~  SANDWAVES  ~

ASPECTS OF THE DANCE..........

Words and Terms


OUD - An 11-stringed instrument with a round back without frets.  Commonly played in city cabarets and not in villages.  It produces soulful, almost human sounds.

SAZ - A Turkish stringed insrument, similar to the bazooki, with a round back, long skinny neck and quarter-tone fretting.  Seven or nine strings - a village instrument.

TAMBOURINE - Percussion instrument consisting of a wooden ring affixed with metal cymbals.  Played by gypsies throughout Middle East and Mediterranean.  Often played by a member of the audience.

TAXIM - Arabic for improvisation.  Inspires intense and dramatically prolonged dance movements.

TCHEFTETELLI - Generally a slow, basic four count rhythm that may speed up, if the band feels the need to do so.

​YALA - Arabic - means "come on!", as in ole! or opa!

YASU - Greek for "yes".  Often called out as a tribute to a dancer.

​ZAGHAREET - A shrill warble as a reaction to music and dancing.

​ZILLS - Ethnic term for finger cymbals.