Ep 370. Dr George Sawa: How Centuries-Old Knowledge Can Still Guide Modern Dancers and Musicians
Dr. George Sawa is an internationally recognized musicologist, performer, and educator specializing in Arabic music history, theory, and performance. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, he brings over 50 years of experience, with training from the Higher Institute of Arabic Music and a PhD in historical Arabic musicology from the University of Toronto. He has taught at the University of Toronto and York University, and lectured and performed worldwide. A prolific author on medieval and modern Arabic music, his work bridges historical research with contemporary practice and has become an important resource for the dance community. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture for his contributions to Arabic music research.
In this episode you will learn about:
How translating 11th-century Arabic music dictionaries reveals detailed insights into dancers, musicians, and aesthetics of that time
Why even medieval musicians warned dancers about tricky drummers—and the importance of knowing the music
The reality of fusion in history—and why some combinations worked while others failed
How European influence shaped Egyptian music and led to the rise of large orchestras
Why modern dancers struggle to interpret older music—and what is required to truly dance to it
Show Notes to this episode:
Find Dr George Sawa on YouTube, FB, and website with the info about his publications.
Previous interview with Dr George Sawa:
Ep 75. George Sawa: Digging Deep Into the History of Egyptian Music
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