Culture Spot: Music and Dance of Libya

Deep in the Sahara desert, hundreds of miles from the bustling coastal cities of Tripoli and Benghazi, lies the oasis town of Ghat. Beyond simply being a bastion of water and agriculture in the dry heat of the desert, this tiny metropolis also serves as one of the great beacons of culture in Libya. Located in the southwest region of Fezzan, this town plays host to a large population of Tuareg people, an ethnic group with origins spreading across north and west Africa and a history of assimilated Arab and black African culture. This unique synthesis of culture is ever-present in Ghat, especially through music and dance. In fact, the continuous dancing and folkloric music performances taking place throughout the city's days and nights have earned Ghat its nickname, "the dancing city." By far, the grandest celebration of Tuareg culture in Ghat takes place every year at the Ghat Festival of Culture and Tourism. With the 24th iteration of this festival having taken plac...

In the 1970's, when Muammar Qaddafi took control of Libya, the music died (sorry Buddy Holly, this post is not about you). Qadaffi's oppressive and stringently anti-Western regime attacked any form of dissidence, and this included art and music styles deemed "deviant." For decades, the only music in Libya was the traditional tribal styles espoused by the government, and even those were, in many ways, stifled. Prior to this takeover, however, music thrived. Described as "the golden age of Libyan music," the 1960's played host to all forms of artistic and musical expression. Particularly prominent during this time period were the political dissidents and revolutionaries. Two main genres of Libyan music emerged during this time, and both were followed almost-religiously by the young and disaffected. Among the first to emerge during this time period was Merskawi music. Featuring conventional music and lyrics, combined with the traditional rhythms of Li...

Libya has a very rich history of traditional music and dance styles, often distinguished by which ethnic group from which it originates. The Berbers, a nomadic and pastoral people stretching across north and west Africa, had music that traveled with them. Traveling bands of musicians would often travel town-to-town, putting on small shows in communal centers, much like the troubadours of France. The Tuareg, separated by their interesting matrilineal inheritance system, typically considered women the "experts" in regards to music. Women were often placed in charge of playing instruments and putting together specific dances for ceremonies. Regardless of regional and ethnic distinctions, the traditional music of Libya does share some key characteristics. The music is based largely on the pentatonic scale, which is based on five notes instead of the seven making up the scales of most Western music. Many musical styles, especially the Tuareg, rely on call-and-response techniques...