Sting and Cheb Mami's halftime performance of "Desert Rose" and "Roxanne" at Super Bowl XXXV (2001).
Discussion Leader: Aya
Readings
Michael Frishkopf, "Some meanings of the Spanish tinge in contemporary Egyptian music," in Goffredo Plastino ed. Mediterranean Mosaic: Popular Music and Global Sounds (New York, London: Routledge, 2003): 143-177.
Nouri Gana, "Rap and revolt in the Arab world," Social Text 30.4 (113) (2012): 25-53.
Watch:
"Diplo thinks this Syrian wedding singer will be EDM's next star," Vice Video, https://video.vice.com/en_us/video/diplo-thinks-this-syrian-wedding-singer-will-be-edms-next-star/595d40f2d93da7eb6da8e458.
Cheb Khaled - "Aïcha" (1996) (Algeria)
DAM - "Meen Irhabi? [Who is the terrorist?]" (2001) (Palestine)
El Général - "Rais Lebled [Head of State]" (2010) (Tunisia)
Recommended
Ted Swedenburg, "Arab “World Music” in the US," MERIP Online 219 (2001), https://merip.org/2001/06/arab-world-music-in-the-us/.
Goffredo Plastino (ed.). Mediterranean Mosaic: Popular Music and Global Sounds. New York, London: Routledge, 2003.
Spotify Arabic Trap playlist
Spotify Arabic hits playlist (multi-genre)
Scene Noise - Egyptian online magazine with good features of different Arab/Egyptian artists
Noisey's "Hip Hop in the Holy Land" (series/film)
In-Class
Music is a universal language. Even if the lyrics aren’t in a language you can understand, the beat, tempo, and mood of the song can communicate enough for someone to get a general idea of what is said. While music communicates across language barriers, music styles cross cultural boundaries. Indeed, as evidenced by the readings for class, American Rap music has been co-opted by the Arab world, serving as a musical form of resistance. Spanish or Latin music styles have also been introduced into Middle Eastern popular music. Musical influences reveal global connections, and even global fascinations, as shown by the increasing interest in Arab music post 9/11.
ReplyDeleteAs Nouri Gana details in her article Rap and Revolt in the Arab World, American rap, which originated as protest music maintains its ethos to “fight the man” as it permeates through the Arab World. El Général, a popular Tunisian rapper, gained international fame for his song Rais Lebled which spoke out about the injustices committed by Ben Ali, the Tunisian president. Many rappers across the Arab world have followed in El Général’s footsteps, releasing music full of political commentary and promoting social justice. What I found interesting about this article is the way in which it subtly points out how American rap music has strayed from its roots. No longer is rap music about speaking out against injustice, but about money and fame. Even though the origins of rap music have, to an extent been lost in contemporary American culture, it is reassuring to know that the genre born out of resistance and speaking up for marginalized people continues on in the world. Moreover, the article opened my eyes to the fundamental role of Islamic rappers in the United States in the development of the rap genre. That is a history that I was unaware of, even though I am familiar with most of those rappers, I never made the connection.
Michael Frishkopf’s analysis of “the Spanish tinge in contemporary Egyptian music” details the ways in which Arab music has incorporated Spanish stylistic elements. Frishkopf details and myriad of reasons for this exchange, citing location and cultural similarities. He links Andalusia as the primary connection between Spanish and broadly Middle Eastern music. Frishkopf draws on a common theme that we have seen throughout the course: that of Islamic Spain. When thinking of foodways, tourism, and diaspora, we see Andalusia as the link that brought Islamic and Middle Eastern traditions into the west through cooking and culture, so framing Andalusia as a site of musical exchange only adds to the significance of the area. In thinking about diaspora especially Arab diaspora communities in Latin America, could the musical connection also be a result of the communities and families that come from both places and share their music with each other? Moreover, could certain Latin music styles be earlier derivatives of Middle Eastern musical traditions?
Ted Swedenburg’s article details the ways in which Arab music became increasingly popular in the United States after 9/11. Swedenburg makes an interesting connection between music and diplomacy, as Arab musicians’ collaborations with American artists became larger political statements. The different readings have emphasized the important role music plays in cultural and national identity, as well as the global impact of music and musical genres in creating change.
Key Word: Infitah- an open door policy established in Egypt by Anwar Sadat. The policy involved laissez-faire economics, opening the economy to foreign investment and imports, as well as establishing free trade zones. Infitah was put in place to attract capital to Egypt and is viewed as a turn to the west.
