What did ancient Babylonian songs sound like? Something like this [IF they were into cool jazz]

newsweek ^ | 14 Dec 2014 at 10:33 ET

[BenLurkin]

link only

[BenLurkin]

recording at the link

[BenLurkin]

This gal can certainly sing. But beyond that I have my doubts.

[GreensKeeperWillie]

Hammurabi and the Lex Talionis? Turn it up, like so totally, LOUD.

[NonValueAdded]

Kalaka /ultraObscureSquared

[BenLurkin]

Like what you hear when sitting in a Starbucks.

But still...I kinda like it.

[paterfamilias]

“This gal can certainly sing. But beyond that I have my doubts.”

+1

[Gman]

Early musical influence? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1Hr9VPnMNc

[chajin]

There's a whole lotta guessin' goin' on...

The ground bass may or may not have been the way a song would have been put together 2500+ years ago, the melody may or may not have been that wide-ranging and lilting, and we can be sure that the voice would not have been reverbed. It sounds like a kind of Corinne Mammama-ization of what might or might not be the sound of pre-Greek-scales-sounding music. I don't mind it by any means, but let's admit what it is, pure speculation based on the intonations of a nonspoken language and the vibrations of a lyre built from the design on paintings.

[Kirkwood]

Ethnomusicology degree finally pays off.

[BenLurkin]

Great post!

[Lurking Libertarian]

I don't mind it by any means, but let's admit what it is, pure speculation based on the intonations of a nonspoken language and the vibrations of a lyre built from the design on paintings.

Agreed. It is, however, somewhat reminiscent of the sound of Israeli folk music.

[Captain Rhino]

Agree. Soundcloud link in the article has four songs; so you get a pretty good sense of what her collaborative efforts have produced. Pretty exotic sounding. Beautiful voice.

Ordered the CD at her website (link is in the article). 12 UK pounds. I'll pay that just to encourage her and other obviously talented artists.

[Don W]

Did you say BASS?

[BenLurkin]

Delightful! Very tasty.

Thank you for posting

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Rock the Casbah !

[MosesKnows]

what it is, pure speculation

Of course, it is speculation because it must be.

I sincerely appreciate their efforts to speculate on how it might of sounded.

I assume we each can speculate on what we think it sounded like. So far, this is the only time I've heard it done rather than just talk about doing it.

I say thank you for their effort that went into the speculation.

[Beowulf9]

I can see why the Assyrians conquered them, possibly to shut that up.

That woman hit a particularly long aggravating high note and my cat standing on the table next to me actually turned around and stared at the computer with an annoyed look.

[PGR88]

C’mon baby light my fire!

[PTBAA]

Summertime, and Babylonian livin’ is easy...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin. This is one of those rare archaeomusicology pings. :')