very interesting that recently a Belly Dancer was in the Semi-Finals of Britain’s Got Talent! Actually she is from Latvia, Julia Naidenko..a beautiful girl and she can move.  When I saw it I was not inspired because she was dancing to a western pop song, Moulin Rouge. I just couldn’t ‘feel’ her dance.  

 After a bit of research I discovered that the song was selected by the Britain’s Got Talent people, behind the scenes. Julia wanted to dance to a drum solo yet, the usual ‘talent management brokers’ were once again deciding what would be appealing to the public.
You Decide!
Here is a short clip..(the only one that would allow me to embed…embedding suspended at YouTube for Julia!!)

This got me thinking about Fusion , which is always a much debated subject in the Belly Dance scene here in the US and to some degree in Europe.

Europe in general, and Eastern Europe, in particular, tend to gravitate more towards the rich Pop and Pop Fusion that comes from the Middle East.  

 There is a wonderful mosaic of Arabic Pop music that is a fusion of various Middle Eastern regional styles along with fusions of music from other cultures, western included. The beauty of it, particularly for dancers, is that the fundamental rhythm is Arabic with the ‘fusion’ laid over…blended in… and textured…thus supporting the movements of Oriental Dance with a ‘fusion’ of movement from the other genre.

Here is an example from Egyptian Global Superstar Amr Diab. This was one of his earlier songs, (2001),  Wala Ala Balo, an Arabic/Hip Hop fusion featuring rapper SandMan…..complete with English subtitles. This song and music video was a mammoth hit and has been translated and reproduced in seven languages.

Don’t you just love the movement and visual blending of Raks Sharki, with vintage Samia Gamal flashes, Arabic Pop, Techno and Hip Hop! Now THAT’S what I call Fusion!!!

Then, on ‘the other side of the pond’…..we can contrast the above with the famous music video by Egyptian Pop Star, Hisham Abbas, blending Arabic and Bollywood style along with Indian female singer, Jayashree. This is a visual and musical delight!

Fun Fusion! Although the dance is Bollywood…Hisham grooves a few Egyptian style moves…and there are little smatterings of Arabic flavor in the Bollywood Dancing!

All music and dance eventually becomes a fusion of sorts, it seems..and rightfully so, as we humans weave our tapestry of divergent delights!

After all, Art is the out-picturing of our personal and collective journeys!

This has been but a sip of the Cocktail of Arabic Fusion…it is so delicious you always want more….

Another sip anyone?

Oh Come On…You must taste this!

The Tabbouleh Song……

Fusion?
Enough Said!