Best,
Hadley
This class readings all revolved about the correlation between the Middle Eastern Music and the Globe. The three readings for me were very interesting and it covers very different subjects. However, they all had one common relationship which is the growth and the development of the Arabian Music to reach the global music market such as the Latin genre for example.
ReplyDeleteFor the first reading about the "The" Arab Wave" in World Music after 9/11,”. This reading specifically focuses on the uprising of the Arabian music in the global music market. It first explains that before the 1990 the Arabian music were very local and it really stated to gain momentum after 1990 due to the gulf war and the Algerian Ria establishment and deals with the west. Both of them contributed in bringing or presenting the Arabian culture whether it’s represented by music to the world. I in fact always hear from my grandparents and parents that the CNN coverage in the 1991 Gulf War were very huge locally and globally, which is a huge factor for people to dig in about the Middle East. The main focus of this piece is the post 9/11 Arabian Music boom or rise. The writer made an argument that because of 9/11 the western culture who dominates the global media and the music market, read and analyzed the middle east. From studying the political, economical, social, cultural agendas of the middle east, the west understood the middle east more and more. The writer also noted that certain musicians such as Cheb Khalid got affected after the incident however, he bounced back within a year and made huge a success in the American tour.
The second reading which I really enjoyed is about "Some meanings of the Spanish tinge in contemporary Egyptian music,". This reading talks about the rise of the Egyptian music and its usage of the Spanish tinge in some popular songs. This reading talked more in details about the Arabian music market and those players of that market. It explained how Amir Diab which is one of the most famous Arabian artists became huge in using the Spanish Tinge in his earlier songs. The explanation of the popularity of the songs is that the Spanish tinge made the song more youthful and popular. As for how did the Spanish Tinge reached Egypt, it is because of the Andalus. Also, the movement of the Spanish Tinge through North of Africa and creating the Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian Music taste. I enjoyed reading about the regime change from Abdul Nasser who promoted nationalism and the AlSadat who promotes liaise affair which is more focused on FDI’s. the regime change made vast developments in the Arabian music market as it made it more globally famous and expedite the development of the Egyptian Music market.
For the Vice video, the Syrian singer is now very famous among American artist as just last month Billie Eilish shared his music and said that she really enjoys it.
Keyword:
Commercial Music Industry: consists of the companies and independent artists that earn money by creating new songs and pieces and organizing live concerts and shows, audio and video recordings, compositions and sheet music, and the organizations and associations that aid and represent music creators.
This week's readings revolved around a central theme of cultural assimilation in the Western and Eastern music. For example, in Michael Frishkopf text "Some meanings of the Spanish tinge in contemporary Egyptian music," we discern the Spanish influence in Amr Diab's music. Amr Diab is often referred to as the "Father of Mediterranean Music” and is widely known for Arabic Pop and Latin Pop. Throughout his music we view the blends of Western and Egyptian rhythms. As noted in the text there’s “the Spanish tinge in Arabic music.” As defined by Wikipedia “The Spanish tinge is an Afro-Latin rhythmic touch that spices up the more conventional rhythms commonly used in jazz and pop music”. We learn that Western music is very connected to the history of Arabic music. Hence, in Nouri Ganas article "Rap and revolt in the Arab world," we understand that western musical instruments have been acquired from Arabic stringed and reed instruments as well as the use of complex melodies. Additionally, in Ganas text we view music as a tool of reform and the effects music has on revolutions. “El General '' a rap song was used to “speak loudly in the name of the poor and unprivileged, conveying their political and economic stances” the video was a direct a message to Ben Ali former president of Tunisia to express the president’s corruption on Tunisia. “El General” made me think of music as a message. The combination of the right lyrics and melody can whip strong emotions, engage audiences and amass people to take action. I’ve always thought of media as a tool for social change, now I can see music as the perfect partner for social change.
ReplyDeleteSpanish Tinge: “An Afro-Latin rhythmic touch that spices up the more conventional rhythms commonly used in jazz and pop music” (Wikipedia).
The readings this week all discussed the power of music. As a music student, I found each reading and video to shed light on the importance of music in both a political and escapist light.
ReplyDeleteIn “Rap and Revolt in the Arab World” by Nouri Gana, the argument that I found most interesting was the discussion about the relationship between the music in the U.S. and Arab countries. On page 27, Gana statesL “The worldwide spread of hip hop and rap music pertains less to the globalization of American culture than to the emergence of a transnational vision of emancipation that has invariably resonated with the oppressed people around the world”. I found this important because it defines the universality of hip hop music, and music in general. Most musical histories do not travel in a straight line, but rather come up in diasporas all over the world. While reading this piece, I was struck by how much I didn’t know about the history of rap and hip hop regardless of my musical training and knowledge. Earlier in the piece on page 25, the author also compares the differences between the U.S. and Arab countries, as the West Coast vs. East Coast mentality in the U.S. enforced a sense of rivalry and competition rather than the sense of “cultural and communal intelligibility and solidarity” that occurred in hip hop around the same time.
