Sandaa Aye

MUSIC215 Section 106

Dr. Laura Schnitker

Lori Sen

29 September 2017

Habesha Lifestyle and Arabic Melody

There is a lot that can be said about music. It serves as a source of strength, a platform for

expression, and a depiction of culture. Music provides a connection between two worlds. Such

articulation can be said about the interviewee, Razan Ahmed. Coming from a Sudanese and

Eritrean household, she struggles with balancing both of these cultures. This does not take into

account the additional hardships she faces in relation to assimilating into American culture. But

music is Razans safehaven. In conducting this interview, I found that music is indeed universal.

Not only does it connect in terms of a global scale, but serves as a symbol of strength and spirit.

Razan allowed me to understand the dynamics of Arabic and Eritrean culture and how it presents

a gateway to musical expression. This genre of music allows many, to translate their culture into

melody, to communicate this sense of national family, even if they are far away from their

homeland. Through the combination of many features, lyrically and melodically, Arabic music is

able to convey this notion of unity in culture, as well as introduce a sense of national identity

between many.

Many encounters with cultural music are first introduced in childhood. In Razans case,

the first time she ever came into contact with Arabic music was around the age of five. Her

childhood memories reminisce a time of carefree-ness. There was time spent at her aunts

house where the adults would play Arabic songs. She stated, I liked the melodies, they were
upbeat and I can never forget how all of our cousins would freely dance in the living room at my

Aunts house. Moments like these, constantly replay in our heads. Razan mentions how

although these memories are irreplaceable, they introduce a sense of nostalgia. Although years

have passed, Arabic music continues to provide Razan a connection to her culture. It proves that

time goes on, but music will always be a way for humans to reconnect with their culture, and

reawaken this sense of belonging in their cultural communities.

Being miles away from both Sudan and Eritrea, one of the questions I asked Razan was

how the music brought her closer to culture. Razan told me about how Arabic music reminded

her of family. It was evident that at times, she felt isolated in America; listening to this cultural

music brought her right back to her homeland. The same can be said about Scott Morrisons

experience in Sao Paulo Brazil. In this article, Morrison studies a Syrian-Lebanese community in

Brazil. In doing this he was able to see how an Arab community assimilated into Brazilian

culture without losing their roots. He mentions while the community feels little animus in

contemporary times, and no threat from the larger Brazilian culture, the connection with the past

and the greatness of a heritage and people as they construe it, represent to the community a

source of self esteem and special pride. In this sense music serves as a cultural link between a

marginalized community. Additionally, it introduces a sense of national pride, even outside of

their homeland.

Many of us are exposed to the music of our cultures early on, but there are other factors

that affect the appeal to a genre. Besides nostalgia, melodies and reliability come into play. As

mentioned by Razan, there are many different reasons she is drawn to Arabic music. Yes, it was

something she grew up listening to and it reminds her of family. But because it is in her native

language, Arabic, the music helps connect her to culture. As a person of mixed race, she has
multiple identities. Razan sees herself in different lyrics and can relate to various backgrounds.

This notion of representation that music provides depicts a sense of nationalistic community.

Although Razan struggles to be represented in American media, Arabic music is a direct

expression of how she feels. Others who also find hardships in representation look to music and

connect with the same songs. No matter the location, if music speaks to you, it speaks to you;

this reiterates national connections between communities even seas apart. It ties into the national

aspect of identity, in the sense that it unifies all types of people together.

There is no doubt that music speaks to us all in different ways, Razan tells a story of

nostalgia. Listening to Arabic music takes her back to her Sudanese homeland. It helps her

reconnect to family. Although this genre of music tends to be upbeat, she mentions how it

introduces a sense of sadness, almost a longing for the good old days. But it also brings her great

happiness. In times of joy, surrounded by friends in the car, music joins them all together. Razan

tells me about about driving in the car with friends who dont even speak Arabic. Although they

dont know what the lyrics are addressing, the melodies are appealing. It proves that music is

universal. This sense of community that surpasses national limits. Although music introduces

connections between common cultures, it does its part in joining all people together.

Arabic music is not something I am familiar with, therefore I am unfamiliar with the

common lyrical focus of this genre. But I really wanted to understand how the lyrics played into

Razans cultural identity, or if she related to them. She brought up this one Egyptian song that

talked about the different tribes in Egypt, and how they should all join forces. It was relatable to

Razan because there is a similar tribal situation in Sudan. Although she couldnt remember the

songs name, the idea itself played into her cultural identity. This is an example of cross cultural

ties that allow people like Razan to express their culture through another one.
 In addition to relating to lyrics, Razan explained how she identified with a particular

artist. A muslim singer, named Hala Al Turk, is someone that Razan connects to because of

her religious Muslim background. She didnt give me much more on why she connected to this

singer, except for this feeling of representation. I think that this is a branches off to the element

of nation in identity. Although Razan is miles away from this singer, has never met her, she still

feels connected to her music; it is a sense of cross national representation.

There are various negative connotations associated with Arabs living in America. Often

times, they are portrayed as terrorists. This led me to wonder if Razan had ever felt ashamed to

listen to Arabic music. As a proud Arab, she mentioned that she only ever felt weird in front of

her family. It was difficult to express her interest in Arabic music to her Eritrean cousins, as they

just didnt understand. This introduces the culture gap between Razans different identities.

Although music often unifies people of different cultures, it can also present this sense of

isolation.

For many like Razan, Arabic music transcribes a sense of cultural community between

individuals and their homelands. It allows national identity to grow amongst distant regions.

Through the conduction of this interview, I saw how music affected this Arabic culture, and how

my friend found her identity within such expression. I was able to understand how found strength

in her national identity miles away from her Sudanese homeland. Indeed, music is the gateway to

our identities.

Interview Questions

1. How did you first discover this type of music and what were your first

impressions?
 2. What attributes factor into your likeness of this genre? Is it the relatability,

background, etc.?

3. What emotions do you feel when listening to this genre? Does it take you back to

a specific time in your life?

4. Do you relate to any of the lyrics often associated with this genre?

5. Is there any particular artist in the genre that helps you express your identity?

6. How does the music bring you closer to culture since you are so far from home?

7. How does the music you listen to relate to your religion?

8. How does it feel to be an Arab living in America? Are you ever ashamed of liking

your cultural music?

Works Consulted

Morrison, Scott. Os Turcos: The Syrian- Lebanese community of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Journal of
Muslim Minority Affairs, December 2005.

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=19277057&site=ehost

-live