"FOLK MUSIC OF PALESTINE" LP Folkways new/sealed Israeli Palestinian recordings

$

40

Folk Music of Palestine

Hebrew / Yemenite / Persian / Arabic / Bokharian

Folkways FE 4408, released 1959 - Ethnic Folkways Library series - still sealed LP

For sale is a still-sealed, brand-new, original LP copy of Folk Music of Palestine, a volume in the Folkways Records "Ethnic Folkways Library" series originally released in 1959. The music on this LP was recorded in the late 1940s and early 1950s by members of the Folk Music department of the Anthropological Institute of Israel, and comprise music by a number of ethnic and religious groups then present in the Holy Land, as the subtitle would indicate. Much of this music can no longer be heard today as the cultures and their traditions have either dispersed or been assimilated into the general body of Israeli and/or Palestinian culture. This LP is thus a precious document. In addition to a photo showing the front cover of the LP, I've taken a "close-up" of the track listing on the back cover.

Condition: Like I said, this is still-sealed. It's in the shrink-wrap, and has never been opened. See the photos to get a close look at the front and back.

Here's the official Smithsonian Folkways description of the LP:

In this 1959 collection, American folklorist Harold Courlander documents a tradition of Palestinian folk song that has previously been known only through oral ritual. The compilation features vocally driven recordings as they are performed for ceremonial and spiritual purposes, including "Song of the Month of Fasting," "Recitation from the Koran," and several wedding songs. Songs capture different dialects and regional choral techniques.

Liner notes include a comparison of the various cultural origins of Middle Eastern music, as well as descriptions and musical analyses of each song.

And here's an All Music Guide review of the LP:

Merely one year after Israel was founded, Folkways released Folk Music of Palestine. Selected from the Department of Folk Music of the Anthropological Institute of Israel -- formerly the Palestine Institute of Folklore and Ethnology -- the album's 16 tracks document traditional music from the region of Palestine. Within this mix is a Bokharian wedding song, characterized by a yodeling trill and a 3/4 meter articulated on two doyras (hand drums). The Iranian tune "Recitation From Firdausi's Shaname" features a pleasant gait and smoothly sung verses that alternate between two male singers. The liner notes offer musicological analyses of the tracks, highlighting formal, tonal, and rhythmic features. Though the recordings distort a bit since they are mixed too hot, the album reminds listeners that the people of this turbulent region -- whether Muslim, Jew, Christian, or agnostic -- all have a common love for music.

Following is the track listing for both sides of the LP:

A1 - Gulait Dore - Two female Bokharian singers, three doyra players - 1:17

A2 - Al Matcha Anora - Mixed Bokharian singers, doyra players - 2:01

A3 - Tulkum Song of Sandy Hills - Male Bokharian singer, tar and doyra players - 2:48

A4 - Raftam Rayi - Female Bokharian singer - 1:35

A5 - Taki Chasma - Female Bokharian singer - 0:35

A6 - Recitation from Firdausi's Shaname - Two male Iranian singers - 1:36

A7 - Ve Eem Lo Akshav - Male and female Hebrew singers - 1:17

A8 - Aharei Mot - Male vocalist - 1:32

B1 - Kedusha - Male Hebrew vocalist - 1:10

B2 - Kether - Male Hebrew vocalist, congregation - 1:44

B3 - Song of Moses (Exodus XIV, 30) - Male Hebrew Yemenite vocalist - 0:55

B4 - Cerimonial Song - Male Hebrew Yemenite singers, drummer - 2:20

B5 - Prophet's Birthday Song Light of the Redeemed Noor Al Muffadah Lah - Male soloist and chorus - 1:30

B6 - Song of the Ramadan for the Month of Fasting - Male soloist, female chorus, 'ud and durbakki players - 1:22

B7 - Recitation from the Koran - Male vocalist - 1:02

B8 - Love Song - Male singer, violinist, 'ud, durbakki, and kanoun players - 1:49 - 

You can hear short samples of each track on Smithsonian Folkways's website. eBay won't let me include a link, so just do some searching around and you'll find it. :)

This item comes from a non-smoking home. I'm not a store; I just sell a few LPs a year to keep my shelves open for new stuff. :)

If you have any questions about this auction, feel free to inquire via eBay.

The winner pays $4 for media-rate shipping in the USA, $18 for shipping elsewhere in the world (sorry, but US Postal Service international shipping rates have skyrocketed recently). I'll cover the cost of insuring the packages.