Favorite Song from Monday Night's Belly Dance Class: Lamma Bada Yatta Thana by Zein Al-Juna

Last night was my Monday night C.B. belly dance class. This is my third module of four in Continuing Beginner Level and we are half way through this module on percussive hips and shimmies.

Because of my broken big toe and the way it limits how much I can do, I stood at the back of the class (instead of at the front where I normally stand). It is interesting to see the class from a totally different perspective than the one I am used to. Instead of a clear and unobstructed view of the teacher, I can now see all of the other students in the class.

This new position changes my perception of the class, making me more aware of my fellow students, and more connected to them -- which is a good thing as I am discovering that there are a lot of really lovely people in my dance classes.

Anyway, my favorite song from last night's class is one that has been haunting me every Monday night for the last little while. I finally asked my teacher about it last night so that I could learn what it was about, who performs it, and where I could find it on my own.

When she rattled off the title of the song in Arabic I was blinded and bewildered (since I don't speak Arabic - yet). She was kind enough to write it down for me so I could look it up and learn more about it when I got back to my laptop and the wonderful internet.

It's a slow song that the teacher uses at the end of the class for stretching and cooling us down. It has an extremely dreamy, romantic, longing feeling to it even without understanding the meaning of the lyrics or the title of the song. It's called Lamma Bada Yatta Thana. The title of the song translates to "When She Begins to Sway".

The full version of this song can be listened to for free on a myspace website.

A translation of the lyrics can be found on Shira's website.  Shira's site also has very short clips of different versions which demonstrate how the same song can sound very different when played by other musicians. 

More information on this song can be found on the Bhuz website which is a fabulously rich resource for anyone seriously interested in learning more about Belly Dance. According to the discussion on Bhuz it is an ancient medieval song with a wonderful history. 

The version my teacher plays in class is sung by Zein Al-Juna. She has a rich, deep, throaty voice that reminds me of a good Merlot. More can be learned about this Syrian female singer now based in Austin, TX on the National Geographic site. 

I was fascinated to read that Zein Al-Juna performed with the Egyptian musical historian Dr. George Sawa, PhD in Austin, TX. Last year I was very privileged to have taken an Arabic music appreciation workshop with Dr. Sawa through Hannan's, the belly dance studio in Toronto, where I study Egyptian dance.

Dr. Sawa's music appreciation workshop is being offered again this March - it's well worth taking. His 2 CD package with booklet that goes with the workshop is also a very worthwhile educational investment for anyone wanting to learn more about Arabic music. I plan to also buy Dr. Sawa's other 2 CD's at some point -- when I am richer than I am now.

Hmmm. It seems I started off talking about one song and wandered a bit.  However, it's all related and connected to belly dance, and the beautiful Arabic music that I am learning to appreciate in my dance classes.

The dancer's soul, and the Anthropologist in me is very happy that I have been so blessed to be able to study Arabic dance, music, culture, and history for the last two years. It is one of the most fulfilling things I have decided to do for myself yet.

Shira posted this quote today on facebook which immediately appealed to me as it describes very much how thoroughly belly dance transports me to a better place, which is also exactly what this song Lamma Bada Yatta Thana does to me when I listen and/or dance to it:

Quote of the Day: "Do you know what happens when an Arabian woman dances? She does not dance, she protests, she loves, she cries, she makes love, she dreams, she goes away from her reality, to her own world, where love is really meant and she does not want to come back, because that is her reality." --Armand Nassery, writer and filmmaker

No broken toe or nerve pain in my arms is going to keep me from something so good! It makes life worth living. In the words of the legendary Oum Kalthoum who sings another of my favorite songs Enta Omri: "You are my life".

Easy Apple-Nut Butter Portion Control Tip

A frequently recommended Eat Clean meal is to spread 1 to 2 TBSP of natural, unsweetened nut butter (usually almond) on a cored and quartered apple. However, it can be hard to measure if you don't have a Tablespoon handy, and it is common for people to slather on the nut butter too liberally. It is only human to be tempted to have more of something you like the taste of, but to have more of something you like is not always healthy for you.

To avoid over-indulging in nut butter when applying it to your apple, invest in an apple-corer. It's less than $10.00 and simple to use. Just punch the core out of your apple with the corer, and fill the void left with natural unsweetened nut butter. (I like to mix almond and peanut nut butters together  partly for the flavour and partly for the health benefits.) The hole left by an apple corer works out to be around 1.5 to 2 TBSP (depending on the size of your apple) of nut butter which is just about right for a single serve portion.

The key is self-control. Don't allow yourself extra spoonfuls of nut butter out of the jar while you are applying it to your apple, and don't overstuff your apple or you defeat the purpose of using the corer to help you control your portion size of nut butter.

After it's stuffed with the right amount of nut butter, wrap up your apple to keep it fresh and put it in an apple-protector container and take it to go for a crisp, crunchy, healthy treat. I often eat one of these perfect, handy snacks just before a gym workout. Its satisfying, tasty, and gives me plenty of energy.