Palestinian Music in Exile: Voices of Resistance

by Louis Brehony

Overview

A historical and contemporary study of Palestinian musicianship in exile in the Middle East, spanning half a century in disparate locations

Palestinian Music in Exile is a historical and contemporary study of Palestinian musicianship in exile in the Middle East, spanning half a century in disparate and undocumented locations. The stories taking center stage show creatively divergent and revolutionary performance springing from conditions of colonialism, repression, and underdevelopment.

What role does music play in the social spaces of Palestinian exile? How are the routes and roadblocks to musical success impacted by regional and international power structures? And how are questions of style, genre, or national tradition navigated by Palestinian musicians? Based on seven years of research in Europe and the Middle East, this timely and inspiring collection of musical ethnographies is the first oral history of contemporary Palestinian musicianship to appear in book form, and the only study to encompass such a broad range of experiences of the ghurba, or place of exile.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781649033055
Publisher:	American University in Cairo Press, The
Publication date:	10/24/2023
Series:	Refugees and Migrants within the Middle East
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	340
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

Louis Brehony is an activist, musician, researcher and educator, and a preeminent global scholar of Palestinian music. He is the director of the award-winning documentary film Kofia: A Revolution Through Music (2021) and has published widely on Palestine and political culture in the Palestine Chronicle, Middle East Monitor, Arab Media and Society, and a range of other journals. Louis received his PhD from Kings College London and a master's in composition from the University of Salford, and performs internationally as a multi-instrumentalist. He has family origins in Ireland and lives in Manchester, UK.

Table of Contents

Timeline of events
Acknowledgements
Preface
Chapter 1. Introduction
Strings Of The Street: Resistance Aesthetics Of A Nation In Movement

Chapter 2. Za’atar, Zeit, And Fairuz: Growing Up Palestinian In Kuwait
Reem Kelani’s Musical Beginnings

Chapter 3. ‘Nothing Stops Tradition’: Dialects Of Cultural Reinvention In Exile
Experiences Of Palestinian Instrumentalism In Bilad al-Sham

Chapter 4. Village Dreams In Urban Gaza: A Young Girl’s Musical Intifada
Music And Land In A Palestinian Socialist Household

Chapter 5. Smashing The Pyramids: Encores Of Palestinian Radicalism In Egypt
Tamer Abu Ghazaleh, The Cairo Underground, And The Sabreen Influence

Chapter 6. ‘An Even Tougher Act Of Resistance’: Instrumentalism In The Dakhil
Saied Silbak And The Music Of Internal Displacement

Chapter 7. ‘Ahla Ayām’: The Most Beautiful Days
Tarab, al-Waṭan, And Gaza’s New Generation Of Musicians

Chapter 8. Sumud And The City: Old And New Comradeship In Istanbul
Fares Anbar, Ahmed Haddad, and The Turkish Migrant Scene

Conclusion: Where To?

Glossary
References

Editorial Reviews

"Brehony’s book is a towering achievement, and essential reading that provides context and texture to current world events"—Journal of Refugees Studies

"An incredible read. . . . Anyone reading this book would do well to keep it as a permanent source of reference."—Middle East Monitor

"A compelling narrative that not only informs but also inspires a deeper appreciation for the resilience and creativity of Palestinian musicians in exile."—Arab Studies Quarterly

"[Brehony's] analysis, incorporating unique language (Arabic and English) and theories . . . makes the book appealing to a diverse range of academic disciplines, including historians, social scientists, linguists, and music researchers engaged in post-colonialism, women's studies, or modernization theories."—Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies

"In addition to its masterful history of Palestinian music, Brehony’s book serves as such a guide, reinforcing already held beliefs with a fresh view of how to create a better world."—Mondoweiss

"The book leaves the reader with the impression that although Palestinians are not yet free, their music and culture remain sources of strength and inspiration . . . serving to keep their collective spirit alive."—Morning Star

"A book brimming with research which weaves together the many strands of Palestinian resistance, explored through music and from a Marxist perspective."—The New Arab

"This book evokes the pulse of the people by foregrounding the voices of displaced Palestinian musicians in a breadth of musical situations."—Scottish Left Review

"Based on a deep knowledge of Palestinian resistance and culture, this book weaves together revolutionary Marxist and anticolonial theory with Palestinian history, music, and political and social ideas, in a way which is both accessible and intelligent."—Tahrir Hamdi, Arab Open University

"Louis Brehony’s book is a testament to the centrality of Palestinian culture, particularly music, to the continuity of the Palestinian struggle. He bears witness to the power of culture as a generator of meaning, and as a revolutionary tool in the hands of working-class Palestinian refugees in Palestine and in the diaspora."—Ramzy Baroud, Palestine Chronicle

"Louis Brehony's outstanding work sheds light on the various circumstances and factors that influenced the creation of Palestinian music in exile, which then became truly diverse and unique in the Arab world.”—Bashar Shammout, Al Fajer

From the Publisher