MofA Week 12.
Global representations and flows
Contents
Arjun Appadurai's "scapes"
(from his Modernity at Large (1996)
Perspectives:
- Ethnoscape
- Mediascape
- Finanscape
- Ideoscape
- Technoscape
- We examine two perspectives on globalization of music of the Arab world:
- Diasporic Arab musics as "music of the Arab world" (music of the Arab ethnoscape)
- The absorption of "music of the Arab world" (often diasporic) into Western music (these days, via a transnational music industry, often classified as "World Music") (Arab music of the mediascape)
Background: Orientalism
- History of Orientalism in art and literature
http://www.orientalistart.net/ http://www.alloilpaint.com/orientalist/p1.htm
- Representations of Oriental dance
- Representations of the "Orient" in Western art music (Mozart and others: "Alla Turca" techniques)
Arab diaspora as part of the Arab world
- Diaspora in America: Music of Arab Americans
- Diaspora in France: Development of Rai in Paris
New Orientalism: "Exotic" representations of Arab music and dance in Western popular culture
- Arab music for Americans
- Mohammed el-Bakkar, and his seminal album Port Said
- The Best of George Abdo and His Flames of Araby Orchestra
- The Oriental Nightclub in America (e.g. Nejla Ates (Son of Sinbad , 1955))
- Bellydance on screen
- New representations: http://www.joyofbellydancing.com/vintagephoto2.html
- Participatory bellydance: a ubiquitous Western phenomenon, with its own forms
- For discussion: how does American "orientalism" of the 1950s and 60s compare to European "orientalism" of the 18th and 19th centuries? What has changed? What has not?
Arab music in the "world music" bins
- Popular music fusions
- New Rai music: Oran to Paris to World.
- Global gnawa: fusion
- Egyptian pop: Amr Diab, Hakeem (limited penetration)
- Expat musicians: representing the homeland
- Popular (e.g. Hossam Ramzy)
- New classicism: Simon Shaheen, Jihad Racy (Americans)
- "Authentic" musical tours (e.g. CDs of Institut du Monde Arabe)
- For discussion: what factors determine which music succeeds as "world music"?
