Popular Dance and Music in Modern Egypt - Paperback

by Sherifa Zuhur (Author)

This book is an exploration into the history, aesthetics, social reality, regulation, and transformation of dance and dance music in Egypt. It covers Oriental dance, known as belly dance or danse du ventre, regional or group-specific dances and rituals, sha'bi (lower-class urban music and dance style), mulid (drawing on Sufi tradition and saints' day festivals) and mahraganat (youth-created, primarily electronic music with lively rhythms and biting lyrics). The chapters discuss genres and sub-genres and their evolution, the demeanor of dancers, trends old and new, and social and political criticism that use the imagery of dance or a dancer. Also considered are the globalization of Egyptian dance, the replication or fantasies of raqs sharqi outside of Egypt, as well as the dance as a hobby, competitive dance form, and focus of international dance festivals.

Author Biography

Sherifa Zuhur is a research scholar, performer, author and contributing editor of 18 previous books. She held academic appointments at MIT, University of California, Berkeley, the American University in Cairo, and the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College. She lives in Berkeley, California.