Research paper about music

profilenazar1996
Installment1Sample.docx

Arabs Sing

The "Arab Spring" series of revolutions and demonstrations in the Middle East that occurred beginning 2010 were largely a result of the population's frustration with authoritarian governments and their lack of a voice. Egyptians, for example, united to call for the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year term, and while they staged many peaceful demonstrations, there were several outbreaks of violence, some of which incited military intervention. I chose this topic because I would hear about these things firsthand from my uncle's family in Egypt, before it appeared on our evening news - stories of tanks rolling through the streets, but also stories of more positive events, such as the famous instances of Muslims and Christians protecting each other during prayer. Stories such as this one spoke of the strong sense of unity that held the Egyptian population together and enabled them to speak out and achieve results. Many of the Middle East's most famous artists wrote songs about this feeling of togetherness during this time period, and one song in particular, Boshret Kheir by singer Hussein al-Jasmi, encouraged the Egyptian people to take a stand, as one:

(these lyrics were roughly translated from Arabic)

To the world you will speak out

And take an oath to make it better

You have been quiet for too long

What did Egypt gain from your silence?

...

Go call out for the ‘9a3idi’ (from upper Egypt) and your nephew from ‘Port Said’ and the youth from ‘Alexandria’ for this is a gathering of men And I will come with those from ‘Sohag’ and ‘Qina’ and ‘Sinai’ and ‘ who are the best of the best No need to double check on the people from Suez, everything is now jumbled together And the people from ‘Al Ismailiyyah’ who have been through a lot Talk to me about the people from the East, and together we are stronger And together we are stronger And our hope is high

The song was wildly popular, and in some places was used as an "anthem" of sorts for the revolutionary undertaking. In fact, after the success of the first song, Mr. al-Jasmi wrote a new version with the same melody that incorporated cities and countries from all over the Middle East.

In short, I chose this topic because of my personal background with it, and because it lends itself powerfully to the idea that while music may not necessarily be its own language, it is an extremely effective method of communication and can serve as a powerful symbol of unity.

Although some believe that the Middle Eastern culture promotes violence, in this paper I will show that traditional Egyptian music reflects an innate desire for peace and unity in Middle Eastern countries.