Music in Egypt: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture (review)

This book is an accessible introduction to the Egyptian musical soundscape which features seven performance traditions in Egypt—the call to prayer (adhan), the Upper Egyptian folk mizmar ensembles, Sufireligious music (madh), the art music of the late-nineteenth–early-twentieth centuries (takht), the art music of the mid- twentieth century (Umm Kulthum and the long song), wedding procession music of the Delta (zaffa), and present- day pop music traditions (Hakim and sha’bi and shabab). Although the study offers few fresh insights, the material is ably covered through detailed descriptions of performance contexts, audiences, economic factors and the stories and quotes of individual performers.

Following the paradigm of the Oxford Global Music Series, three themes—the pervasive religious referencing in Egypt, the melodic and rhythmic systems, and perceptions of on-going change as normative—posit an underlying commonality to these traditions. Three other chapters focus on the first two themes: Music and Islam presents the age-old and on-going debate on the appropriateness of music in Islam, while two additional chapters introduce the reader to the melodic principles of (eastern Arabic) modes (maqamat) and the rhythmic principles (iqa’a’t). While Marcus explains that his sampling is not comprehensive, rather seeks to “highlight the diverse segments of a complex and multifaceted society” (xvi), a list of traditions not covered, such as the folk ballads (mawwawil), the pentatonic music of the Canal Zone and of the Nubians (exceptions to the maqam system), Qur’anic recitation, the epic singers, and aghani habta (so- called low class/“vulgar songs”), would serve to further inform the reader of the remarkable range of this diversity.

A number of features make this text useful to an undergraduate course on Arabic music: while the theoretical melodic system of Arabic music is amply explained elsewhere in the literature and in online lessons, Marcus’s choice of a single melodic mode, maqam Rast, for all musical examples, gives body and breath to material otherwise not easily digestible. The listening examples provide in- depth insight into the performative range and parameters of the melodic mode as do the blow- by- blow commentaries on what the listener is hearing. Learning is enhanced with a number of exercises that actively engage the student in singing along or reciting drum beats. The audio examples of each tradition advance the reader’s understanding of both the theory and practice of maqam Rast and of the rhythmic modes. Additionally, transcriptions using modified Western staff notation are available at http://www.music.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcus. I would note that while it is true that the maqam system is common to music in the larger eastern Arab World, in terms of basic principles, it has a wider range extending to Turkey and Iran. Moreover, the modes of Iraq and Syria diverge from the Turkish influence that has helped to shape Egyptian maqam practice.

What could easily be considered a fourth underlying theme is the prestige of language and poetry in Egypt and in the Arab World. Marcus gives it its due by directing the student to the importance of the lyrics by placing the transliterated Arabic and translated English lyrics side by side. Apart from the obvious benefits of providing the student with insight into the culture through the content and form of a particular song performance, the translation provides insight into how the performer uses repetition to “play” with the textual and musical forms. The author’s detailed commentary of each CD track further guides the listener to an understanding of the melodic and rhythmic structure, as well as the variations, improvisations, and audience reactions.

I have some issues with the choice of themes and how they are integrated into the material. It is axiomatic that culture is dynamic, always changing. Changes to instruments...