As we all know, Prince is someone who has always performed a variety of musical genres. This includes Funk, Blues, Hip-Hop, Soul, R&B, Jazz and also a pioneer of the ‘Minneapolis Sound.’ He also used heavy elements of Middle Eastern music in his own compositions and recordings.

Prince used a variety of Middle Eastern instruments in his music such as the Oud. The Oud is a lute used heavily in the music of MENA and surrounding areas. Songs such as We Can Funk and ATWIAD make use of the Oud which was played by David Coleman, Lisa’s brother.

It is uncertain when Prince started to listen to Middle Eastern music but it is said that David Coleman was the one to introduce him to the musical styles used in these areas. ATWIAD is a song that has heavy Middle Eastern influence.

ATWIAD starts with a keyboard solo which is similar to a ‘Taqsim’ which is a important element of Middle Eastern Music. A ‘Taqsim’ is improvisatory and is mostly non-metric. It can be performed at any moment, but generally it is performed at the start of a piece to set the mood.

ATWIAD also includes instruments such as the ‘Darbuka’ a percussion instrument which is used widely in the MENA and surrounding areas. A ‘Zil’ is also used, which is also performed in MENA orchestras in the percussion section alongside other instruments.

Prince also sampled Turkish Classical Music in his live performances. During a performance of ATWIAD found on the ‘Versace Experience II’ a traditional Turkish Classical Music piece called ‘Aziz İstanbul’ was sampled which is in Hijaz, a popular Turkish classical music piece.

Prince also made use of modes and scales which were similar to the Maqams used in Middle Eastern music. Maqams are best explained as the melodic modes of Middle Eastern music, they are different to scales since different Maqams don’t follow equal temperament like in the West.

Soon Prince added ‘Habibi’ to his tour setlist. A vocalist would improvise using just the word ‘Habibi’ This is also reminiscent of ‘Layali’ where MENA vocalists would improvise using the words ‘Ya Ayn Ya Layl’ to show vocal prowess.

The MENA influence really did give Prince’s music a different dimension and showed just how talented he was to incorporate all of these musical styles into one. A true legend of music.

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