History.

Formation, early years and debut album (2001–2006).

The twin brothers Bill Kaulitz (vocalist) and Tom Kaulitz (guitarist), along with drummer Gustav Schäfer and bass-guitarist Georg Listing, formed Under the name Devilish, the band soon began playing in talent shows and small concerts. After Bill Kaulitz's participation in a children's Star Search in 2003 at age thirteen (which he lost in the quarter-final), he was discovered by music producer Peter Hoffmann. Devilish changed their name to Tokio Hotel: "Tokio", the German spelling of the Japanese city Tokyo, due to a love of the city, and "Hotel" due to their constant touring and living in hotels. Soon after Sony BMG took them under contract, Hoffmann hired David Jost and Pat Benzner into the team of creators and authors, and had them give the teens instruction on songwriting and instrument playing; most of the songs of the first album were written by Hoffmann, Jost and Benzer (including the singles "Scream" and "Rescue me" which were completely written by them), only the single "Unendlichkeit" was written completely by Tokio Hotel themselves. Shortly before release of their first album, Sony terminated their contract.  In 2005 Universal Music Group took Tokio Hotel under contract and developed a marketing plan. Their first single, "Durch den Monsun" ("Through the Monsoon"), quickly rose in the charts, appearing on the German official Media Control single chart at No. 15 on August 20, 2005 and eventually reaching No. 1 on August 26, 2005; it also reached No. 1 on the Austrian singles chart. Their second single, "Schrei" ("Scream"), climbed to the No. 5 position in the German charts. These two songs were written by singer Bill Kaulitz together with their group of producers Peter Hoffmann, David Jost, Pat Benzer and Dave Roth. Their debut album, "Schrei", was released on September 19, 2005, and was certified triple gold by the BVMI in 2006 for selling over 300,000 copies in Germany. In 2006, a third and fourth single, "Rette mich" ("Rescue Me") and "Der letzte Tag" ("The Final Day"), were released; both reached No. 1 as well. "Der letzte Tag" contained a B-side called "Wir schließen uns ein", which was also accompanied by a music video.

"Zimmer 483" and "Scream" (2007–2008).

The first single off their second album "Zimmer 483" ("Room 483"), called "Übers Ende der Welt" (later re-released in English under the name "Ready, Set, Go!"), was released on January 26, 2007 and quickly reached No. 1 in Germany and Austria, and No. 2 in France. "Zimmer 483" was released in Germany on February 23, 2007, along with a deluxe edition of the album containing a DVD. The album's second single, "Spring nicht" ("Don't Jump") was released on April 7. The tour accompanying the release of the album, The Zimmer 483 Tour, scheduled to start in March 2007, was delayed by two weeks because the band members wished to have a different stage design. A third single, "An deiner Seite (Ich bin da)" ("By Your Side"), was released on November 16. The single contains the B-side "1000 Meere" ("1000 Oceans"), for which a music video was also produced. On April 28, 2008 Tokio Hotel released their single "Heilig" but no music video for the single was released, because of the tight schedule they had.  Tokio Hotel's first English-language album, "Scream", was released on June 4, 2007 throughout Europe. In Germany, the album was released as "Room 483" in order to emphasize the continuity with their last German album "Zimmer 483". "Scream" contains English versions of a selection of songs from Tokio Hotel's German-language albums "Schrei" and "Zimmer 483". "Monsoon", the English-language version of "Durch den Monsun", was the first single from the album. "Ready, Set, Go!" (the translation of "Übers Ende der Welt") was released as the album's second single and "Don't Jump" (the translation of "Spring nicht") as the third single. A video for "Scream", the English-language version of their 2005 hit "Schrei", was also recorded, and was released to the iTunes Store in early March 2008.  Tokio Hotel gave their first concert in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2007. "Ready, Set, Go!" was released in the UK as the band's first single on August 27, 2007. The song reached No. 77 in the UK Singles Chart.  Tokio Hotel won an MTV Europe Music Award for Best InterAct on November 1, 2007 and were also nominated for Best Band. They performed "Monsoon" at the event.  Tokio Hotel released their first US single, simply called "Tokio Hotel", in late 2007. The single contains the tracks "Scream" and "Ready, Set, Go!", and was available exclusively at Hot Topic stores. Their second US single, "Scream America", was released on December 11, 2007. The single contains the track "Scream" and a remix of "Ready, Set, Go!" by AFI's Jade Puget. In February 2008, the band toured North America for five dates, starting in Canada and finishing up in New York. After Tokio Hotel had appeared and performed live on MuchMusic while touring in Canada, "Ready, Set, Go!" entered the MuchOnDemand Daily 10, a countdown of videos chosen by viewers. It remained there for over a week, then returned to the top of the MOD Daily 10 chart on April 8. "Scream" was released in Canada on March 25 and in the US on May 6.  The "1000 Hotels" European Tour began on March 3, 2008 in Brussels and continued through locations including the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Serbia and Scandinavia. It was scheduled to finish on April 9; during the concert in Marseille, France on March 14, Bill started to experience vocal problems. He let the audience sing more frequently than normal, and instead of the original 21 songs on the set list, the band played only 16 songs. Bill apologized, in German, for his bad singing and explained that he was sick. Two days later, the band cancelled the Lisbon, Portugal concert minutes before it was supposed to commence. The rest of the "1000 Hotels" Tour and a scheduled North American Tour were cancelled after the band's manager announced in "Bild" that Bill Kaulitz had to undergo surgery to remove a cyst on his vocal cords.  Bill Kaulitz had been putting strain on his voice after playing 43 concerts in the 1000 Hotels tour without a break. He had to undergo larynx surgery on March 30 to remove a cyst that had formed on his vocal cords. The cyst resulted from a throat infection that had gone untreated. Following his surgery Bill could not speak for ten days and had four weeks of vocal rehabilitation. If Bill had continued singing the rest of the tour, his voice would have eventually been permanently damaged. Tokio Hotel started performing again in May 2008 and after that they embarked on a second part of their 1000 Hotels European Tour, adding many open-air concerts and wrapping up the tour on July 13 in Werchter in Belgium.

"Humanoid", "Humanoid City Live", "Best Of" (2009–2012).

In August 2008 Tokio Hotel embarked on a second tour of North America, including a performance at the Bamboozled festival in New Jersey. The band's music video for "Ready Set Go!" was nominated for Best Pop Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, where they won the award for Best New Artist. They returned to North America in October 2008 for a month-long tour of concerts and record-store signings. In December 2008 a behind-the scenes DVD called "Tokio Hotel TV – Caught on Camera" was released. It contains footage from Tokio Hotel TV and backstage feature-stories of the previous year on disc one entitled "History – The very best of Tokio Hotel TV!". A deluxe edition contains a second disc entitled "Future – The road to the new Album!" which features footage of the band on promotion tours and preparing for their third studio album.  In between the North American tours, the band returned to their record studio in Hamburg to record their third studio album, "Humanoid", which was released on October 2 in Germany & October 6, 2009 in the U.S. - this despite earlier statements predicting a March/April 2009 release or a May/June 2009 release. The album was recorded in both German and English, with both versions released simultaneously worldwide.  On August 10, it was announced on MTV news that the first German single would be "Automatisch" and that its English counterpart, "Automatic", would be released as a first single in the United States. On August 20, MTV Buzzworthy released a video which previewed "Automatic" and Cherrytree Records announced that the English version of the song would be released in the US on September 22. Nevertheless, the video for the single was released on September 3.  On November 2, 2009 Tom's blog announced that the second English single would be "World Behind My Wall" and that its German counterpart, "Lass uns laufen", would be the second German single. The music videos for both versions were released on December 14 and December 15.  The group toured thirty-two cities in Europe from February 22 to April 14, 2010. On June 24, 2010, the live music-video for their single, "Dark Side of the Sun", was released on the band website.  On July 20, 2010, they released their second live album, "Humanoid City Live", from Milan, Italy. On November 22, 2010, their new song "Hurricanes and Suns" premiered on the Greek radio-station Mad Radio. It was included in the bonus track on all versions of "Tokio Hotel: Best Of", a compilation album of their most successful songs. As well as the single for the "Best of" release. The album will also include "Mädchen aus dem All", the first song the band recorded in a studio.  On December 13, 2010 their "Best of" was released in Germany. It was released internationally the next day. December 2 was the World Premiere of the video for "Hurricanes and Suns" on the official Tokio Hotel website.  Tokio Hotel performed their first concert in Asia (excluding their concert in Israel) at the Audi Showcase in Singapore, followed shortly by the TM Connects With Tokio Hotel event in Malaysia, promoting the sales of their album "Humanoid". They concluded the series of mini-concerts with Taiwan. They returned to Malaysia a couple of months later to perform at MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia 2010. They performed in Tokyo on December 15, 2010, after their South American tour concluded in Distrito Federal, Mexico on December 2, 2010. In February, 2011 Tokio Hotel travelled to Japan to complete a second promo tour. A number of television appearances and media interviews took place between February 8 and February 11.  On April 28, 2011 they received the "Fan Army FTW" award at the MTV O Music Awards, the network's first online award-show. A clip of Bill and Tom thanking their fans played after the winner was announced.  On June 24, 2011 Tokio Hotel performed in Japan at "The Next Premium Night Tokio Hotel in Tokyo". Audi A1 presented the event, and 150 fans were chosen to win tickets to attend the show. The event was the band's first acoustic performance in Japan. On June 25, 2011 the band performed live at the MTV Video Music Aid Japan in Tokyo. The show, formerly called the "Video Music Awards Japan", was used as a music benefit to raise money for the Japanese Red Cross in order to help those affected by the recent earthquake.  Not long after finishing the "Welcome To Humanoid City Tour", Bill and Tom, with their manager David Jost, moved to Los Angeles and continue to live there.  On 18 May 2012 Far East Movement released an album named ""Dirty Bass"", featuring the song "If I Die Tomorrow", which includes vocals by Bill.

