State, Song, and Shabāb in Syria’s Prewar Radioscape

Analyzing Syrian mass-media discourses, radio playlists, and interviews, this article describes the musical values and aesthetics of Syrian state-run and private radio in the years leading up to the 2011 uprising, focusing on radio’s sonic definition of “youth.” After outlining a topography of Syrian radio during 2009–11, I examine the call for songs from the 2011 Syrian Radio Song Contest. Focusing on two styles detailed therein—shabābī (youth) and shaʿbī (folk/popular)—I argue that Syrian radio in the prewar moment programmed large segments of the population out of that definition of “Syrian youth” and thus out of the official version of Syria’s future.