A full exploration of the musical traditions of the Middle East is beyond our expertise! But we can start with music of the Ottoman Empire – classical Ottoman and traditional Ottoman music had an influence across the Empire, which controlled much of what we call the Middle East, North Africa, and south east Europe. Note the prominence of the oud, the fretless lute, a music scale distinctive from western music (including quarter tones halfway between notes), complex rhythmic structures, and the prominence (though not in this example) of the solo vocalist…

The music here is a version of the traditional Turkish folk song, “Kâtibim” (“my clerk” or “my secretary”), or “Üsküdar’a Gider İken” (“while going to Üsküdar”) about a woman traveling to Üsküdar with her secretary. I can’t speak for the visuals in the video, which are cobbled together from historical Ottoman sources of the 18th and 19th c. The song has been adapted and revised and performed in thousands of new contexts. Take this version for example, with Turkish zither (qanam), West African kora, and Turkish and Pakistani singers, Sumru Ağıryürüyen and Zoe Vicajji. A beautiful version, well worth a listen…

Or, for a classic – Umm Kulthum. For one of the most famous songs from one of the most famous singers in the Arab world. Umm Kulthum, born of the Nile Delta, daughter of an Imam, rose to prominence in the 1930s. For forty years she was a powerful international presence, spreading classical Arabic music throughout the Middle East and around the world. She was known for her passionate style and improvisation. When she died in 1975, millions of Egyptians turned out to honor her.

This video is from a 1967 performance in Paris. “You Are My Life” (Enta Omri), one of her most famous songs. The English subtitles explain the love story….

Or for something more contemporary… Cheb Khaled & Diana Haddad – Mass Ou Louly -Diamonds & Pearls