"Kings of Suburbia" and touring (2013–2015).

On January 5, 2013, Tom Kaulitz confirmed on the "BTK Twins" app (which was recalled in November) that a new album would be released in 2013. During MTV's Musical March Madness 2013 Tournament, Tokio Hotel promised to release their new album "if they repeat as March Madness Champs". Although they did not win the award, and despite inactivity, the band managed to gather a considerable amount of support from their fanbase. Once again, Tokio Hotel announced that they were planning to release a new single on October 27, 2013 and the album the following month. However, neither the album nor any new singles were released during that year.  On January 22, 2014 the band's producer, Peter Hoffman, announced that recording for the new album had been completed and that they were in the process of selecting the track list. He stated that there was no release date yet, but the album would come out later in 2014. On April 3 the band informed their fans via Facebook and Twitter about their recent website update, which included an official video teaser of them working on their upcoming album and never-before-seen photos of the members.<ref name="Tokio Hotel: We just made a little update to https://www.tokiohotel.com"></ref>  After the comeback of Tokio Hotel TV, the band announced on Twitter that the album had been finished and was currently in the hands of the label. On September 3, 2014 Bill Kaulitz announced via his Instagram account that the name of the new album would be Kings of Suburbia and it would be released on October 3.  On September 12, Tokio Hotel released a music video for the song "Run, Run, Run" from their new album. "Girl Got a Gun" was also released as a second promotional song on September 19, followed by a music video on September 23. The lead single from the album, Love Who Loves You Back, was released on September 26, followed by a music video on September 30. The album was released in three versions on October 3, 2014 and was number one in 30 countries and in TOP5 in 17 more countries.  Tokio Hotel's new world tour "Feel It All World Tour" started March 6 in Europe with "Part 1: the Club Experience," giving fans an exclusive personal encounter with the band in special club-sized venues. Part 2 will commence with dates in the United States, followed by dates in Latin America (Part 3) and Russia (Part 4). The second official single from the album is the namesake of the tour, "Feel It All." The video for it was released March 27, 2015, and the Feel It All EP was released for sale April 3, 2015.

"Dream Machine" (2016–2017).

During an interview in May 2016, Bill Kaulitz announced that there would be a new album titled "Dream Machine" and a new world tour in 2017. In late December 2016 as promotion for the album, the band released the first two songs from the album on YouTube. The first, "Something New", was released on December 23 and the second, "What If", was released on December 29.  On January 2, 2017, the band announced via their official Facebook page that "Dream Machine" would be released on March 3, 2017. While they are no longer with Universal Music, they have since signed with Starwatch Music.

"Melancholic Paradise and upcoming sixth studio album" (2018–present).

On October 29, 2018, the band announced via their official Facebook page that they will be embarking on a new tour in 2019 named "Melancholic Paradise" wherein they will perform both familiar songs and new ones from their upcoming album. Only Europe dates have been announced at that time.  In October 2019, Bill Kaulitz announced via his Instagram account that the upcoming Tokio Hotel album has been finished with the recording sessions and that it will be released in 2020. Also, the next day, he has announced via his Instagram account that the band has added North America and Latin America legs to their "Melancholic Paradise Tour" for the same year with the release of the band sixth studio album.

Awards.

Since the release of the "Durch den Monsun" single in 2005, Tokio Hotel have gone on to win 110 awards in various categories and countries.

Tokio Hotel is a German rock band, founded in 2001 by singer Bill Kaulitz, guitarist Tom Kaulitz, drummer Gustav Schäfer, and bassist Georg Listing. Its sound encompasses multiple genres, including pop rock, alternative rock, and electronic rock. The quartet has scored four number-one singles and has released three number-one albums in its native country. The band has sold more than 10 million CDs worldwide. After recording an unreleased demo-album under the name "Devilish" and having their contract with Sony BMG Germany terminated, the band released its first German-language album, "Schrei", as Tokio Hotel on Universal Music Germany in 2005. "Schrei" sold more than half-a-million copies worldwide and spawned four top-five singles in both Germany and Austria.

Tokio Hotel je německá skupina původem z Magdeburgu. Kapela se stejným složením (Bill Kaulitz – zpěv, Tom Kaulitz – kytara (piano), Georg Listing – baskytara (klávesy), Gustav Schäfer – bicí), ale pod jiným názvem (Devilish), vznikla v roce 2001. V roce 2005 vyšlo jejich první album s titulem "Schrei" a kapela se přejmenovala na Tokio Hotel. Od té doby neustále působí na hudební scéně a dosud vydala celkem 4 německá alba: "Schrei", rozšířenou verzi alba Schrei "Schrei: So laut Du kanst", "Zimmer 483" a "Humanoid", 4 anglická – "Scream", anglickou podobu "Humanoid", po pětileté pauze "Kings of Suburbia" a v roce 2017 vydala anglické album "Dream machine".


Life and career.

1954–1983: Early life and career beginnings.

Dieter Bohlen was born as the eldest son of building contractor Hans Bohlen (born 1928) and his wife Edith (born 1936), and grew up in East Frisia. His maternal grandmother is originally from Königsberg. He has a younger brother named Uwe. The family later moved to (Oldenburg). In his youth, Bohlen was a member of the Socialist German Workers Youth for a while and shortly of the German Communist Party, though he is not a member of any party nowadays. After getting his Abitur at the Wirtschaftsgymnasium der Berufsbildenden Schulen in Oldenburg-Haarentor, he moved to Göttingen. There, he studied business administration at his parents' request at the Georg-August-Universität, finishing his studies in 1978 with a degree.  Bohlen was still in school when he started writing music. In the late 1970s, he worked as a songwriter at the Hamburg-based label Intersong for numerous schlager singers. In 1978, he founded the short-lived duo Monza with Holger Garbode. Their first single, "Hallo Taxi Nummer 10", written and produced by Tony Hendrik, was Bohlen's first record and was unsuccessful. Monza released a second single, "Heiße Nacht in der City", a German-language cover of Nick Gilder's "Hot Child in the City", which also was unsuccessful. In 1980, he began working for the Berlin-based label Hansa. That same year, he released the solo single in English "Don't Throw My Love Away" under the pseudonym Steve Benson. It was followed in 1981 by two other singles under that name, "Love Takes Time", and "(You're A Devil With) Angel Blue Eyes". None of them reached the top 100, which led to the abandonment of the project in 1981. Soon after, he joined the band Sunday, with which he appeared on the "ZDF-Hitparade" in early 1982 with the song "Halé, hey Louise". The song was covered by artists such as Ricky King. In 1983, Bohlen wrote the song "Mit 17" for Bernd Clüver, which reached the third place of the German preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest.

1984–present: Successes as a producer.

After Bohlen produced six unsuccessful singles in German for schlager singer Thomas Anders from 1982 to 1984, they founded the pop duo Modern Talking. The band topped the German singles chart five times in a row with "You're My Heart, You're My Soul", "You Can Win If You Want", "Cheri, Cheri Lady", "Brother Louie", and "Atlantis Is Calling (S.O.S. For Love)", and were also successful in other European countries as well as in Asia and Africa. In 1987, the band split up and Bohlen founded his solo project Blue System, which he ended ten years later. He also continued writing and producing for other artists, including C. C. Catch (whom he discovered), Sheree (whom he signed when she was fifteen years old), and boy band Touché.  In 1986, Bohlen wrote the title song "Midnight Lady" of "Tatort" episode ', which was performed by former Smokie singer Chris Norman and was major hit in Central Europe, topping several charts. The song appeared on Norman's second solo album "Some Hearts Are Diamonds", which was produced by Bohlen. In 1988, he wrote the title song of "Tatort" episode ', "Silent Water", which he performed himself as Blue System. In 1989, two songs written and produced by him were sent to the Eurovision Song Contest: Nino de Angelo represented Germany with the song "Flieger" and reached place 14, while Thomas Forstner represented Austria with the song "Nur ein Lied" and reached place 5. Also in 1989, Bohlen wrote the soundtrack to the ZDF series "Rivalen der Rennbahn", which was certified platinum in Germany that same year and reached the top 5 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.  In 1991, Bohlen produced Roy Black's final album "Rosenzeit". From 1991 to 1993, he worked with Bonnie Tyler on the albums "Bitterblue", "Angel Heart", and "Silhouette in Red". The collaboration spawned a number of successful singles, such as "Bitterblue", "Against the Wind" (which was used as the title song of "Tatort" episode ""), and "Fools Lullaby". In 1992, another Bohlen composition represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest. Titled "Zusammen geh'n", it was performed by Tony Wegas and reached place 10. In 1998, Modern Talking made a successful comeback, releasing singles such as "You're My Heart, You're My Soul '98, "You Are Not Alone", or Formula One songs "Win the Race" and "Ready for the Victory", but split up again in 2003.  In 2002, "Deutschland sucht den Superstar" (often shortened as "DSDS"), the German version of "Pop Idol" and "American Idol", was launched with Bohlen as one of the judges. While the jury around him is regularly modified, he has been present on all seasons. He has produced most of the winners, yielding several hits such as "We Have a Dream". That same year, he published his first book, an autobiography titled "Nichts als die Wahrheit", written in collaboration with "Bild" journalist, which sold over a million copies in Germany and got a. A second autobiography written with Kessler, "Hinter den Kulissen", was published the next year. It was criticised for its unfairness and earned Bohlen charges pressed by his former bandmate Thomas Anders. Frank Farian published the book "Stupid Dieser Bohlen: Die Wahrheit und nichts als die Wahrheit über den Pop-Hochstapler" as a response, in which he tried to expose Bohlen as a fraud. Both "Nichts als die Wahrheit" and "Hinter den Kulissen" were also released as audiobooks read by Bohlen. In 2004, he won the ECHO for Producer of the Year, while "We Have a Dream" earned the ECHO for Rock/Pop Single of the Year (National).  In March 2006, "", a satirical cartoon film based on "Nichts als die Wahrheit", premiered. Bohlen did not voice his own role, but voiced the narrator. He wrote and produced the entirety of the film's, which includes the previously unreleased Modern Talking song "Shooting Star". Later that year, he produced the song "Be My Boyfriend" for the duo Indiggo, which reached the seventh place of the Romanian preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. Also in 2006, he published his third book, "Meine Hammer-Sprüche". In 2007, the German instalment of the "Got Talent" franchise, "Das Supertalent", was launched with Bohlen as one of the judges. Similarly to "Deutschland sucht den Superstar", the jury around him changes regularly but he has been present on all seasons. In 2008, he published two more books, "Nur die Harten kommen in den Garten! Der Weg zum Superstar" and "Der Bohlenweg: Planieren statt Sanieren". In 2010, he began working with schlager singer Andrea Berg. All of her albums produced by him ("Schwerelos", "Abenteuer", "Atlantis", and "Seelenbeben") topped the German and Austrian album charts. He ended their collaboration per email on 17 March 2018. On 3 April 2019, Bohlen and Berg announced they would publish two new songs together.

