What is the weird, warbling vocal sound I sometimes hear in Arabic music and some bellydancers make?
The sound is a zaghareet, an ululation. It is best described as a sustained sound created by rapidly trilling the tongue (la, la, la, la . . .) in a loud, high pitch. A zaghareet is vocalized mostly by women in the Middle East as well as parts of Africa as a way to express joy, sorrow, and to welcome others. In the case of Arabic dance music, a zaghareet is heard as the audience’s exuberance and appreciation of the dancer and is usually accompanied with clapping, whistling, shouting, and singing.
