Year
~1930-1935
8-11. A Ya Nass!
Esther Warkov's Dissertation Audio Examples (CDs 1-5)
Jewish Professional Musicians in Iraq and Israel, Revisited
A ya nass! (part 1)
Ezra Aharon (ud) with ensemble
Jewish Professional Musicians in Iraq and Israel, Revisited
A ya nass! (part 2)
Ezra Aharon (ud) with ensemble
Jewish Professional Musicians in Iraq and Israel, Revisited
A ya nass! (part 3)
Ezra Aharon (ud) with ensemble
Jewish Professional Musicians in Iraq and Israel, Revisited
A ya nass! (part 4)
Ezra Aharon (ud) with ensemble
Ezra Aharon’s composition in the Egyptian dawr genre, titled “A Ya Nass” (“Oh People”), showcases his Egyptian influences. The ensemble features Zaki Fahami, a Christian Arab singer from Syria, on vocals; Tzion Ibrahim, described by Aharon as the “best in Iraq,” on qanun; Na‘im, an Iraqi Christian, on violin; and Haskel Shaul, an Iraqi Jew, on percussion. Both the lyrics and music were composed by Aharon.
According to Aharon, the style is strictly Egyptian. The “Yalayli” section at the end is a common filler used to extend the recording. Notably, Aharon’s composition concludes before the rhythmic section leading into the layali. He considers this work to be the best of his compositions from that period.
This work was sourced from Polyphone Werke 78, recorded on four sides (see log sheet 12 A #1 for details), in Iraq in the early 1930s, before Aharon immigrated to Israel.