Personal life.

From 1983 to 1989, Dieter Bohlen was married to Erika Sauerland, who he had met in 1974 in Göttingen. They have three children: Marc, Marvin, and Marielin. From 1989 to 1996, he was in a relationship with television personality and singer Nadja Abd el Farrag, also known under the stage name Naddel. On 13 May 1996, he married model Verona Feldbusch in Las Vegas, but they separated after four weeks. The divorce was finalised on 27 May 1997. From 1997 to 2001, he was in a relationship with Abd el Farrag again.  From 2001 to 2006, Bohlen lived with model and dancer Estefania Küster. Their son Maurice Cassian was born on 7 July 2005. Since 2006, he has been in a relationship with Fatma Carina Walz, who he met in Mallorca, where one of the casting events for "Deutschland sucht den Superstar" was held. They have a daughter named Amelie (born 22 March 2011) and a son named Maximilian (born 7 September 2013).  Bohlen lives in the village of Tötensen near Hamburg. He is left-handed, but was forced to learn how to write with his right hand at grammar school. He plays tennis with his left hand because he started tennis after his school years. According to an article by the "Manager Magazine" in 2018, Bohlen has a net worth of 250 million Euros, making him one of the thousand richest Germans.

Artistry.

Dieter Bohlen's productions are characterised by simply structured compositions. In the 1980s and 1990s, often working in the studio with Spanish producer Luis Rodríguez, he produced Euro disco and Eurodance songs for Modern Talking, Blue System, and C. C. Catch with falsetto choruses. Those choruses were achieved with the help of session singers, such as Rolf Köhler, Michael Scholz, and Detlef Wiedeke. With "Deutschland sucht den Superstar" winners, Bohlen tends to focus on pop ballads.  Copyright expert Paul Hertin from Berlin repeatedly claimed that Bohlen "stole" several songs and thus breached copyright. For example, Hertin says that Bohlen used the melody of Babyface's "What If" for the production of Yvonne Catterfeld's "Für dich". Based on Hertin's expert assessment regarding the plagiarism allegations, the Berlin prosecutor's office initiated a preliminary investigation against Bohlen, which was dropped.

Other ventures.

Casting shows.

Dieter Bohlen has been present on "Deutschland sucht den Superstar", the German version of "Pop Idol" and "American Idol", since the show was launched in 2002. He often makes blunt and controversial comments, including insults and wisecracks about contestants and their singing abilities (such as "You sing like a garden gnome on ecstasy" or "Your voice sounds like Kermit getting his arse kicked"), which led to comparisons with Simon Cowell in the German-speaking press. He earns 1.2 million euros per season. He has worked with most of the winners and occasionally with other candidates, such as first season third-placer Daniel Küblböck, yielding several major hits. Since the show was launched in 2007, Bohlen has also been a judge on "Das Supertalent", the German instalment of the "Got Talent" franchise, being the only judge to have been present in every season.

Products and endorsements.

Dieter Bohlen has signed numerous advertising deals with companies such as Müller Milch,, S.Oliver, O2,,, the Deutsche Bahn, and Unilever. He has been a longtime advertising partner of Camp David. In 2020, he has been the face of Camp David for 10 years.  Between 2002 and 2008, Bohlen published five books, ranging from autobiographies to advice books. In 2005, he released a fragrance named "Provocation". In 2011, he founded the clothing label "Needs Clothing" along with Felix Werner. In 2013, he released a line of wallpapers through P+S.

Dieter Bohlen (; born Dieter Günter Bohlen on 7 February 1954) is a German musician, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. Often referred to as the "Pop-Titan" in the German-speaking press, he first achieved fame as a member of pop duo Modern Talking in the 1980s, and has since produced numerous German and international artists. He is also a judge on casting shows "Deutschland sucht den Superstar" and "Das Supertalent", having been present on all seasons of both shows.

Dieter Günter Bohlen (* 7. února 1954 v Berneu, Západní Německo) je hudebník, hudební skladatel, písničkář, producent a bavič. Je zakládajícím členem skupiny Modern Talking.


Prussian invasion of Moravia.

Frederick the Great invaded Moravia in the beginning of May 1758 and besieged the fortified city of Olomouc. He hoped that the Austrian army would come to help the fortress and the Prussians would defeat them in a big battle at the place of their choice. If the Austrian army did not come, he could conquer the fortress in a short time and use it as a base for defending Silesia and increasing pressure on Vienna.  Austrian Field Marshal Leopold Joseph von Daun knew the strength of the Prussian army and therefore avoided a decisive clash. Instead, the Austrians concentrated on attacking the Prussian supply lines and causing them damage in minor skirmishes. The defenders of the Olomouc fortress also struggled bravely and held on much longer than Frederick had expected. Although by June it was on the edge of being taken, with the defensive walls destroyed by cannons in two places, the Prussians desperately needed new supplies to be able to continue the fight.

The convoy.

Frederick was afraid that many separate, small convoys protected by small forces could be easily captured by the Austrians and he therefore decided that one huge convoy guarded by a large, strong force should be sent. The supplies for the convoy were collected in Silesia and at the end of June it arrived in the territory of Moravia.  The convoy was so big that there was no chance it could be kept secret. It contained about 4,000 wagons loaded with military materiel and was accompanied by about 2,500 head of cattle. As it set out on its way, it stretched for 45 km.  The convoy was protected by 10,870 soldiers commanded by Colonel Wilhelm von Mosel. The strongest part was probably cavalry consisting of 1,341 men; further, he had eight infantry battalions created from new recruits or healed veterans.  As soon as Field Marshal Daun learned about the convoy, he decided it had to be stopped and destroyed. The task was given to Ernst Gideon von Laudon and.

The battles.

Guntramovice.

Laudon awaited the enemy at Guntramovice, a small village in northern Moravia. Siskovits, who had lost his way in the woods, was supposed to arrive in two days. This was quite a problem for Laudon, because his four infantry battalions, a regiment of dragoons, a regiment of hussars, an artillery battery, and a troop of frontier guards, had only about 6,000 men. Despite this, he decided to attack the Prussians because Olomouc was near and there was no time for waiting. He also knew that five battalions of 20,000 Prussian soldiers commanded by Lieutenant-General Hans Joachim von Zieten were rushing towards the convoy to help Mosel.  The convoy arrived on 28 June early in the morning. The Austrians started shooting at the lead wagons. One Prussian battalion forged ahead in order to find out the strength of the enemy, but they were routed by the Austrian artillery. The Prussians also formed artillery batteries on their side of the road and started shooting. They tried to attack the Austrian positions in the hilly terrain several times, but were always forced back. The fight took about five hours but finally the Prussians started to dominate the battleground and Laudon ordered his men to retreat towards Moravský Beroun, which they did without any problems, because Mosel did not have enough cavalry to chase them.  Although Laudon retreated and did not manage to destroy the convoy, his losses were much smaller than the Prussian ones. However, the most precious thing that he gained was time. Nowadays, some historians point out that the Prussians had a chance to succeed if they had sacrificed some of the dispersed wagons and immediately rushed to Olomouc. However, neither Mosel nor Zieten, who reached the convoy several hours after the clash, knew about Siskovits' approaching forces, and therefore they decided to devote some time to rearranging the convoy and repairing damage. They continued on 30 June early in the morning.

Domašov.

