BBC Learning EnglishPeople and PlacesHany El HamzawyWilliam: Hello and welcome to People and Places… the programme where you meetinteresting people with interesting stories!
My name’s William Kremer. Today, I thought we’d practise some listening comprehension and to do this, we’re going to hear from a very promising young musician. His name is Hany Adel Ibrahim El Hamzawy, he’s from Egypt and…. Well, that’s all I’m going to tell you right now! But as you listen to Hany talk, try to answer these questions:
What instrument does Hany play?
Where does the first song that Hany plays come from? And lastly, what is Ethnomusicology?
I’ll be back at the end of the programme with the answers to those questions, but now let’s listen to Hany talk and play…Hany: Er, my name is Hany El Hamzawy, I’m from Egypt and I’m doing my masters degree in Ethnomusicology at Goldsmiths College, University of London. I play the oud… it’s the ancestor of the European lute and guitar as well.
I want to play one piece from the Indian music – they call it ‘Raga Malconce’.
I used to live in Saudi Arabia for two years and I met one Indian friend and we er… gave one concert together, playing Arabic style and Indian style as well. So we play together ‘Raga Malconce’, a part of this raga.
[Plays Raga Malconce]
You know, I was interested in listening to many styles – like Flamenco, likeJazz, like er, you know, er, Turkish music, like Indian music… I don’t know which field I have to study… is it piano? So which department I should join? I’m not playing piano, I’m not playing violin. So, I discover that there is one field which is Ethnomusicology… this field is mainly concerned about thedifferent kinds of music and study the music of the whole world, you know? So, that’s the essence of Ethnomusicology.
I discover that music is not a hobby for, for me, but it’s like the life that sustains me.
[Plays Al Rouzana]
William: How did you do with those three questions? Let’s quickly go over the answers.
What instrument does Hany play? He plays the oud, which he describes as an ancestor to the European lute and guitar. Where does the first song that Hany plays come from? Well, it was an Indian piece of music, although Hany doesgo on to say that he learnt it while he was living in Saudi Arabia. Last question: what is Ethnomusicology? Ethnomusicology is a field of study which is interested in different kinds of music from around the world.
If you found that difficult, why not listen to this programme again? You can also read the transcript and find out more about today’s language by going tothe People and Places website on BBC Learning English dot com. Goodbye! |