Arab Music
Speaker: Tim Fuson
Email: fuson@berkeley.edu

Tim Abdellah Fuson is a Ph.D. candidate in ethnomusicology at U.C. Berkeley. His primary interest is in the music of Morocco, where he has spent considerable time since 1992. Tim performs with several North African and Middle Eastern ensembles in the Bay Area. He is currently completing his dissertation on the Gnawa ritual music of Marrakesh.

Discussion:
1) Tarab music (Arab "art" music) and musical structures (melody, rhythm, texture, instruments, form)

2) Sacred Sound: Qur'an recitation & call to prayer.

3) Umm Kulthum. The most famous Arab singer of the 20th century. There's a great video documentary about her. Issues include pan-Arab identity, the post-colonial experience and modernity

4) Plazas, Processions & Parties. Taking a look at spaces of music performance, including issues of gender. Tim will use his own video material from Morocco here, as well as some other materials and will touch on issues of regional identity as well.

5) Diaspora. End up with some interesting recent music coming out of the North African community in France. This includes fusions with rock, reggae and hip hop and the reclaiming of traditional North African sources.

• Listening Guide for class selections: http://orias.berkeley.edu/2006/Fuson.pdf
  
  
• Additional links and sources

  General info:
  
  Al-Bab website with LOADS of links to Arab music info:
  http://www.al-bab.com/arab/music/music.htm

  Umm Kulthum:
  We watched an excerpt from the excellent documentary Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt (1996). This was available on VHS from Arab Film Distribution (www.arabfilm.com), and has been subsequently reissued on DVD, I believe. Amazon should be able to take you to it.

  The film was based on the fine biography The Voice of Egypt: Umm Kulthum, Arabic Song, and Egyptian Society in the 20th Century by Virginia Danielson (University of Chicago Press, 1997). There is a short article available online by Virginia Danielson, including listening recommendations:
  http://fp.arizona.edu/mesassoc/Bulletin/danielsv.htm

  One more Umm Kulthum link here gives lyrics to an entire song in Arabic and English, and some sound samples:
  http://www.shira.net/inte-omri.htm

  Diaspora:
  
  An interesting recent article on the situation among Arabs in France, including some info on French/Arab hip-hop:
  http://www.counterpunch.org/chazelle01292006.html

  
  Feel free to e-mail me for additional info or other sources!
  Salaam Alaykum
  Tim Abdellah Fuson
  fuson@berkeley.edu

  
  

• Thinking Musically
  
• Hip hop in Tanzania
• Indian music
• Arab music
• Chinese music

The ORIAS 2005-6 working group will explore the field of ethnomusicology as a resource for internationalizing curriculum. The group is open to educators in all disciplines especially music, history, language and fine arts. We will approach music as an expression of culture and national identity, while at the same time considering ways to actively expose ourselves and our students to unfamiliar musical traditions that provide the "soundtrack" to world history.

• WHERE: 2223 Fulton Street 6th Floor, University of California, Berkeley (contact Michele for building entry code)
• WHEN: 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
• Materials, coffee and lunch provided.
• Registration required. (Class limited to 25.)
• Working Groups are free and open to all K-14 educators and librarians

ORIAS Working Groups are established to provide professional development support for K-14 teachers with shared interests in international studies. The working groups provide teachers with the opportunity to extend their content knowledge by participating in seminars with University scholars; meeting with colleagues to share resources and experiences; and working independently or collaboratively on classroom materials with ORIAS staff.

Co-sponsored by the Office of Resources for International and Area Studies (ORIAS) and the Bay Area Global Education Program (BAGEP) at the World Affairs Council of Northern California.

For further information contact Michele Delattre at ORIAS: 510-643-0868 or orias@berkeley.edu