Meanwhile, the Austrians prepared for a new attack. They chose an open place between Domašov nad Bystřicí and Nová Véska, which was surrounded by hills and woods, ideal for an ambush.  Siskovits' troops arrived on the scene first and waited for the enemy in the woods on the left side of the road. Laudon was supposed to come from Moravský Beroun later, in the middle of the fight, and attack from the opposite side, thus increasing the chaos among the Prussian soldiers.  First, the vanguard consisting of 4,850 soldiers and 250 wagons arrived, but Siskovits let them go. Austrian artillery started the fight when the main body of the convoy was passing, which caused enormous chaos among the wagons. Siskovits' infantry was fighting successfully with Prussian soldiers despite being outnumbered 3 to 1, and when Laudon's troops appeared from the other side, the result of the battle was determined. After 7 hours of fighting, the Prussian convoy was routed.

Casualties.

Although the total number of fighting Austrian soldiers was approximately 12,000, they lost (at Guntramovice and Domašov together) only about 600 of them. The Prussian casualties were much higher, although different sources give different numbers. The Austrians claimed about 2,000 killed, injured, or missing soldiers, and 1,450 captured (including General Puttkamer and 40 other officers), while Prussians reported only 2,701 killed, injured, missing, and captured soldiers altogether, although they admitted that they found it difficult to count them precisely due to the complete dispersion of their troops after the battle.  The victors also seized 2,200 horses, numerous cattle, and a major part of the transported materiel. Because many of the wagons were damaged during the battle, they burned everything they were not able to take away with them. Some of the ammunition wagons were blown up as part of the victory celebrations. An important part of the spoils was 2 million Prussian thalers (according to some sources it was 1 million), but the Austrian commanders let their soldiers keep half of it and only the residual part reached the state coffers.  Only 250 wagons from the vanguard escaped, but some of them were captured by Croatian soldiers near Svatý Kopeček, only several kilometers north of Olomouc, and as a result only about 100–200 of them reached their destination.

Consequences.

The importance of the battle is sometimes underestimated. The number of casualties on either side was not as high as in other notable battles of that time, but the loss of the supplies for the Prussian army had severe consequences. It significantly influenced Frederick's opinion on whether to continue to besiege Olomouc and shocked the Prussian camp. When Daun finally came to help Olomouc, the Prussians were forced to abandon the siege of the city as the lack of ammunition had made its capture impossible. The Prussian army retreated to Bohemia. The Battles of Guntramovice and Domašov were the turning point in the fight for Moravia.  A memorial named "Black Cross" was built to the northeast of Domašov in 1858 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the battle. There is also a memorial to soldiers killed in the battle to the southeast of Guntramovice.

References.

Books in Czech:

The Battle of Domstadtl, also spelled Domstadt, Czech Domašov, was a battle between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Kingdom of Prussia in the Moravian village of Domašov nad Bystřicí during the Third Silesian War (part of the Seven Years' War) on 30 June 1758, preceded by a minor clash at Guntramovice (Gundersdorf) on 28 June. Austrians under the command of Major General Ernst Gideon von Laudon and Major General Joseph von Siskovits attacked and destroyed a supply convoy bound for the Prussian army besieging Olomouc (Olmütz). The Austrian victory saved the city and the Prussian King Frederick the Great was forced to leave Moravia.

Bitva u Domašova byla bitvou mezi rakouskými a pruskými jednotkami u moravské vesnice Domašov nad Bystřicí, která se odehrála v rámci sedmileté války 30. června 1758 a jíž předcházel menší střet u Guntramovic 28. června téhož roku. Rakušané, jejichž jednotkám veleli generálmajor Ernst Gideon von Laudon a generálmajor Josef von Žiškovič, napadli a zničili obří konvoj se zásobami pro pruskou armádu obléhající Olomouc. Rakouské vítězství zachránilo město a pruský král Fridrich II. Veliký byl nucen vyklidit Moravu.


Background.

"Killers" is the only Iron Maiden album to feature two instrumentals. It was written almost exclusively by Steve Harris; only "Twilight Zone" and the title track are cowritten.  Bar "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (based on the story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe) and "Prodigal Son", the songs were written in the years prior to the recording of their debut album. None were recorded professionally until the "Killers" sessions, with the exception of "Wrathchild" (a version recorded in 1979 was featured on the "Metal for Muthas" compilation).  "The Ides of March" is near identical to "Thunderburst", by fellow British NWOBHM band Samson, who featured a pre-Maiden Bruce Dickinson on vocals. However, "The Ides of March" was written during the brief time in 1977 in which future Samson drummer Thunderstick was a member of Iron Maiden. While Harris took sole credit for "The Ides of March", "Thunderburst" is credited to Harris and all four members of Samson's "Head On" line-up, Bruce Bruce, aka Bruce Dickinson, Chris Aylmer, Paul Samson, and Thunderstick, aka Barry Purkis.  "Killers" spent eight weeks on the UK chart. The North American edition, which came out a few months later, was initially released on Harvest Records/Capitol Records and subsequently on Sanctuary Records/Columbia Records. The song "Twilight Zone" was added to the album.  The Killer World Tour featured the band's first US shows, beginning at The Aladdin, Las Vegas, in support of Judas Priest. Subsequently, "Wrathchild" is the only regularly played track from the album, appearing in almost all their tours.  "The Ides of March" is Maiden's shortest song and serves as an intro to their second shortest song, "Wrathchild".

Track listing.

All songs written and composed by Steve Harris, except where noted:

1995 US Reissue bonus disc.

The original Australian version of the album also includes the band's cover of Skyhooks' "Women in Uniform", which was previously released as a single in 1980. The US Castle Records 1995 bonus disc contains several live tracks which originally appeared on the 1981 EP "Maiden Japan".

Covers.

The song "Wrathchild" was covered in 2003 by the English metal band Sikth and featured as a B-side on their single "Scent of the Obscene". The song was also covered in 2005 by female tribute band The Iron Maidens on their 2007 album "Route 666", by Gallows on the 2008 tribute CD "" released by "Kerrang!" magazine, and by Six Feet Under on the reissue of their 1999 album "Maximum Violence". "Wrathchild" was featured in the PlayStation 2 game "".

Personnel.

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.

Chart performance.

Singles.

Notes

Killers is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was first released on 2 February 1981 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and on 6 June in the United States by Harvest and Capitol Records. The album was their first with guitarist Adrian Smith, and their last with vocalist Paul Di'Anno, who was fired after problems with his stage performances arose due to his alcohol and cocaine use. "Killers" was also the first Iron Maiden album recorded with producer Martin Birch, who went on to produce their next eight albums until "Fear of the Dark" (1992).

Killers je druhé studiové album heavy metalové kapely Iron Maiden. Je to první album kapely s kytaristou Adrianem Smithem a zároveň poslední studiové album se zpěvákem Paulem Di'Annem, který díky problémům s alkoholem a drogami kapelu opustil. Samostatně vyšly singly "Wrathchild" a "Twilight Zone" (Tato skladba se objevuje pouze na americkém vydání alba). Většinu skladeb napsal Steve Harris ještě před vydáním jejich debutového alba.


In the Service of Elizabeth of Luxembourg.

In his young age he was soldiering in several European countries, including Italy. He ended up in Hungary in the service of Sigismund of Luxemburg, King of Hungary and he continued to serve Sigismund's successor Albert II of Germany.  King Albert's widow, Elizabeth of Luxembourg after the coronation of his son, Ladislaus the Posthumous at Székesfehérvár went to Győr in May 1440 and summoned Jiskra and his Czech mercenaries there as well. From there Jiskra accompanied the King, his mother and the Holy Crown of Hungary to Pozsony (Bratislava). After this Jiskra, who was bestowed upon by the queen dowager with the High Captaincy of the mining towns of Upper Hungary and Kassa (Košice) as well as Zólyom Castle (Pustý hrad) remained a supporter of the young Ladislaus V against King Władysław III of Poland and the estates of Hungary.  Using Hussite tactics he occupied Lőcse (Levoca), Bártfa (Bardejov), Körmöcbánya (Kremnica), Selmecbánya (Banská Štiavnica), Eperjes (Presov), Késmárk (Kežmarok) in a short time. He minted coins in the name of King Ladislaus, and successfully interrupted Wladyslaw's line of communication with Poland. His men built small castles all over Upper Hungary which were served as a protection of the countryside and checked the enemy's movements. He imposed taxes and tributes on the peasants and settled Czech and Moravian artisans at the newly built castles.  In the life of Elizabeth, Jiskra successfully defended Upper Hungary against the attacks of Wladyslaw and his allies, John and Nicolaus Perényi.

The lord of Upper Hungary.

