Music of the Jews of Arab Lands

Exile has been the defining characteristic of Jewish culture for most of Jewish history. Across the Arab world, the Sephardi and so-called Mizrahi Jews developed unique languages, rituals and musical styles over centuries that continued to grow following dramatic expulsions like those in 1492 or following 1948.

In turn, Jewish musicians often shaped the soundworlds of their host cultures even as they continued to move across and around the Mediterranean. This class focuses on the itineraries of the Jews of Arab lands, examining the trajectories of musical styles that traveled from Babylonia, Yemen, and medieval Spain, through Livorno, Fez and Baghdad, and continue to live on today in Jerusalem, Casablanca and Brooklyn. We examine the musical framing of diaspora, and how the movement of people changes the way groups come to reframe music as memory. We also consider ritual and text, and the way each shapes intimate and sacred spaces. Thinking about some musical styles that have faded away and some that continue to flourish, we re-centre the Jewish musical experience around its Sephardi/Mizrahi history, with triangular routes of movement and memory.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

Students on this module engage with advanced concepts in diaspora studies through the lens of Jews music in the Arab world. On successful completion of this module students will be able to

• Examine the structure and style of the key expressive cultures of the Middle East and North Africa.
• Critique the debates surrounding Jewish migration in, from and around the Arab world in the twentieth century.
• Evaluate the roles that religious minorities play in cultural production.

Workload

• 2 hours per week

Method of assessment

• One 800-word essay: song reaction essay (worth 30%)
• One 2,000-word essay or 12-minute portfolio: liner notes (worth 70%)

Disclaimer

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules