Rhythm · 8/4
Chiftetelli
Also known as: Çiftetelli, Tsiftetelli
dum tak rest
Time signature: usually 8/4; sometimes 4/4 when fast.
Origin
Ottoman / Turkish, later widespread in Greek and Arabic music
Where you hear it
Slow versions provide large spaces between accents and are ideal for expressive improvisation, veil, floor-level work and instrumental taqsim. Faster variants have a much lighter social-dance feeling. MaqamWorld identifies it as a Turkish usul that became established in Arabic music.
Dance
Styles danced to it
Turkey
Turkish Oriental
The Turkish branch of the dance: faster, bolder, with Romani influence, 9/8 karşılama rhythms, floor work and zil (finger cymbal) virtuosity.
Egypt
Raqs Sharqi
The classic Egyptian stage form — 'dance of the East'. Born in Cairo's early-20th-century music halls and refined by Golden Era cinema, it blends baladi roots with orchestral music and theatrical staging.
Also used in
- American Cabaret
- Vintage Oriental
- Greek Tsiftetelli