After the death of Elizabeth, who was willing to make peace with Wladyslaw, Jiskra remained on the hereditary king's side and made a pact with the occupied cities to secure Ladislaus' rule. In order to make peace Jiskra was invited by Wladyslaw to the Diet of April 1444 along with other supporters of Ladislaus. At the diet he defended Ladislaus' cause with such vehemency, that his violent behavior almost caused his death. Wladyslaw gallantly saved his life when he helped escape the disguised Jiskra to Győr, from where he went to Vienna to the court of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, to visit Ladislaus.  He was elected a High Captain of Upper Hungary in 1445 for his part in the making of a Polish-Hungarian truce after the death of Wladyslaw. He kept this title after the office itself abolished in the next year.  Meanwhile, his Czech mercenaries, who called themselves "the Brotherhood," were not obeying Jiskra's orders and were marauding in Szepes County and Sáros County and forcing Catholic priests to perform Hussite rituals. The Diet of 1449 decided that these Czechs should be attacked. After some unsuccessful minor skirmishes, the Regent, John Hunyadi, himself marched into battle against Jiskra. The result of his campaign was a truce at Mezőkövesd in March 1450. Kassa, Lőcse, Eperjes, Bártfa, Körmöcbánya, Selmecbánya and Zólyom remained in Jiskra possession and several smaller Czech bands left the country.  Despite the truce Jiskra refused to recognize the authority of the Regent and continued to mint money and award privileges. He called another Hussite bands in the country and fortified a monastery at Losonc (Lucenec) and marauded the countryside from there. He defeated Hunyadi and conquered the most of Upper Hungary with the notable exception of Eger. He was defeated again after Hunyadi renewed his campaign against him and forced to take an oath of allegiance to the crown.  He was convicted again when he did not attend the Diet of 1452. His properties were confiscated. Kassa, Lőcse and Bártfa was given to Ulrich II, Count of Celje. Shortly after Jiskra left Hungary.

Against the Hunyadis and in the service of Matthias.

Around 1455, Ulrich II, Count of Celje in order to strengthen the position of his party invited Jiskra and his mercenaries back to Hungary. The Czech condottiere entered the service of Ladislaus and fought against the marauding Czech Hussite bandits in Upper Hungary with little success. In 1457 he assisted in the arresting and execution of Ladislaus Hunyadi and helped to fight the ensuing rebellion after the execution.  When the younger Hunyadi brother Matthias Corvinus proclaimed king after the death of Ladislaus the Posthumous, Jiskra first supported him thanks to the mediation of George of Poděbrady, but shortly after he disobeyed Matthias orders and his mercenaries started to marauding again. He encouraged Casimir IV Jagiellon to take the Hungarian throne and tried to make an alliance with the Teutonic Order.  Although Jiskra lost his properties and forced to make peace after he was defeated in 1458 by Sebastian Rozgonyi and Ladislaus Hédervári, his fighting morale was renewed by the war between Matthias and Frederick III in 1461. He supported Frederick's claim to the Hungarian throne and took the leadership of an army against Matthias' ally Albert VI, Archduke of Austria after Frederick won his support with generous gifts and promises in Graz.  As Frederick was lost his interest in continuing the war after the death of Albert and the victories of Emeric Zápolya and Stephen Zápolya Jiskra started to explain his actions to Matthias I and sworn loyalty to him in writing. The King accepted his oath and paid 25.000 golden forints for Jiskra's lost castles in Upper Hungary and gave him the Castle of Lippa and the Castle of Solymos in Arad County.  Jiskra married the niece of the palatine of Hungary, Michael Ország and continued to serve faithfully Matthias Corvinus in his campaigns. The date of his death is unknown, he was mentioned the last time in 1467, when he was the commander of the King's army in a campaign against Stephen III of Moldavia.  His family remained in Hungary and his descendants last mentioned in the 17th century.

Jan Jiskra z Brandýsa (; ; c. 1400 – c. 1469), in English sometimes referred as John Giskra, was a Czech strategist and mercenary soldier.

Jan Jiskra z Brandýsa (slov. Ján Jiskra z Brandýsa, německy Johann Giskra von Brandeis, maď. "Giskra János"; asi 1400, pravděpodobně Brandýs nad Orlicí – asi 1469) byl zprvu český a později uherský válečník a diplomat, dlouhodobě působící na Slovensku.


Names and terminology.

"Belly dance" is a translation of the French term "danse du ventre", which was coined in 1864 as a snide nickname for the Orientalist painting by French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme.  The painting depicts a woman dancing before an audience of seated soldiers in a fantasy Middle Eastern setting. The dancer's costume, with its small vest and gauzy blouse, seems to have been inspired by contemporary Awalem (Egyptian slang for "Dancers") women's clothing. Where the Awalem woman of the period would have worn an elbow-length blouse tucked in to her skirt at the waist, however, this dancer's sheer blouse is open over her bare breasts and her nude abdomen is thrust toward the viewer of the painting.  Over time, "danse du ventre" came to be used in French for all solo, torso-articulated dances of Middle Eastern origin. The English translation "belly dance" seems to have made its first appearance in 1889 in reference to the Egyptian dancers who performed at the Exposition Universelle that was held in Paris that year.  The informal, social form of the dance is known as "Raqs Baladi" ('Dance of the Country' or 'Folk Dance') in Egyptian Arabic and is considered an indigenous dance. "Raqs Sharqi" ('Eastern Dance') is a broad category of professional forms of the dance, including forms of belly dance as we know it today, such as Raqs Baladi, Sa'idi, Ghawazee and Awalim.  Belly dance is primarily a torso-driven dance, with an emphasis on articulations of the hips. Unlike many Western dance forms, the focus of the dance is on isolations of the torso muscles, rather than on movements of the limbs through space. Although some of these isolations appear similar to the isolations used in jazz ballet, they are sometimes driven differently and have a different feeling or emphasis.  In common with most folk dances, there is no universal naming scheme for belly dance movements. Some dancers and dance schools have developed their own naming schemes, but none of these is universally recognized. One of the most common naming schemes is that of the Salimpour Format, introduced by Suhaila and Jamila Salimpour. Jamila Salimpour was the first to coin many now-popular names of belly dance moves, including steps such as the Basic Egyptian, Choo Choo, Maya, and Turkish Drop. But these commonly-held terms are the exception, rather than the rule, in the belly dance world.

Movements found in belly dance.

Many of the movements characteristic of belly dance can be grouped into the following categories:  In addition to these torso movements, dancers in many styles will use level changes, travelling steps, turns and spins. The arms are used to frame and accentuate movements of the hips, for dramatic gestures, and to create beautiful lines and shapes with the body, particularly in the more balletic, Westernised styles. Other movements may be used as occasional accents, such as low kicks and arabesques, backbends, and head tosses.

In the Middle East.

Origins and history.

Belly dancing is believed to have had a long history in the Middle East, but reliable evidence about its origins is scarce, and accounts of its history are often highly speculative. Several Greek and Roman sources including Juvenal and Martial describe dancers from Asia Minor and Spain using undulating movements, playing castanets, and sinking to the floor with "quivering thighs", descriptions that are certainly suggestive of the movements that are today associated with belly dance. Later, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries, European travellers in the Middle East such as Edward Lane and Flaubert wrote extensively of the dancers they saw there, including the Awalim and Ghawazee of Egypt. In the Ottoman Empire, belly dance was performed by both boys and women in the Sultan's palace.

Social context.

Belly dance in the Middle East has two distinct social contexts: as a folk or social dance, and as a performance art.  As a social dance, belly dance (also called Raqs Baladi or Raqs Shaabi in this context) is performed at celebrations and social gatherings by ordinary people (male and female, young and old), in their ordinary clothes. In more conservative or traditional societies, these events may be gender segregated, with separate parties where men and women dance separately.  Historically, professional dance performers were the Awalim (primarily musicians and poets), Ghawazi, and Köçekler. The Maazin sisters may have been the last authentic performers of Ghawazi dance in Egypt, with Khayreyya Maazin still teaching and performing as of 2009.  In the modern era, professional performers (including dancers, singers, and actors) are not considered to be respectable in more conservative Middle Eastern countries, and there is a strong social stigma attached to female performers in particular, since they display their bodies in public, which is considered haram in Islam. However, in Lebanon, Turkey, Morocco, Iraq and unofficially in Iran and Egypt the art is still celebrated and performed.

In Egypt.

Many bellydancers work in Cairo. The modern Egyptian belly dance style (and the modern costume) are said to have originated in Cairo's nightclubs. Many of the local dancers went on to appear in Egyptian films and had a great influence on the development of the Egyptian style and became famous, like Samia Gamal and Taheyya Kariokka, both of whom helped attract eyes to the Egyptian style worldwide.  Professional belly dance in Cairo has not been exclusive to native Egyptians, although the country prohibited foreign-born dancers from obtaining licenses for solo work for much of 2004 out of concern that potentially inauthentic performances would dilute its culture. (Other genres of performing arts were not affected.) The ban was lifted in September 2004, but a culture of exclusivity and selectivity remained. The few non-native Egyptians permitted to perform in an authentic way invigorated the dance circuit and helped spread global awareness of the art form. American-born Layla Taj is one example of a non-native Egyptian belly dancer who has performed extensively in Cairo and the Sinai resorts.  Egyptian belly dance is noted for its controlled, precise movements.

In Iran (Persia).

Iranian (Persian) Belly Dance looks like Arab (Iraqi) belly dance, and Persians refer to it as "Arabic dance".

In Turkey.

Turkish belly dance is referred to in Turkey as Oryantal Dans, or simply 'Oryantal'. The Turkish style of belly dance is lively and playful, with a greater outward projection of energy than the more contained and artistic Egyptian style. Turkish dancers are known for their energetic, athletic (even gymnastic) style, and their adept use of finger cymbals, also known as zils, which are commonly used in Egyptian style and movies. Connoisseurs of Turkish style often say a dancer who cannot play the zils is not an accomplished dancer. Floorwork, which has been banned in Egypt since the mid-20th century, is still an important part of Turkish belly dance.  Another distinguishing element of Turkish style is the use of a rhythm, divided as, often referred to as the Karsilama rhythm. Karşilama, in Turkish dance, is not a rhythm but a folk dance performed in a line, whereas a (dokuz sekiz) rhythm defines the count of the rhythm and is used in both karşilama and Roman havasi.  Many professional dancers and musicians in Turkey continue to be of Romani heritage, and the Roma people of Turkey have had a strong influence on the Turkish style.

