Ep 370. Dr George Sawa: How Centuries-Old Knowledge Can Still Guide Modern Dancers and Musicians

About this episode

Dr. George Sawa discusses the relevance of historical Arabic music knowledge for 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…

People in this episode

Host: Iana Komarnytska

Guest: Dr. George Sawa

Topics covered

• Arabic music history
• dance
• musicology
• cultural influence
• medieval music
• performance

Keywords

• Arabic music
• dance history
• music theory
• cultural fusion
• performance practice
• medieval musicians
• Egyptian music

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Higher Institute of Arabic Music, University of Toronto, York University, Egyptian Ministry of Culture

Books & works: 11th-century Arabic music dictionaries

Places: Alexandria, Egypt

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