''Layālī'' (ليالي) is a style of unmetered modal improvisation, based on a ''
maqam'', performed by a singing voice in
Arabic music
Arabic music or Arab music ( ar, الموسيقى العربية, al-mūsīqā al-ʿArabīyyah) is the music of the Arab world with all its diverse music styles and genres. Arabic countries have many rich and varied styles of music and also ma ...
. It is similar to the ''
taqsim
''Taqsim'' ( ckb, تەقسیم, ar, تَقْسِيم / ALA-LC: ''taqsīm''; el, ταξίμι, translit=taksimi, tr, taksim) is a melodic musical improvisation that usually precedes the performance of a traditional Arabic, Kurdish, Greek, Middl ...
'', which is performed by a solo instrument.
The ''layali'' generally serves as an introduction to a ''
mawwāl''. In the ''layali'', the singer most often improvises using the common
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
phrase "''Yā ‘ayn yā layl''" (يا عين يا ليل), which means "O eye, O night."
The term ''layālī'' is the plural form of the word ''layl'' (ليل, meaning "night").
External links
Video
''Layālī'' video
Arabic music
Vocal music
Musical forms
{{Arabic-music-stub