In Lebanon.

Lebanese style belly dance is somewhere between the Egyptian and Turkish styles. Lebanese dance takes from the classic oriental dance, but still incorporates a feisty, modern edge. There are large steps, backward leans to the torso, twisting hip rotations, large and busy arms and lots of shimmies. The types of techniques that are used in Lebanese style dance are quick layered shimmies and subtle internal movements. Lebanese dancers sometimes include kicks, splits, deep back bends, and Turkish drops.

Outside the Middle East.

Belly dance was popularized in the West during the Romantic movement of the 18th and 19th centuries, when Orientalist artists depicted romanticized images of harem life in the Ottoman Empire.

In North America.

Although there were dancers of this type at the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia, it was not until the 1893 Chicago World's Fair that it gained national attention. The term "belly dancing" is often credited to Sol Bloom, the Fair's entertainment director, but he referred to the dance as "danse du ventre", the name used by the French in Algeria. In his memoirs, Bloom states, "when the public learned that the literal translation was "belly dance", they delightedly concluded that it must be salacious and immoral... I had a gold mine." Authentic dancers from several Middle Eastern and North African countries performed at the Fair, including Syria, Turkey and Algeria—but it was the dancers in the Egyptian Theater of The Street in the Cairo exhibit who gained the most notoriety. The fact that the dancers were uncorseted and gyrated their hips was shocking to Victorian sensibilities. There were no soloists, but it is claimed that a dancer nicknamed Little Egypt stole the show. Some claim the dancer was Farida Mazar Spyropoulos, but this fact is disputed.  The popularity of these dancers subsequently spawned dozens of imitators, many of whom claimed to be from the original troupe. Victorian society continued to be affronted by the dance, and dancers were sometimes arrested and fined. The dance was nicknamed the "hoochie coochie", or the shimmy and shake. A short film, "Fatima's Dance", was widely distributed in the Nickelodeon theaters. It drew criticism for its "immodest" dancing, and was eventually censored. Belly dance drew men in droves to burlesque theaters, and to carnival and circus lots.  Thomas Edison made several films of dancers in the 1890s. These included a Turkish dance, and Crissie Sheridan in 1897, and Princess Rajah from 1904, which features a dancer playing zills, doing "floor work", and balancing a chair in her teeth.  Ruth St. Denis also used Middle Eastern-inspired dance in D. W. Griffith's silent film "Intolerance", her goal being to lift dance to a respectable art form at a time when dancers were considered to be women of loose morals. Hollywood began producing films such as "The Sheik", "Cleopatra", and "Salomé", to capitalize on Western fantasies of the orient.  When immigrants from Arab states began to arrive in New York in the 1930s, dancers started to perform in nightclubs and restaurants. In the late 1960s and early '70s many dancers began teaching. Middle Eastern or Eastern bands took dancers with them on tour, which helped spark interest in the dance.  Although using Turkish and Egyptian movements and music, American Cabaret ("AmCab") belly dancing has developed its own distinctive style, using props and encouraging audience interaction.  In 1987, a distinctively American style of group improvisational dance, American Tribal Style Belly Dance, (ATS), was created. Although a unique and wholly modern style, its steps are based on existing dance techniques, including those from India, the Middle East, and Africa. Many forms of "Tribal Fusion" belly dance have also developed, incorporating elements from many other dance and music styles including flamenco, ballet, burlesque, hula hoop and even hip hop. "Gothic Belly Dance" is a style which incorporates elements from Goth subculture.

In Spain.

Belly dancers are thought to have come to Spain from Lebanon in the time of the Phoenicians (11th Century BC to 5th Century BC). When Arab family of the Umayyad came to Spain, they sent Basque singers and dancers to Damascus and Egypt for training in the Middle Eastern style. These dancers came to be known as Al-Andalus dancers. It is theorised that the fusion of the Al-Andalus style with the dances of the Gypsies led to the creation of flamenco.

In Australia.

The first wave of interest in belly dancing in Australia was during the late 1970s to 1980s with the influx of migrants and refugees escaping troubles in the Middle East, including drummer Jamal Zraika. These immigrants created a social scene including numerous Lebanese and Turkish restaurants, providing employment for belly dancers. Rozeta Ahalyea is widely regarded as the "mother" of Australian belly dance, training early dance pioneers such as Amera Eid and Terezka Drnzik. Belly dance has now spread across the country, with belly dance communities in every capital city and many regional centres.

In the United Kingdom.

Belly dance has been in evidence in the UK since the early 1960s. During the 1970s and 1980s, there was a thriving Arabic club scene in London, with live Arabic music and belly dancing a regular feature, but the last of these closed in the early 1990s. Several prominent members of the British belly dance community began their dance careers working in these clubs.  Today, there are fewer traditional venues for Arabic dance in the UK; however, there is a large amateur belly dance community. Several international belly dance festivals are now held in Britain such as The International Bellydance Congress, The London Belly Dance Festival and Majma Dance Festival. In addition, there are a growing number of competitions, which have increased in popularity in recent years.  The UK belly dance scene leans strongly towards the Egyptian/Arabic style, with little Turkish influence. American Tribal Style and Tribal Fusion belly dance are also popular.

Costume.

The costume most commonly associated with belly dance is the 'bedlah' (; literally "suit") style, which typically includes a fitted top or bra, a fitted hip belt, and a full-length skirt or harem pants. The bra and belt may be richly decorated with beads, sequins, crystals, coins, beaded fringe and embroidery. The belt may be a separate piece, or sewn into a skirt.  Badia Masabni, a Cairo cabaret owner during the early 20th century, is credited with creating the modern bedlah style. It has been suggested that the bedlah was inspired by glamorous Hollywood costuming, or created to appeal to Western visitors. Earlier costumes were made up of a full skirt, light chemise and tight cropped vest with heavy embellishments and jewelry.  As well as the two-piece bedlah costume, full length dresses are sometimes worn, especially when dancing more earthy baladi styles. Dresses range from closely fitting, highly decorated gowns, which often feature heavy embellishments and mesh-covered cutouts, to simpler designs which are often based on traditional clothing.

Costume in Egypt.

In Egypt dancers wear a bedlah. Alternatively, they may wear a dress with mesh-filled cutouts. Egypt has laws in place regarding what dancers can and cannot wear, and according to Act No. 430 of the law on the censorship of literary works, dancers must cover their lower bodies, including the breast and stomach area. Typically a sheer, skin-colored mesh fabric covering the stomach is enough. Many dancers in Cairo ignore these rules, as they are rarely enforced and the consequences for performing with a bare belly may simply be a fine. However, there have been multiple incidents of foreign belly dancers being arrested over their costumes.

Costume in Lebanon.

As there is no prohibition on showing the abdomen in Lebanon, the bedlah style is more common. The skirts tend to be more sheer than Egyptian outfits, showing more of the dancer's body. The veil is more widely used than in Egypt. High heels are commonly worn. Lebanese dancers have more freedom than Egyptian style dancers in the type of costume they choose to wear.

Costume in Turkey.

Turkish costumes are usually in the bedlah style. Distinctive features of many Turkish costumes include a V-shaped or triangular belt which may be shaped or contoured around the top edge, and a great deal of embellishment and beaded fringing on both the bra and the belt. Skirts are often fuller than their Egyptian counterparts, and are likely to be made of chiffon or velvet rather than lycra.  In the 1980s and '90s a very revealing costume style developed with skirts designed to display both legs up to the hip, and plunging bras or even pasties. Such styles still exist in some venues but there are also many Turkish belly dancers who wear more moderate costumes. Even so, many Turkish belly dance costumes reflect the playful, flirty style of Turkish belly dance.

Tribal style costumes.

Tribal belly dance costumes draw inspiration from traditional folkloric costumes across the globe and include circle skirts, pantaloons, and turbans or headdresses decked with feathers or flowers.

Health.

Belly dance is a non-impact, weight-bearing exercise and is thus suitable for all ages. Many of the moves involve isolations, which improves flexibility of the torso. Belly dance moves are beneficial to the spine, as the full-body undulation moves lengthen (decompress) and strengthen the entire column of spinal and abdominal muscles in a gentle way.  Dancing with a veil can help build strength in the upper body, arm and shoulders. Playing the zills trains fingers to work independently and builds strength. The legs and long muscles of the back are strengthened by hip movements.

Notable practitioners.

Professional belly dancers include:

In popular culture.

The titular character of the "Shantae" series of video games developed by Wayforward Technologies is a belly dancing "half-genie", who uses magical belly dances to transform into various animals.  The Brazilian telenovela "O Clone" (also known as "El Clon" in Spanish-speaking countries and the United States) is set in Brazil and Morocco and featured belly dancing in many episodes. The lead character, Jade (Giovanna Antonelli), used it to entice her lover Lucas (Murilo Benício) and to soothe and seduce her husband Said (Dalton Vigh).  Several James Bond films (including "From Russia with Love") and music videos have featured belly dancers. In "The Man with the Golden Gun", the belly dancer Saida wears a spent bullet in her navel, which Bond accidentally swallows while trying to retrieve it. In addition, Sinbad and the Minotaur featured characters who belly danced such as Luna and Al-Jibbar's Harem slave girls.  Documentaries about belly dance include "American Bellydancer", "Journey of Desire: A Foreign Dancer in Cairo", "Belly, Sensual... Scarred... Sacred", and "Bellydancers of Cairo".

