MofA Week 2: The history of Arab music & the construction of “Arab music” ("al-musiqa al-`arabiyya")

To do this week

• Review: classes of instruments, concept of maqam
• Introduce: concept of iqa`
• Ear training with the nay: Rast.
• Continue critical introduction: "What is ethnomusicology of the Arab world?" (what is the Arab world? who is an Arab? what is Arab music?...)
• Your turn: empirical investigations regarding "Arab music" (audio and video recordings)
• Role of Arab nationalism (since 19th c) in formulating "Arab music" as "al-musiqa al-arabiyya"
• What is an SC paper? - ex: Touma (critical reading & analysis, together...)
• Some historical overview...
• Film: Umm Kulthum plays the role of the famous Abbasid-era qayna, Dananeer

Some concepts we've introduced so far...

• emic/etic distinction
• ethnocentrism
• Orientalism
• Hornbostel-Sachs system for classifying musical instruments
• concept of frequency ratios and musical intervals (e.g. an octave is 2:1)
• 'Microtones', 'quartertones' (see www.maqamworld.com), equal temperament, frequency ratios
• 'Arab' (people, music)

History

Islamicate timelines and periods

The history of Islamicate music (as presented by Touma)

Critique

Critique of "Arab music" history (as presented by Touma and others)

Racy on tarab

Typology

Typology of Music of the Arab World

Films

• Umm Kulthum in Dananeer. Songs from the film: [1][2][3][4]
• An Art of Living (on Ziryab in Cordoba)