Melodies of Arabian night: reminiscing the 70s

Do you have particular old songs which, when you hear it again after such a long time, brings the good old memories flowing back again?

I remember this tune from my primary school days.

I was then stying with my Opah Badariah and Tok Hussein in Kg Kepayang, Ipoh. Whenever maghrib approaches, whilst waiting for the azan, the old radio atop the cupboard would let out this tune conveniently called by the radio announcer as "irama padang pasir". You could also hear it in the early morning, before and after subuh azan.

Almost similar tunes would be played on the TV (in those days, RTM of course) before maghrib, especially during Ramadhan.

The tunes are in fact the work of an Englishman by the name of Ron Goodwin.

What a gifted musician Mr Goodwin was. Such melodic and soothing music which manage to capture the mood and culture of the middle-eastern people.

This particular tune by the way is called The Cedars of Lebanon. It is a homage to the beautiful and majestic tree which is now the emblem of Lebanon. An ode, if you like, to a tree which is of such historical significance to Lebanon and many middle-eastern/Mediterranean nations right from the  times of the ancient Phoenicians and Egyptians.

Enjoy.

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