Makam

Yesterday's concert at Beit Avikhai was enjoyable in everything but the seats. From remarkably uncomfortable chairs in a small room seven levels down in the parking garage, we heard an introduction to makam ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makam ), a musical system of ACAentral Asia and the Near East. The particular makam of last night's performance was the nava, played on the tar, kamancha, and sez, with Neeman Kihan on the santur; and also sung. Rabbi David Menahem explained the place of this melodic system in Jewish Iraqi music.

Copyright 2012 Jane S. Fox