Arab music from traditional to contemporary: Hybridity and westernization in the Arab musical culture
Arab music from traditional to contemporary: Hybridity and westernization in the Arab musical culture

Summary/Abstract: Globalization has significantly impacted Arab musical culture. Exposure to Western musical styles throughout the early twentieth century changed the trajectory of musical composition and practices in the Arab world. The thrive for modernity proliferated amongst Arabs, and the traditional Arab musical characteristics were compromised to accommodate the inclusion of Western styles and instruments. The current research explores the hybridization of Arab music and the aesthetic, musical, and sociocultural connotations implicated in the change process. The paper begins by summarizing the history of Arab music to highlight the evolution of musical traditions and styles. The article then highlights the main characteristics of traditional Arab music and identifies how these characteristics have changed under the influence of hybridity and Westernization. From an ethnomusicological perspective, the researcher discusses the sociocultural issues and concerns surrounding the concept of hybridity in Arab music and explores different debates about authenticity and its role in the reception of contemporary Arab musical culture. The researcher maintains that despite the proliferation of contemporary Arab musical genres in Arab society, there is a general propensity to reject it as a respected, „authentic” art form. The researcher argues that contemporary Arab music demonstrates authenticity as a fluctuating, subjective concept that evolves as societal and individual preferences change over time. The article concludes by asserting the need to approach contemporary music in the Arab world from an analytical, musicological lens to understand better the several different genres that fall under the umbrella of „contemporary music”, thereby acknowledging its importance to the Arab culture.

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