Category Music
On a recent trip to India, we participated in a Qawwali performance at a mosque in Fatehpur Sikri. We were there to study Islamic Art and Architecture, but participated in the performance to experience some of the local culture as… Continue Reading →
Questioning cultural authenticity: three case studies This blog portrays my Muslim Popular Culture intervention. The intervention tackles cultural authenticity, as inspired by the class discussion and the “Rebel Music” excerpt on musical authentic identity and regional politics. In an… Continue Reading →
During our Skype session, Riz Ahmed said that, “We need to represent every type of Muslim.” This was my point of departure for the Muslim pop culture intervention assignment. I wanted to steer away from the Muslim subject as… Continue Reading →
For those who don’t know, Rotana Tarabzouni is a Saudi singer that burst into the music scene in 2015. Originally from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Rotana shot to stardom while studying at USC in Los Angeles. Similar to examples that we… Continue Reading →
In the above clip from Song of Lahore, the performers bring the artistry of their Pakistani musical heritage to New York City, to perform in a jazz festival at the world-famed Lincoln Center. It looks like a beautiful film, very well… Continue Reading →
There are millions of people who think that our enemy is not only ISIS or the Taliban but Islam itself. It isn’t. Edward Said wrote in an article published immediately after September 11 that there is more than one Islam… Continue Reading →
So what are the big ideas that come across? One is the infinite complexity of male-female relations in the Muslim world. Initially, it seems as if women are always there to be punished. The whole saga starts when a king,… Continue Reading →
The incredible dance of Sheema Kermani As Sheema Kermani graciously swiped the air with her palms and gently touched the floor with her bare feet, I could not help but wonder about the connection of her rhetoric and the… Continue Reading →
Watching this video, you know who the designated enemy is: The Israeli occupation army. Yet, Residente (lead vocalist of Calle 13) does not make it so simple. His lyrics do not vilify one group of people, but rather acknowledges… Continue Reading →
New video by Syrian-American Mona Haydar, in which she reprimands those who critique and exoticize the hijab. Surrounded by hijabis of various backgrounds, she provides a powerful visual and aural rebuttal to those who simplify the hijab and… Continue Reading →