Hanjale (2013) for solo cello or solo mandolin – Kareem Roustom

Hanjale (2013)

Instrumentation: solo Cello (or solo Mandolin)

Duration ca. 12′

There is an Arabic saying أول الرقص حنجلة (Awal al-raqs hanjale) which translates to “The dance begins with a prance.” Like most such folk sayings, there are often multiple meanings attributed to them. Generally, this saying can be understood to mean something that begins with a small gesture turns into something much larger. This of course can allude to positive and negative outcomes. This work, a challenging and rewarding work for solo mandolin, explores this concept by using small Arabic music influenced gestures to let the dance unfold as it will.