Belly dance, also referred to as Arabic dance (, literally: "oriental dancing") is an expressionist type of dance that originated in Egypt and that emphasizes complex movements of the torso. It has evolved to take many different forms depending on the country and region, both in costume and dance style; with Egyptian style and its famous traditional rhymes being the most common worldwide having many schools around the globe practicing it.

Orientální tanec je tanec původem ze Středního východu. V současné době je ve světě velmi rozšířen a těší se velké popularitě. V České republice se také nazývá břišní tanec, v Americe ho nazývají "bellydance", ve Francii "dance du ventre", v Řecku "cifte telli" a v Egyptě zase "Raqs Sharqi".


Background.

Vojtěch Náprstek was born Adalbert Fingerhut. His father Anton Fingerhut had the German name as the only one of seven siblings - the others were called by the Czech version of the name Náprstek. (The German word fingerhut and the check word naprstek can be translated as thimble in English.) Adalbert officially changed his name to Vojtěch Náprstek in 1880 but he had been using the Czech name far earlier. His mother, Anna Fingerhut-Náprstková (1788–1873), was a nationalist businesswoman who ran a brewery/distillery and adjoining inn, ”U Halánků”, hospitable to budding nationalist organizations. That building still stands and is located on Naprstek Square in Prague. Both Vojtěch and his elder brother Ferdinand, outspoken nationalists, were closely watched by the Habsburg police. After the disastrous results of the Prague Upheavals of 1848, Vojtěch left home in secret for the United States, where he finished his law studies.

1848 and America.

He secretly fled to Milwaukee in Wisconsin, where he lived for about a decade before returning home, completing his law studies. He is considered to be the spiritual father of Czech journalism in America. He published the freethinking newspaper the "Milwaukee Flügblatter", the first periodical published by a Czech in the United States. Although the "Flügblatter" was in the German language, it was read largely by Czechs. Naprstek encouraged Czech Americans to organize and publish their own Czech newspapers. He became an American citizen.

Return to Bohemia.

He returned to Bohemia around 1857, and resumed political activities. After his return, he labored to familiarize his fellow Czechs with American concepts, institutions, and techniques, as well as with the Native American peoples with whom he had worked. He helped fellow Czech patriot Charles Jonas learn English, and arranged for his flight to London, and later immigration to Racine, Wisconsin. His collections became the core of the present Náprstek Museum of Asian, African, and American cultures in Prague. He became an alderman of the town of Prague (1873–1894) and a town councillor (1881–1892). Náprstek was an advocate of progressive ideas, including general living conditions in Prague, as well as the provision of education and health care facilities and the introduction of modern technologies in public life (gas lighting and cooking, the telephone, etc.). He also co-founded, in 1888, the Czech Hiking Club "(Klub českých turistů)", which as of 2015 had around 40,000 members.

Women's rights.

When he returned to Prague after ten years abroad, his speeches and presentations about activities established by American women attracted a great deal of attention. Around 1864 he organised an exhibition of American sewing machines (until then unknown in Prague) together with demonstrations on how to use them, which was heavily visited by women. In 1865 he funded the founding of the “Americký klub dám” (American Ladies’ Club or American Club of Bohemian Women), which held its first meetings on the premises of his mother's inn ”U Halánků”. The club offered lectures on questions of women’s emancipation, astronomy, medicine, biology, philosophy, literature, history and many other topics. The free lectures were given to women on Sunday mornings; men were allowed to listen to them from the lobby. During the twenty years of this lecture series almost 27,000 listeners were registered. The members of the American Ladies’ Club could also use Náprstek's library of Czech books, as well as books written in English and other foreign languages. This patronage, as well as his public advocacy of women's suffrage as early as 1887, brought Náprstek the sobriquet “the women’s advocate”. The organization was looked upon askance by the authorities, and was forced to function as a private club rather than as a civic organization.

Vojtěch Náprstek (often called Vojta) (17 April 1826, in Prague – 2 September 1894), was a Czech philanthropist, patriot and politician, as well as a pioneering Czech language journalist in the United States.

Vojtěch Náprstek, "původním německým jménem" Adalbert Fingerhut, též známý jako Vojta Náprstek (17. dubna 1826 Praha – 2. září 1894 Praha) byl český vlastenec, národopisec, mecenáš a bojovník za pokrok.


Overview.

Instruments.

Many instruments used to perform medieval music still exist in the 21st century, but in different and typically more technologically developed forms. The flute was made of wood in the medieval era rather than silver or other metal, and could be made as a side-blown or end-blown instrument. While modern orchestral flutes are usually made of metal and have complex key mechanisms and airtight pads, medieval flutes had holes that the performer had to cover with the fingers (as with the recorder). The recorder was made of wood during the Medieval era, and despite the fact that in the 2000s, it may be made of synthetic materials, it has more or less retained its past form. The gemshorn is similar to the recorder as it has finger holes on its front, though it is actually a member of the ocarina family. One of the flute's predecessors, the pan flute, was popular in medieval times, and is possibly of

Genres.

Medieval music was composed and, for some vocal and instrumental music, improvised for many different music genres (styles of music). Medieval music created for sacred (church use) and secular (non-religious use) was typically written by composers, except for some sacred vocal and secular instrumental music which was improvised (made up on-the-spot). During the earlier medieval period, the liturgical genre, predominantly Gregorian chant done by monks, was monophonic ("monophonic" means a single melodic line, without a harmony part or instrumental accompaniment). Polyphonic genres, in which multiple independent melodic lines are performed

Theory and notation.

During the Medieval period the foundation was laid for the notational and theoretical practices that would shape Western music into the norms that developed during the common practice era. The most obvious of these is the development of a comprehensive music notational system; however the theoretical advances, particularly in regard to rhythm and polyphony, are equally important to the development of Western music.

Notation.

The earliest Medieval music did not have any kind of notational system. The tunes were primarily monophonic (a single melody without accompaniment) and transmitted by oral tradition. As Rome tried to centralize the various liturgies and establish the Roman rite as the primary church tradition the need to transmit these chant melodies across vast distances effectively was equally glaring. So long as music could only be taught to people "by ear," it limited the ability of the church to get different regions to sing the same melodies, since each new person would have to spend time with a person who already knew a song and learn it "by ear." The first step to fix this problem came with the introduction of various signs written above the chant texts to indicate direction of

Music theory.

The music theory of the Medieval period saw several advances over previous practice both in regard to tonal material, texture, and rhythm.

Early medieval music (before 1150).

Early chant traditions.

Chant (or plainsong) is a monophonic sacred (single, unaccompanied melody) form which represents the earliest known music of the Christian church. Chant developed separately in several European centres. Although the most important were Rome, Hispania, Gaul, Milan, and Ireland, there were others as well. These styles were all developed to support the regional liturgies used when celebrating the Mass there. Each area developed its own chant and rules for celebration. In Spain and Portugal, Mozarabic chant was used and shows the influence of North African music. The Mozarabic liturgy even survived through Muslim rule, though this was an isolated strand and this music was later suppressed in an attempt to enforce conformity on the entire liturgy. In Milan, Ambrosian chant,

Early polyphony: organum.

Around the end of the 9th century, singers in monasteries such as St. Gall in Switzerland began experimenting with adding another part to the chant, generally a voice in parallel motion, singing mostly in perfect fourths or fifths above the original tune (see interval). This development is called organum and represents the beginnings of counterpoint and, ultimately, harmony. Over the next several centuries, organum developed in several ways.  The most significant of these developments was the creation of "florid organum" around 1100, sometimes known as the school of St. Martial (named after a monastery in south-central France, which contains the best-preserved manuscript of this repertory). In "florid organum" the original tune would be sung in long notes while an accompanying voice

Liturgical drama.

Another musical tradition of Europe originating during the early Middle Ages was the liturgical drama.  Liturgical drama developed possibly in the 10th century from the tropes—poetic embellishments of the liturgical texts. One of the tropes, the so-called Quem Quaeritis, belonging to the liturgy of Easter morning, developed into a short play around the year 950. The oldest surviving written source is the Winchester Troper. Around the year 1000 it was

Goliards.

The Goliards were itinerant poet-musicians of Europe from the tenth to the middle of the thirteenth century. Most were scholars or ecclesiastics, and they wrote and sang in Latin. Although many of the poems have survived, very little

High medieval music (1150–1300).

"Ars antiqua".

The flowering of the Notre Dame school of polyphony from around 1150 to 1250 corresponded to the equally impressive achievements in Gothic architecture: indeed the centre of activity was at the cathedral of Notre Dame itself. Sometimes the music of this period is called the Parisian school, or Parisian organum, and represents the beginning of what is conventionally known as "Ars antiqua". This was the period in which rhythmic notation first appeared in western music, mainly a context-based method of rhythmic notation known as the rhythmic modes.  This was also the period in which concepts of formal structure developed which were attentive to proportion, texture, and architectural effect. Composers of

Cantigas de Santa Maria.

The Cantigas de Santa Maria ("Canticles of St. Mary") are 420 poems with musical notation, written in Galician-Portuguese during the reign of Alfonso X "El Sabio" (1221–1284) and often attributed to him. It is one of the largest collections of monophonic

Troubadours and trouvères.

