fredlag@noos.fr
31-05-2006, 00:20
According to Abd al-Aziz Anany, who never quoted a source, it was a known fact that when Shaykh Yusuf al-Manyalawi agreed to sing Qabbani’s "El bolbol gani we-qalli" at a private concert, he demanded one hundred golden pounds. The fee was extremely high, but quite possible. This anecdote illustrates, whatever the truth be, the very special status of this dor at the beginning of the century, a dor which was Manyalawi’s "specialty" if you will.
Of course, the Khawaga Vogel (that was before Mansour Awad became the artistic director of Gramophone’s Cairo branch) had Manyalawi record his best piece for Gramophone, 6000 pounds for 50 double-side records, 120 pounds a record, an excellent deal.
Compared with all the other recorded versions of this piece, Manyalawi’s is unquestionably the richest. Whereas Safti’s and Abu Dawud’s rendition help outlining the composer’s intention, Manyalawi acts as a composer himself in his reading of the piece, adding all sorts of wonders.
Typical Manyalwi layali with his famous qafla (1’40), the madhhab (not as clearly suznak and tahmila rast-esque than Safti’s), but some higaz coloring at times (2’52). Obviously, Shaykh Yusuf had sung this piece dozens of times, see the way he plays with the rythm in the madhhab (3’30>3’40), placing syncopation (is that English?), climbing up the degrees at 3’41, being his usual playful singer.
Serious matter begins with the very long suznak section on the second side and leh ya hamam, with higaz/muhayyar much more developped than with other singers, turning bayyati at 5’24 than back to higaz>rast suznak.
Wonderful leh-s in the 6th minute, completely original. Fakkarteni bel habayeb in gins higaz, with a nice ultra short allusive qafla, very Manyalawiesque at 7’15, notice the takht hailing Abu Haggag (= Yusuf). Highest peaks of the piece in this section, qafla rast kerdan, rast baladi on leh ya hamam.
On the third side, I love his short ah just before the ya hamam qafla at 9’20. The leeehs are beginning to be dove-like, an idea he will immediatly : at 10’20 begins the legendary section of the?hadil el-hamam, in which the /b/ of betnawwah turns into a vibrating /v/ imitating the chant of a dove. ?
At 11’20 begins the bayyati/husayni section. nice /m/ at 10’24, fantastic lehs, Manayalwi never tires, he doesn’t let the madhhabgeyya do anything (lazy bones). The 4th side, at 13’45, the habayeb sound like havayeb. Sika/awg section at 13’50, quite short, corresponds to haltara nerga3 el awtan, huzam > gins higaz fantastic qafla at 14’28. hank suggested on gharayeb (15’20), an invention of his, elaborate qafla at 15’50, transition to za3lan with those extremely ornate sentences in higaz/muhayyar (16’23, just try to sing it like him, really hard to recreate), the ultimate bayyati muhayyar za3lan leh, every qafla shakl tani, the 16’37 one is insane, and then, the sound engineer from London tells the shaykh with a nod ?"wrap it up, this has been going on for 17 minutes already", and the shaykh thinks "are you kidding? It feels like I’ve just started and I still have so much to add", but it’s to late and its time to end it in suznak, let’s just fool around with the rythm and syncopation at 17’30 with ghaara-aamak, and there’s not time for the least taqsim bamb, not for a single ya lel, it’s over.
I always feel exhilarated with this version, feel like dancing with him...
الشيخ يوسف المنيلاوي
دور/البلبل جاني وقاللي
Gramophone 012427/28/29/30 recorded january 1909 (there are actually two versions, the second with another matrix nb, this is probably the latest i.e. technically best and I don't own the second).
انتبهو إلى قسم «هديل الحمام» المشهور بين الدقيقة العاشرة والحادية عشرة
الوثيقة الخفيفة هي نفس التسجيل بتركيز أقوى
Of course, the Khawaga Vogel (that was before Mansour Awad became the artistic director of Gramophone’s Cairo branch) had Manyalawi record his best piece for Gramophone, 6000 pounds for 50 double-side records, 120 pounds a record, an excellent deal.
Compared with all the other recorded versions of this piece, Manyalawi’s is unquestionably the richest. Whereas Safti’s and Abu Dawud’s rendition help outlining the composer’s intention, Manyalawi acts as a composer himself in his reading of the piece, adding all sorts of wonders.
Typical Manyalwi layali with his famous qafla (1’40), the madhhab (not as clearly suznak and tahmila rast-esque than Safti’s), but some higaz coloring at times (2’52). Obviously, Shaykh Yusuf had sung this piece dozens of times, see the way he plays with the rythm in the madhhab (3’30>3’40), placing syncopation (is that English?), climbing up the degrees at 3’41, being his usual playful singer.
Serious matter begins with the very long suznak section on the second side and leh ya hamam, with higaz/muhayyar much more developped than with other singers, turning bayyati at 5’24 than back to higaz>rast suznak.
Wonderful leh-s in the 6th minute, completely original. Fakkarteni bel habayeb in gins higaz, with a nice ultra short allusive qafla, very Manyalawiesque at 7’15, notice the takht hailing Abu Haggag (= Yusuf). Highest peaks of the piece in this section, qafla rast kerdan, rast baladi on leh ya hamam.
On the third side, I love his short ah just before the ya hamam qafla at 9’20. The leeehs are beginning to be dove-like, an idea he will immediatly : at 10’20 begins the legendary section of the?hadil el-hamam, in which the /b/ of betnawwah turns into a vibrating /v/ imitating the chant of a dove. ?
At 11’20 begins the bayyati/husayni section. nice /m/ at 10’24, fantastic lehs, Manayalwi never tires, he doesn’t let the madhhabgeyya do anything (lazy bones). The 4th side, at 13’45, the habayeb sound like havayeb. Sika/awg section at 13’50, quite short, corresponds to haltara nerga3 el awtan, huzam > gins higaz fantastic qafla at 14’28. hank suggested on gharayeb (15’20), an invention of his, elaborate qafla at 15’50, transition to za3lan with those extremely ornate sentences in higaz/muhayyar (16’23, just try to sing it like him, really hard to recreate), the ultimate bayyati muhayyar za3lan leh, every qafla shakl tani, the 16’37 one is insane, and then, the sound engineer from London tells the shaykh with a nod ?"wrap it up, this has been going on for 17 minutes already", and the shaykh thinks "are you kidding? It feels like I’ve just started and I still have so much to add", but it’s to late and its time to end it in suznak, let’s just fool around with the rythm and syncopation at 17’30 with ghaara-aamak, and there’s not time for the least taqsim bamb, not for a single ya lel, it’s over.
I always feel exhilarated with this version, feel like dancing with him...
الشيخ يوسف المنيلاوي
دور/البلبل جاني وقاللي
Gramophone 012427/28/29/30 recorded january 1909 (there are actually two versions, the second with another matrix nb, this is probably the latest i.e. technically best and I don't own the second).
انتبهو إلى قسم «هديل الحمام» المشهور بين الدقيقة العاشرة والحادية عشرة
الوثيقة الخفيفة هي نفس التسجيل بتركيز أقوى