Working with Beledi Rhythm

The rhythm
All drum rhythms can be interpreted differently by different drummers, but a basic structure defines each one. The rhythm we are working with is usually called “beledi” in the United States, but you may also see it referred to as “Masmoudi Saghir” by Egyptian drummers. To further complicate matters, there is a slightly different rhythm that is sometimes referred to as Beledi as well. It is also VERY similar to Maksoom, which is a super-common rhythm in Egyptian music.

The word Beledi means “country,” with the idea of “hick” attached. (There is also a style of costume and a style of dance which can be referred to as Beledi or Baladi, but these are connected to the word “country,” not to the rhythm used. Incidentally, some people theorize that the term “belly dance” actually came from the word Beledi as well). This is the most common rhythm among music used for belly dance, including Arabic pop and traditional Egyptian dance music.
The basic structure of the Beledi rhythm, that sets it apart from others, is this:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
D D T D T
(Dun, Dun, Tek...Dun Tek Tek...)

The drummer has freedom to “fill” in between these stressed beats as he/she sees fit to interpret the music, but here is one of the most common “fills,” and the one we are working with in class:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
D D Tkt D t kT tk
(Dun, Dun, Tek ka tek, Dun, Tek ka Tek, tek ka)

(Capitals represent stressed beats)


Zill patterns
Zills is the Turkish word for finger cymbals, which is generally used among US dancers. They are called Sagat in Egypt. The simplest rhythms for zills, which can be used with beledi rhythm, are doubles or triplets, like so:

RR, LL, RR, LL, RR, LL....

RLR, RLR, RLR, RLR, RLR, RLR...

Much better suited to the 4/4 time of the rhythm would be:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
RLR R RLR R

A full zill accompaniment to the filled-in rhythm would be like this:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
D D Tkt D t kT tk
R R RLR R RLR RL

Do keep in mind that this is one good accompaniment; I should stress that there are no hard-and-fast rules about these things. If you are musically inclined, you could certainly come up with your own variation. There are times, as well, depending on the melody or mood of a piece of music or your choreography, where you may want to silence your zills altogether, or just stress a certain beat or beats in the measure by striking one or both cymbals (only on the Duns, for instance).

• Anything in doubles or sets of four, like hip lifts, bumps, or slides, chest lifts or drops, etc.
  
• Alternate a double chest movement with a hip movement, like chest drop, drop, hip tuck, tuck
  
• Move the right foot to the front for the first 2 beats, to the back for the second two. Add single or double hip lifts, or figure 8s to the hip work. You can also travel with this.
  
• You can also invent combinations that use two full measures, like this one we did in class:
  
• Tiny ummis while turning to the right, then hip up, up, down for the first measure, tiny ummis turning to the left, chest lift, drop for the second measure
  

• Basic Egyptian is classic (lift, step, lift, step)
  
• Arabic one with an undulation (flat, ball, ball, ball)
  
• Double hip bumps, walking (step R, R, step L, L)
  
• Step ball change, step ball change, hold while doing a torso move (chest, hip, etc.)
  
• Walking with double tucks, straight or on the diagonal.
  
• Diagonal double tucks, with a twist transition (R tuck tuck, L tuck, twist, step)
  
• 3 step turn with an accent at the end (hip lift, hip twist, chest lift, etc.)