mawwal

In Arabic Music, the mawwāl (; plural: mawāwīl, ) is a traditional and popular Arabic genre of vocal music that is very slow in beat and sentimental in nature, and is characterised by prolonging vowel syllables, emotional vocals, and is usually presented before the actual song begins. The singer performing a mawwal would usually lament and long for something, such as a past lover, a departed family member or a place, in a wailing manner.

==Etymology== Mawwal is an Arabic word that means "affiliated with", "associated with," or "connected to". The verb is waala (). It is measure 3 of the root verb "Walia" (), which means to follow, be affiliated with, support, or sponsor. Originally the verbal noun has a Yaa in the definite form but it loses it when the word is indefinite.