Overview: Music and Dance in Libya
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...