In “The ‘Arab Wave’ in World Music after 9/11” by Ted Swedenberg, I was intrigued by this idea of “accessibility” in relation to popular culture and music. This piece reinforced the reason that popular music is so important and influential: because it is accessible. It is more accessible and easy to understand and interpret in relation to films and novels, says Swedenberg, because it is “readily consumable”, requires a short attention span, and is typically sonically pleasing. I found this to be an important aspect of understanding pop music not only in Arab countries but all over the world because of the fact that, whether consciously or not, we are constantly surrounded by musical messages. Whether that be walking around the mall and hearing Latin American music, or walking around a hotel lobby and hearing Arab music like Swedenberg explains, music is all around us. It is important that we acknowledge the power of popular music instead of pushing it off as low art, and claiming that it has no deeper meaning because, sociologically and psychologically, it does.
In the final reading, “Some Meanings of the Spanish Tinge in Contemporary Eguptian Music” by Michael Frishkopf, the author discusses the ways in which Spanish and Arab music have fuzed together. What I found most important about this piece was his discussion of “historical knowledge”. He writes: “It is the production of historical knowledge, rather than the reconstruction of history itself, which is the point of the study: to understand how people organize their own experience of music history”. This stuck with me because it is incredibly relevant to all types of music. It is important to remember that music history is somewhat subjective, as there are many lost stories. As scholars of music and scholars in general, it is essential that we understand that we will never know the full story, and that the musical experience is often an individual one.
Key word: Spanish Tinge
Definition: Arab popular music from the mid 1990s onward that strikingly displays the influence of Spanish and Latin music styles.
One thing which caught my attention throughout these readings was music's ability to manifest and highlight political, cultural and historical movements. Tunisian Rap at the dawn of the revolution, The Arab Wave post 9/11, the Speanih Tinge's influence on Egyptian pop as larger insight into the ways Egypts perceive themselves and history.
ReplyDeleteI realized that every single one of these musical styles or movements were emblematic of a political or cultural shift. Through each of these movements we see art as a product of geopolitical and cross cultural events and movements.
Regarding Ted Swedenburg's piece on the Arab Wave, this sudden interest in Arabic music from the west was as a result of a larger shift in perspective. Having never been fully aware of Middle Eastern, Islamic culture, the U.S. population never gave the Arab world a thought. However, post 9/11, Swedenburg describes the sudden interest in artists and music from the region, including accounts of US tours by the likes of Cheb Mami. While much of the music being distributed can be credited to Mondo Melodia, we cannot take away from the fact that the US audience was suddenly willing and interested in these artists. While it may seem counterintuitive, I personally feel as though this interest in Arab music came from a place of fear and opposition towards the idea of the "Middle East". Now viewing the Middle East as diametrically opposed to the west, audiences went seeking for fractions of the Middle East who they believed opposed and resisted the traditional Middle East. Perceiving the Middle East as largely conservative, fundamentalist and totalitarian, western audience sought after artists and genres who they believed were breaking away from the traditional Middle East. Swedenburg states that audiences depicted Cheb Khaled as equivalent to the Sex Pistols or Jim Morrison of their region. This is laughable to any Middle Easterner who hears this who recognizes Rai music as quintessentially Algerian and while at first resisted by the government, was later accepted and used by the government. I believe this reflects a general attitude which still exists today on a cultural and geo political scale. On an individual scale, Americans will likely only associate with me if I prove proficiency in english and a deep understanding of American culture, while keeping distance with Arab or Muslim friends of mine who may not seem as relatable and American to them. On a geopolitical scale, the U.S. has had a long history of constantly looking for allies, movements in the region which stand opposed to the larger government powers of the region. While this isn't always the case, the U.S. generally likes to interact and align themselves with nations who they view as "Modern" and will generally attempt to "modernize" these countries.
These articles cover other ways in which music provides a look into cultural and political life, such as the ways in which El Général's music critiques the Tunisian government and the conditions of life Tunisians were subject to. Nouri Gana's paper explores how El Général and Psycho Ms songs have sparked public debate, united people and played a crucial role in infighting crucial political discourse in the country. From experience, I can think back to many artists and songs which gained immense popularity during and after the revolution, One example is the rise of Cairokee, an alternative rock band which often made remarks at the government both before and after the revolution such as Ya El Medan. I have seen the crucial role plays in providing a voice for the masses. Music has always been an effective way of peering into the lives of people at any point in time in history.
