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Palestinian Music in Exile
Voices of Resistance
Series edited by Dawn Chatty, Stacy D. Fahrenthold and Annika Rabo
Series: Refugees and Migrants within the Middle East
340 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in, 15 b&w illus.
- Hardback
- 9781649033048
- November 2023
- Region: Worldwide
$59.95
LE950.00
£49.99
- EPUB
- 9781649033055
- October 2023
- Region: Worldwide
$58.99
- 9781649033062
- October 2023
- Region: Worldwide
$58.99
Where To Buy:
A historical and contemporary study of Palestinian musicianship in exile in the Middle East, spanning half a century in disparate locations
Palestinian Music in Exile is a historical and contemporary study of Palestinian musicianship in exile in the Middle East, spanning half a century in disparate locations, including Gaza, Turkey, Kuwait, and Egypt. Grassroots musicians emerge here as powerful actors, their stories taking center stage, offering critiques of existing conditions, and new perspectives on displacement and the transmission of Palestinian narratives, and presenting alternative visions for the future.
Louis Brehony argues that, under conditions of colonial relations and repeated displacement, the reclaiming of public space has gone hand in hand with aesthetic revolution, both broadening and traditionalizing the sounds of Palestine, and carrying messages of sumud (steadfastness) and resistance. Based on a decade’s research in Europe and the Middle East, this timely and inspiring collection of musical ethnographies provides a rich oral history of contemporary Palestinian musicianship and encompasses a broad range of experiences of the ghurba, or state of exile.
Timeline of events
Acknowledgements
Preface
Chapter 1. Introduction
Strings Of The Street: Resistance Aesthetics Of A Nation In Movement
Chapter 2. Za’atar, Zeit, And Fairuz: Growing Up Palestinian In Kuwait
Reem Kelani’s Musical Beginnings
Chapter 3. ‘Nothing Stops Tradition’: Dialects Of Cultural Reinvention In Exile
Experiences Of Palestinian Instrumentalism In Bilad al-Sham
Chapter 4. Village Dreams In Urban Gaza: A Young Girl’s Musical Intifada
Music And Land In A Palestinian Socialist Household
Chapter 5. Smashing The Pyramids: Encores Of Palestinian Radicalism In Egypt
Tamer Abu Ghazaleh, The Cairo Underground, And The Sabreen Influence
Chapter 6. ‘An Even Tougher Act Of Resistance’: Instrumentalism In The Dakhil
Saied Silbak And The Music Of Internal Displacement
Chapter 7. ‘Ahla Ayām’: The Most Beautiful Days
Tarab, al-Waṭan, And Gaza’s New Generation Of Musicians
Chapter 8. Sumud And The City: Old And New Comradeship In Istanbul
Fares Anbar, Ahmed Haddad, and The Turkish Migrant Scene
Conclusion: Where To?
Glossary
References
Louis Brehony is an activist, musician, researcher and educator, and a preeminent global scholar of Palestinian music. He is the director of the award-winning documentary film Kofia: A Revolution Through Music (2021) and has published widely on Palestine and political culture in the Palestine Chronicle, Middle East Monitor, Arab Media and Society, and a range of other journals. Louis received his PhD from King's College London and a master's in composition from the University of Salford, and performs internationally as a multi-instrumentalist. He has family origins in Ireland and lives in Manchester, UK.
"An incredible read. . . . Anyone reading this book would do well to keep it as a permanent source of reference."—Middle East Monitor
"A compelling narrative that not only informs but also inspires a deeper appreciation for the resilience and creativity of Palestinian musicians in exile."—Arab Studies Quarterly
"In addition to its masterful history of Palestinian music, Brehony’s book serves as such a guide, reinforcing already held beliefs with a fresh view of how to create a better world."—Mondoweiss
"The book leaves the reader with the impression that although Palestinians are not yet free, their music and culture remain sources of strength and inspiration . . . serving to keep their collective spirit alive."—Morning Star
"A book brimming with research which weaves together the many strands of Palestinian resistance, explored through music and from a Marxist perspective."—The New Arab
"Based on a deep knowledge of Palestinian resistance and culture, this book weaves together revolutionary Marxist and anticolonial theory with Palestinian history, music, and political and social ideas, in a way which is both accessible and intelligent."—Tahrir Hamdi, Arab Open University
"Louis Brehony’s book is a testament to the centrality of Palestinian culture, particularly music, to the continuity of the Palestinian struggle. He bears witness to the power of culture as a generator of meaning, and as a revolutionary tool in the hands of working-class Palestinian refugees in Palestine and in the diaspora."—Ramzy Baroud, Palestine Chronicle
"Louis Brehony's outstanding work sheds light on the various circumstances and factors that influenced the creation of Palestinian music in exile, which then became truly diverse and unique in the Arab world.”—Bashar Shammout, Al Fajer
Book Trailer
Virtual Book Talk with Louis Brehony and Tahrir Hamdi – 29 November 2023
On the occasion of the “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People”, a virtual book discussion of “Palestinian Music in Exile: Voices of Resistance” with author and activist, Louis Brehony, and in conversation with Dr. Tahrir Hamdi, professor of Decolonial Studies at Arab Open University, Jordan, has taken place Live on Zoom and AUC Press Facebook page.
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