Record Details

Idsongs: come-with-me-to-the-casbah

Public: False

Song Title: Come With Me To The Casbah

Artist: Chick Ganamian

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/11589543-Ganimian-His-Oriental-Music-Come-With-Me-To-The-Casbah

Image (Url): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E99C-JtVqfM5sB6Rdza8sLLLVU2hVWos/view?usp=drivesdk

Year Released: 1959

Perplexity: Chick Ganamian's "Come With Me To The Casbah" (1959) encapsulates the fascination with Middle Eastern exoticism prevalent in Western music during the mid-20th century. The title invokes the romantic and mysterious image of the Casbah, typically referring to the old citadel quarters in North African cities, particularly associated with Algiers. Ganamian, an Armenian-American pianist, draws on both his cultural heritage and the popular Oriental motifs of the time to create this composition. The piece blends jazz elements with musical cues that Western audiences would associate with the Middle East, such as augmented seconds, snake charmer-like melodies, or rhythmic patterns reminiscent of belly dancing music. The invitational nature of the title suggests a musical journey, potentially incorporating a range of moods and tempos to evoke the imagined sights and sounds of a Casbah. This composition reflects the broader trend of "exotica" in music of the 1950s and early 1960s, where Western musicians interpreted and reimagined non-Western cultures through their own lens. While potentially reinforcing some Orientalist stereotypes, works like this also played a role in sparking interest in authentic Middle Eastern music among Western audiences.

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Jonnie'S Notes: https://www.discogs.com/artist/1591283-Chick-Ganamian https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095550432 https://www.britannica.com/art/exotica https://www.jstor.org/stable/853719 (for context on Orientalism in music)

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