280 r Amnon Shiloah
Composer and violinist Sāleh al-Kuweitī is another Jewish musician
who gained sound fame. Upon the establishment of the first Baghdad
radio station in 1936, he was summoned to create and lead a musical
ensemble to perform regular concerts on the air. The famous Egyptian
singer Umm Kulthūm performed one of his songs.
In Baghdad, a group of four or five female drummers intoned refrains
to their leader’s singing. They appeared at parties of both Jewish and Mus-
lim women.^27
Central Asia
In Central Asia, Uzbekistan, namely in Bukhara, and in Tajikistan, a great
number of Jewish female and male musicians distinguished themselves
as performers, composers, and dancers in the classical music of the cy-
clic genre called shashmaqām (lit. six maqāms referring to multisectional
compositions comprising songs, instrumental music, and dances), as well
as in the contemporary styles established during the Soviet era. At times
their number reached 30 percent of all active professional musicians.
Among the most distinguished were Nerio Aminoff Sulman Yudakov,
Yeltchiti Zabsanov, and the Eliezeroff family. Also this region was blessed
with numerous gifted women musicians, such as Rina Glibova, and spe-
cial female ensembles called Sozanda. These ensembles had three or four
singers who accompanied the singing and dancing of the soloist, who
would attach anklets to her legs.^28
Conclusion
What conclusions can be drawn from the foregoing series of instances,
which refer to various forms of participation of Jewish musicians in their
respective indigenous musical activities? It seems to me that it is appropri-
ate to observe the following patterns.
- Obvious integration of these Jewish musicians into the indigenous
classical musical world and their assimilation with its spirit and
its norms and the variety of its timely predominating styles. - Active pioneering in the development and promotion of emerg-
ing new styles, particularly in modern times. They distinguished
themselves in this period in the elaboration and dissemination