Words and Sounds

The Zaghareet ~ Traditionally a greeting, a war-cry, and a sound of celebration, it is made by pressurizing the vocal cords with the breath, and the tongue moving rapidly on the palate just behind the lips or teeth. This sound carries for a long distance and often has tribal distinctions.

Aiwa! ~ Arabic for "beautiful."

Habibi!

Yallah! ~ Arabic for "let's go!" or "come on!", generally used when the music is very lively.

Yallah Yallah! ~ We use this call to signify the end of a song.

Opa! ~ Greek for "what fun!"

The Hiss ~expresses appreciation for slow, sinuous movement, indicates that the dancer is mesmerizing the audience and reminds them of the movements of snakes/ water.

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