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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZQASIDAHPopular music form found throughout the Arabic sphere of influence from Egypt to the Indonesian archipelago, lyrics originally in classical Arabic but embracing local languages with the expansion of Islam. There is a more than superficial similarity with the Persian-derived ghazal form of India; like ghazal, qasidah is part of a literary tradition, and reveals the multi-natured characteristics of Arabic. Thus it is open to varying interpretations, literal and figurative. Taking as its primary source of inspiration love poetry, it speaks of love on a variety of romantic and religious, profane and spiritual planes. Like ghazal, lyrically contemporary qasidah embraces all manner of religious, secular and political subjects. Performers called qasa'id range in style from the Egyptian Ali Mahmud (d '43) who came from reading the Koran to singing religious verse to the pop-qasidah stylings of the Indonesian all-woman group Nasida Ria, who typify the music's popular face in its easterly form: based in Semarang, they have taken the Arabic-derived form and mixed in Indonesian influences. Keadilan: Qasidah Music From Java on Piranha '91 is a good example of their appealing music. It contains many points of reference for anyone familiar with Indian popular music such as filmi. Instrumentation is typically Western but with Indonesian overlays, incl. flute, guitar, mandolin, electric bass, violin, a range of percussion and keyboards. Like many genres of Indonesian popular music, language apart, it contains few features which might be described as markedly or specifically Indonesian. Nasida Ria's cautionary 'Bila Ingin Bahagia' ('If You Want To Be Happy') deals with morality issues aroused by pre-nuptial sex. Nasida Ria's repertoire is typical of much qasidah music in its recognition of an Islamic worldview. |