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 (from the latter 19th c)
- 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, politics): 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
Media representations of transformations
- Almaz and Abdu al-Hamuli (film 1962 starring Warda and __, setting circa 1862): the true love story about two famous singers, musical developments in the khedevial court (rise of female singers, royal patronage, connection to Istanbul) in light of emergent Egyptian nationalism and nascent Islamism. Watch this scene and read the accompanying text.
- Midaq Alley (film __ starring Shadia, setting 1940s): film version of Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz' famous novel (by which he's said to have won the Nobel prize). Watch the film from 15:00. Note scene depicting transformations to cafe culture, formerly the scene for live musical performance.