The music of the troubadours and trouvères was a vernacular tradition of monophonic secular song, probably accompanied by instruments, sung by professional, occasionally itinerant, musicians who were as skilled as poets as they were singers and instrumentalists. The language of the troubadours was Occitan (also known as the langue d'oc, or Provençal); the language of the trouvères was Old French (also known as langue d'oil). The period of the troubadours corresponded to the flowering of cultural life in Provence which lasted through the twelfth century and into the first decade of the thirteenth. Typical subjects of troubadour song were war, chivalry and courtly love—the love of an idealized woman from afar. The period of the troubadours wound down after the Albigensian Crusade, the fierce campaign by Pope

Trovadorismo.

In the Middle Ages, Galician-Portuguese was the language used in nearly all of Iberia for lyric poetry. From this language derive both modern Galician and Portuguese. The Galician-Portuguese school, which was influenced to some extent (mainly in certain formal aspects) by the Occitan troubadours, is first documented at the end of the twelfth century and lasted until the middle of the fourteenth.  The earliest extant composition in this school is usually agreed to be Ora faz ost' o senhor de Navarra by the Portuguese João Soares de Paiva, usually dated just before or after 1200. The troubadours of the movement, not to be confused with the Occitan troubadours (who frequented courts in nearby León and Castile), wrote almost entirely cantigas. Beginning probably around the middle of the thirteenth century, these songs, known also as cantares or trovas, began to be compiled in collections

Late medieval music (1300–1400).

France: "Ars nova".

The beginning of the "Ars nova" is one of the few clear chronological divisions in medieval music, since it corresponds to the publication of the "Roman de Fauvel", a huge compilation of poetry and music, in 1310 and 1314. The "Roman de Fauvel" is a satire on abuses in the medieval church, and is filled with medieval motets, lais, rondeaux and other new secular forms. While most of the music is anonymous, it contains several pieces by Philippe de Vitry, one of the first composers of the isorhythmic motet, a development which distinguishes the fourteenth century. The isorhythmic motet was perfected by Guillaume de Machaut, the finest composer of the time.  During the "Ars nova" era, secular music acquired a polyphonic sophistication formerly found only in sacred music, a development not surprising considering the secular character of the early Renaissance (while this music is typically considered "medieval", the social forces that produced it were responsible for the beginning of the literary and artistic Renaissance in Italy—the distinction between Middle Ages and Renaissance is a blurry one, especially considering arts as

Italy: "Trecento".

Most of the music of "Ars nova" was French in origin; however, the term is often loosely applied to all of the music of the fourteenth century, especially to include the secular music in Italy. There this period was often referred to as "Trecento". Italian music has always been known for its lyrical or melodic character, and this goes back to the 14th century in many respects. Italian secular music of this time (what little surviving liturgical music there is, is similar to the French except for somewhat different notation) featured what has been called the "cantalina" style, with a florid top voice supported by two (or even one; a fair amount of Italian Trecento music is for only two voices) that are more regular and slower moving. This type of texture remained a feature of Italian music in the popular 15th and 16th century secular genres as well, and was an important

Germany: "Geisslerlieder".

The Geisslerlieder were the songs of wandering bands of flagellants, who sought to appease the wrath of an angry God by penitential music accompanied by mortification of their bodies. There were two separate periods of activity of Geisslerlied: one around the middle of the thirteenth century, from

Mannerism and "Ars subtilior".

As often seen at the end of any musical era, the end of the medieval era is marked by a highly manneristic style known as "Ars subtilior". In some ways, this was an attempt to meld the French and Italian styles. This music was highly stylized, with a rhythmic complexity that was not matched until the 20th century. In fact, not only was the rhythmic complexity of this repertoire largely unmatched for five and a half centuries, with extreme syncopations, mensural trickery, and even examples of "augenmusik" (such as a chanson by Baude Cordier written out in manuscript in the shape of a heart), but also its melodic material was quite complex as well,

Transitioning to the Renaissance.

Demarcating the end of the medieval era and the beginning of the Renaissance era, with regard to the composition of music, is difficult. While the music of the fourteenth century is fairly obviously medieval in conception, the music of the early fifteenth century is often conceived as belonging to a transitional period, not only retaining some of the ideals of the end of the Middle Ages (such as a type of polyphonic writing in which the parts differ widely from each other in character, as each has its specific textural function), but also showing

Study and vocational training.

The Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, university for old music in Basel, Switzerland, provides a full-time practical study course for the music of the Middle Ages.  A two-year vocational

Influence in contemporary music.

The musical styles of Léonin and Pérotin influenced 20th century minimalist composers such as Steve Reich.

Medieval music consists of songs, instrumental pieces, and liturgical music from about 500 A.D. to 1400. Medieval music was an era of Western music, including liturgical music (also known as sacred) used for the church, and secular music, non-religious music. Medieval music includes solely vocal music, such as Gregorian chant and choral music (music for a group of singers), solely instrumental music, and music that uses both voices and instruments (typically with the instruments accompanying the voices). Gregorian chant was sung by monks during Catholic Mass. The Mass is a reenactment of Christ's Last Supper, intended to provide a spiritual connection between man and God. Part of this connection was established through music. This era begins with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century. Establishing the end of the medieval era and the beginning of the Renaissance music era is difficult, since the trends started at different times in different regions. The date range in this article is the one usually adopted by musicologists.

Středověká hudba je termín, který označuje období evropských dějin hudby, která se vyvíjela v závislosti na rozmachu křesťanství, tedy od pádu Říma do asi roku 1400. Již v prvních stoletích po jeho vzniku se vytvářely různé formy jednohlasého liturgického zpěvu (chvalozpěvy, hymny atd.), zvaného cantus planus, jehož pozdějším vrcholem byl gregoriánský chorál. Z ryze duchovní hudby se v pozdním středověku posléze vyvinula i hudba světská, včetně lidové. V průběhu celého tohoto dlouhého období se dochází postupně k rozvoji vícehlasu, zdokonalování hudebních nástrojů i hudebního zápisu, který na jeho konci (tedy před nástupem renesance ve druhé třetině 15. století) se již velmi přibližuje základům klasické notace. První formy moderní evropské hudební notace vyvinuli katoličtí mniši, aby standardizovali liturgii v celosvětové církvi. Polyfonická (vícehlasá) hudba se vyvinula z monofonického zpěvu v pozdním středověku až do renesance.


Classification.

Gray defined the Viverrinae as comprising the genera "Proteles", "Viverra", "Bassaris" and "Viverricula". He subordinated the genera "Genetta" and "Fossa" to the Genettina, the genera "Prionodon" and "Poiana" to the Prionodontinae. Reginald Innes Pocock suggested that the African genets ("Genetta") are also most nearly related to the Viverrinae, but should perhaps form a separate subfamily. William King Gregory and Milo Hellman placed the "Viverra", "Viverricula", "Civettictis", "Genetta", "Osbornictis", "Poiana" and the North-American eucreodine genera "Didymictis" and "Viverravus" of the Eocene into this viverrid subfamily. Ellerman and Morrison-Scott also included the genus "Prionodon".  DNA analysis based on 29 Carnivora species comprising 13 Viverrinae species and three species representing "Paradoxurus", "Paguma" and Hemigalinae supports the placement of "Prionodon" in the monogeneric family Prionodontidae as the sister-group of the "Felidae". These investigations also clarified the controversial issue of the boundaries of this subfamily supporting the Viverrinae as being constituted by two monophyletic groups, namely the terrestrial civets "Civettictis"–"Viverra"–"Viverricula" and "Poiana"–"Genetta".  At present, the Viverrinae comprise:

Characteristics.

Viverrina species have a robust body. There is a deep pouch for secreting in the form of a deep cavity on each side of the anus. The back of the hind feet is hairy except the pad of the toes and the metatarsus. The digitigrade feet are adapted for movement on the ground. The cushion-like indistinctly subdivided plantar pad and the pads of digits 2 to 4 are alone applied to the ground. The first digit is small and set well above the plantar pad, and constitutes a practically functionless "dew-claw". The dental formula is:.  The outstanding characteristics of the modern Viverrinae are the high development of the perineal scent glands, the marked anteroposterior elongation of the entotympanic chamber of the compound bulla and the carnassial form of the cheek-teeth.  They have excellent hearing and vision. Their flesh-shearing carnassial teeth are relatively undeveloped.  Viverrids are amongst the primitive families of the Carnivora, with skeletons very similar to those of fossils dating back to the Eocene, up to 50 million years ago. They are variable in form, but generally resemble long-nosed cats. Most have retractile or partially retractile claws, a baculum.  The Viverrinae range in size from the African linsang with a body length of and a weight of to the African civet at and.

Distribution and ecology.

This subfamily is found throughout the Oriental region, and is represented in Africa by the African civet ("Civettictis civetta"). The common genet ("Genetta genetta") is considered to have been introduced to Europe and the Balearic islands, and occurs in all of continental Portugal, Spain and most of France.  They are generally solitary and omnivorous, despite their placement in the order Carnivora.

The Viverrinae represent the largest subfamily within the Viverridae comprising five genera, which are subdivided into 22 species native to Africa and Southeast Asia. This subfamily was denominated and first described by John Edward Gray in 1864.

Cibetky (Viverrinae) jsou podčeledí malých šelem z čeledi cibetkovitých, charakteristické dlouhým štíhlým tělem s protáhlou hlavou, špičatou tlamou a dlouhým huňatým ocasem, některé druhy mají zatažitelné drápy. Podčeleď cibetky zahrnuje celkem sedm rodů cibetek a ženetek. Jedná se o starobylou formu šelem.