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 and emphasize intricate rhythms, often clapped by instrumentalists and audience members alike. Some key instruments in Libyan music include the flute, imzhad (a stringed instrument similar to the violin), oud (a fretless lute), tambourine, darbuka (a goblet drum), and some instruments resembling the modern oboe and bagpipes.
Most traditional music originated with a specific purpose, typically for a religious or community ceremony. As such, many of these musical styles are accompanied by a traditional dance. Similar to the music, these dance styles emphasize strong rhythms. One traditional dance style is the Hagallah, originating from the Tuareg people. Originally created for the celebration of marriage ceremonies, it emphasizes connectivity and matrimony. Typically, women dance in a circle, using props such as handkerchiefs and longs poles, while men surrounding the circle clap out the rhythm. Originally just for the purpose of ceremony, this dance has since gained massive amounts of recognition and popularity, and is now broadcast regularly on television.
Due to anti-Western sentiments espoused by the government for decades, what we consider "modern" music is not very common in the country. Modern pop or "western" music was repressed by the Qaddafi government, and as a result, musicians choosing to express themselves in this form were often imprisoned or would go mysteriously "missing," never to be seen again. This resulted in many musicians emigrating out of the country, and traditional styles that contributed to the nationalism of the Qaddafi government remaining dominant. Even after the deposition of Qaddafi's government during the Arab Spring, traditional styles of music remain the most prevalent, and more modern styles struggle to catch up.
However, in recent years, some examples of more modern music have begun to show themselves in Libya. One key example of Libyan "pop" would be Ahmed Fakroun, who was inspired by Europop and French rock styles in making his music. Styles such as rap and hip-hop have also begun making their way to the African continent. Originally created by African-Americans to speak out about injustice they faced in the United States, these genres are now becoming platforms for Libyan artists to discuss current events and politics in their own country.
Link to Libyan music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpYFxLVUbsA
Ahmed Fakroun's music: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuCaolCqibEw0PfYLb5rcOQ
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 and emphasize intricate rhythms, often clapped by instrumentalists and audience members alike. Some key instruments in Libyan music include the flute, imzhad (a stringed instrument similar to the violin), oud (a fretless lute), tambourine, darbuka (a goblet drum), and some instruments resembling the modern oboe and bagpipes.
Most traditional music originated with a specific purpose, typically for a religious or community ceremony. As such, many of these musical styles are accompanied by a traditional dance. Similar to the music, these dance styles emphasize strong rhythms. One traditional dance style is the Hagallah, originating from the Tuareg people. Originally created for the celebration of marriage ceremonies, it emphasizes connectivity and matrimony. Typically, women dance in a circle, using props such as handkerchiefs and longs poles, while men surrounding the circle clap out the rhythm. Originally just for the purpose of ceremony, this dance has since gained massive amounts of recognition and popularity, and is now broadcast regularly on television.
Due to anti-Western sentiments espoused by the government for decades, what we consider "modern" music is not very common in the country. Modern pop or "western" music was repressed by the Qaddafi government, and as a result, musicians choosing to express themselves in this form were often imprisoned or would go mysteriously "missing," never to be seen again. This resulted in many musicians emigrating out of the country, and traditional styles that contributed to the nationalism of the Qaddafi government remaining dominant. Even after the deposition of Qaddafi's government during the Arab Spring, traditional styles of music remain the most prevalent, and more modern styles struggle to catch up.
However, in recent years, some examples of more modern music have begun to show themselves in Libya. One key example of Libyan "pop" would be Ahmed Fakroun, who was inspired by Europop and French rock styles in making his music. Styles such as rap and hip-hop have also begun making their way to the African continent. Originally created by African-Americans to speak out about injustice they faced in the United States, these genres are now becoming platforms for Libyan artists to discuss current events and politics in their own country.
Link to Libyan music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpYFxLVUbsA
Ahmed Fakroun's music: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuCaolCqibEw0PfYLb5rcOQ
Very thorough and very interesting! I loved reading about the Hagallah dance; the description of the actual dance combined with its history was fascinating. Your last two paragraphs (where you discuss both the initial blacklisting and the later acceptance of Western music in Libya) reminded me of my research on Qatari art; due to iconography being forbidden, Western forms of art were very rare in Qatar until after the oil boom and Qatar's rapid modernization. The gradual acceptance of Western art in Qatar mirrors the gradual acceptance of Western music in Libya. My only question is of why you mentioned the Berbers at the very beginning, and then never mentioned them again (unless the Tuareg are part of the Berbers, in which case I would have appreciated a clarification). Once again, I really liked reading your post!
ReplyDeleteI was pleasantly surprised to read about the unusual matrilineal system of the Tuareg and how women were considered experts in music, since that's not something we usually see in this region. I also thought it's unique that, as you mentioned, the music in Libya is mostly based on the pentatonic scale, separating it from the common Western music we're familiar with. I've done some research on dance in Jordan, and I noticed some parallels in the dance and music while reading this post about Libya. Traditional dances in these countries tend to be symbolic and often are used for particular occasions, such as marriages, but they have evolved to be more widespread and popular for entertainment as well. In Libya, however, unlike Jordan, Western styles of music and dance have been strictly discouraged (although some Libyan "pop" music has emerged). I really enjoyed this post, and I'm looking forward to reading your next one!
ReplyDeleteThere's so much interesting information here! I was very surprised to see that women are considered the experts in music instead of men, especially since you mentioned how traditional the government is in Libya. While it is unsurprising that traditional music is more popular and widespread in Libya, I was astounded to see that Western styles have only made an appearance recently. This differs from the music in Algeria where rai, a genre of music used to express unpopular and nontraditional views, emerged in the early 20th century due to the revolution against France. Is there a reason that the more 'modern' music is making an appearance now? Some event (other than the Arab Spring) causing individuals to feel that they need to speak out? Thanks for all of the great information!
ReplyDeleteYour blog was so informative about a really interesting subject! You made this subject enjoyable to read about and I felt like I learned something interesting. It was very effective to format the information beginning with the origins of the music from nomadic tribes, and eventually talk about pop music today in Libya. I also found very interesting the suppression of pop music in recent history by the Qaddafi government, because it is a very similar situation that happened in Yemen. I also liked the specific descriptions of the rhythms, techniques, instruments, and origins of the music. It was engaging to listen to the videos and picture the instruments being used. The history throughout the post made it very informative and the chronological order made it easy to understand and follow. I really enjoyed reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteWow your post was so interesting to read! I like how you formatted your pictures to break up the information a little bit. Reading about contrasting Western music and Libyan music was interesting because despite Western influence impacting a lot of Middle eastern countries, clearly there is an anti-westernization sentiment in regards to tradition even though there was some Europop inspiration in some of the music. Similar to Sahara, I am intrigued why despite the traditional society, Western styles are creeping into Libyan music. Overall your writing was so descriptive and informative and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about this topic!
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