Finally, referring back to the Arab Wave and Swedenburg's paper. I want to provide my own insights into how the perception of Arabic music has changed in the U.S. and Europe. I believe that the days of having to paint Gnawa as purely West African and not Moroccan or Islamic are gone. The idea that in order for Arabic music to be accepted by the general public, it must be familiar, is no longer as relevant. One great example of this is Omar Souleyman. Omar Souleyman's video for Warni Warni has garnered an incredible 72 Million views. With the top comments ranging from being in Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish but also majority English, German and French. With top comments such as "Music is beautiful, but I don't understand Arabic.", we can tell that he has caught the attention of a global audience.
DeleteThis is especially impressive once you watch the video and notice how unapologetically Syrian the song and video are. On a rooftop in NYC, the scene resembles a Syrian wedding, dressed in traditional Syrian clothing, with the high pitched synth keyboard blaring. This sound is not an easy sound to digest, it's the kind of sound you need to have been brought up on. My roommate Sophomore year once heard me listening to this song, audibly scoffed and asked me why I was playing "devil sounds" (problematic, I know). While he was obviously exaggerating, I could tell his initial discomfort with the sound itself. Which is understandable, I once played this song in the car only for my mom to turn it off 20 seconds in telling me she had a headache (This was coming from someone who had made us listen to Joni Mitchell growing up).
With such an unapologetically Syrian sound and video, how did this song reach the heights it did. As I explained previously, music trends are representative of larger cultural & political shifts. Seeing as how Syrian the artist is, in his sound, his dress, his videos, his story and even his album titles, people recognize his music as Syrian. This is crucial especially at the height of the Syrian refugee crisis when this song was released. With all the harrowing heartbreaking and gut wrenching imagery and news stories regarding Syrian refugees at the time, everyone around the world felt empathy and an understanding to the Syrian story. Many of those who were only ever exposed to the media's narrative pushing the Middle Eastern population as a monolith of Anti American protestors, were now presented a contrasting image of families and children escaping to survive.
Now with this feeling of universality, humanizing the Middle East, especially Syrians, music that was unequivocally Syrian found itself welcomed with open arms by the west. This is especially true for Omar Suleyman's music, which while not just for the purpose of being played by the world, was especially made for Syrian people at the time.
Upon watching this video at 14 years old, I could not help but smile, filled with a hope for the Arab world which I had never truly known thus far. The video follows Omar Souleyman as he comedically green screens his way across the globe from Paris, to NYC, to the Antarctica, to standing on top of a moving car's roof on a highway. We see him traverse the globe with his Syrian Kuffeiyah and Galababeya, as the scene alternates between him traveling and a rooftop in NYC depicting a scene resembling a Syrian wedding. As he travels the globe, he stands stoically, only his lips moving to sing and his hands at times clapping or giving the "show me" signal. This to me seemed like an expression of hope to Syrian refugees everywhere, we see here a Syrian traveling the world, unbothered, as he seems too vested into his music. Music which is ultimately a wedding song about a woman he loves and hopes to marry. I always saw this as a message of hope to Syrians and Arab Diaspora everywhere. That no matter what strange places you may find yourself, you can always lose yourself in the familiar of your language, music and classic Arabic love songs. Beyond touring the US and making music on Diplo's record label, Omar Souleyman makes music for those who need it most. Naming his album "To Syria with Love", his music is a message of hope to Syrians and even Arab speakers everywhere. Growing up as Diaspora, the only images you really see of your country are through the Media. Given mainstream news coverage of the Arab world since the dawn of the 21st century, it can be easy to understand why so many Arabs abroad look down on their place of origin. No wonder Mohammeds go by Mo and parents fear naming their kids obviously sounding Arab names (my parents were going to call my sister Judy after being born in 2001). The new wave of Arabic music offers Arabs imagery beyond what we see on the news. Shabjdeed gives us a look into the day to day of Syrians, acknowledging the occupation but making it a point to only speak on standard day to day topics. Omar Souleyman shows us a Syrian people who have not lost hope, a people, who no matter where they find themselves, will always have their heritage, identity, culture and energetic wedding music.
DeleteArabic scales: "A double harmonic major scale is a scale whose gaps may sound unfamiliar to Western listeners" (Wikipedia)
- Mostafa
Day to day of Palestinians*
Delete