Ra'eesah! The Retrobellydancer

[DronesDodz]

Hello Ladies,
it has been a while that I have posted here, but finally back again
Anyway,
I am trying to help to advertise for my wife a little,
her name is Ra'eesah Ra'naa and she is the Retrobellydancer. Nope, no exotic dancing or anything like that, she is a semi-professional middle eastern dancer who performs and teaches the art of bellydance. She is very facinated with the retro culture, music, clothes etc. of the 1930's, 40's and combined it with her passion of middle eastern dance. Unfortunately only little is known in the US about the retro culture of Egypt and the middle east and my wife tries to represent the golden age of middle eastern dance. Actually, the egyptian mixed their culture with Holywood glam during the 1940's. Of course, belly dancing was also influenced by this and many egyptian dancers and actors became imortal on the silver screen.
Please feel free to visit her website:
http://www.retrobellydancer.com

Please bare with us as her career and the website are still in its beginning phase. Cairo wasn't build in a day either

Thanks and Regards,
Christoph

 

[DronesDodz]

Here her performance poster

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Err,...I cannuh find those pics!

Please excuse my poor Scottish impersonation Drones,... lol but I love bagpipe music, and I love Egyptian music as well. I had the good fortune to hear some Egyptian music on my car's radio a long time ago. It was broadcast on a college radio station, not a mainstream station. Sounded like it had some sort of bagpipe instrument in it. I totally love ethnic music like that because it's so real! So different and original. Not like the drek that's on mainstream radio.
So where is Ra'eesah's website,... [huh] and do you accompany her on the pipes?

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Okay,...

The site just appeared, like magic.

 

[DronesDodz]

The site just appeared, like magic.

You know, funny you mention it, but yes my wife and I are currently thinking about working out some routines to perform together. I might even compose something myself.
The sultan of Oman loves the bagpipes and has pipe bands in all of his armed force branches as he used to be an officer with the Cameronian Rifles in the UK. The Jordanian Army has a bagpipe band and occasionally they send some pipers for training into the UK. The Egyptian Army also has bagpipers. However, in order to adjust to their folkloric music they play a different pitch and different music from what the Scottish or Irish pipers play.
Cheers,
Christoph

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Are there different types of bagpipes tuned to different pitches? Just as there are different types of saxophones, like tenor, alto, soprano?

 

[DronesDodz]

Are there different types of bagpipes tuned to different pitches? Just as there are different types of saxophones, like tenor, alto, soprano?

Well, I probably could talk to you about this for hours....
In short,
yes there are several different kinds of pipes all over the globe. The origin of the great highland bagpipes comes from egypt and the middle east as shepherds instrument. The Romans took the instrument from the egypts and adopted it as military instrument leading their troops into battle. When they invaded England they kind of left the instrument with the celts. From there the Irish in Northern Ireland picked it up and used it once more to lead soldiers/clans into battle. As all celts are somehow connected, the Scottish picked up the pipes and turned into, over many centuries, as what we know today, the Scottish bagpipes. All middle eastern countries still use their nomadic bagpipes, however, as British soldiers were stationed in arabic countries they also introduced the pipes to the natives. Mixed units of British and Arabic soldiers adopted the pipes and they still play them today. Pitches are different with most pipes, depending on the bores of the instrument and the reeds used.
Hope that helps a little,
Christoph

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Thanks for the info.


I could talk about this for hours too.
Here's a pic of some pipes from the 16th century. From a painting by Peter Breugel the Elder. (One of my favorites)
It shows a very unusual set of bag pipes being played at a wedding.

 

[RetroModelSari]

Sounds great! Plus your wife is such a beauty!!! :eusa_clap

 

[DronesDodz]

Sounds great! Plus your wife is such a beauty!!! :eusa_clap

Thank you Sari! I really appreciat that! I think so too
Christoph