MofA Weeks 7, 8: Music and Media
Modern urban tarab music of the 20th century (al-jadid): the transformation of the turath
Transformative factors, and results:
- Musical commodification (concert halls, music media) and commercialism
- Rise of music mass media (phonograms, radio, musical film)
- Nationalist movements and independence (partly due to mass media, leading to government control, nationalist agendas, increased influence of Egyptian music, new concepts of "Arab music")
- Increased Western influence (via media): larger ensembles
- Decline of the kuttab (trad. religious school) and rise of public schools
- Rise of Islamist (political Islamic) groups, rejecting much of the aesthetic Islamic heritage, and especially secular music
- concert settings, notation, large ensembles, and mediated music: limit tarab by reducing performer flexibility and reducing performer/audience interactions
- Advent of formal musical training via music institutes and conservatories: standardization, reduction in reliance on the ear and improvisation.
- Urbanization: much larger populations to support commercial music-making
- Cairo becomes the primary center, drawing talent from the Arab world, and exporting music and music films everywhere
- Presence of foreign soldiers (patronizing nightclubs)
- Feminism: appearance of female singer in public, women owners of nightclubs and cabarets. Women's increased role in the performing arts: as singers, dancers, actresses (but not as instrumentalists).
- Increased centrality of conductors, composers and arrangers. Singers become merely singers, or blend into an anonymous chorus.* shorter songs (for phonograms and films)
- longer songs (for mid-20th century tarab tradition): the ughniya (song) of Umm Kulthum and others, representing rise of the composer; often featuring lengthy instrumental sections
- Rise of musical stardom, visual music; increased emphasis on physical appearance
- Decline in traditional tarab and traditional repertoire
- Bifurcation: separation of religious and secular musics
