Orchestrating Egypt: Cultural Politics and the Adoption of New Musical Instruments in Arab Music

Kira Weiss
Music
UC Santa Barbara

My dissertation research examines the adoption of non-traditional musical instruments in Egyptian al-mūsīqā al-‘arabiyya (Arab music) from the violin family to the electric guitar. Based in the field of ethnomusicology––the study of music in and as culture––this research explores sociocultural issues including Egyptian and pan-Arab nationalism, modernity, postcolonialism, and affect. The project engages with debates over the adoption of new musical instruments in the traditional takht ensemble in Egypt, beginning with the violin family in the 19th century and leading up to the electric guitar and keyboard, to analyze the influence of these new instruments on Arab music in Egypt and beyond. The shifting debates over instrumentation provide a window into broader shifts in Egyptian cultural politics and national narratives over the last century, as well as changing perceptions of identity and heritage. Taking a mixed-methods approach, the project combines historical, ethnographic, and practice-based research. Methodologically, this research is based on multi-media archival work as well as ethnographic work with musicians, documenting the techniques and approaches developed by instrumentalists in Arab music in Egypt, and participation observation, including performing with professional al-mūsīqā al-‘arabiyya ensembles in Cairo.