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African influence on culture and music in Dubai
Author(s) -
Khalifa Aisha Bilkhair
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
international social science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.237
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1468-2451
pISSN - 0020-8701
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2451.2006.00614.x
Subject(s) - lyrics , possession (linguistics) , silence , musical , section (typography) , poetry , resistance (ecology) , power (physics) , middle passage , history , sociology , population , anthropology , literature , aesthetics , art , ancient history , ecology , linguistics , philosophy , physics , demography , quantum mechanics , advertising , biology , business
This article has two major sections. The first section provides a historical review, introduces the history of Dubai, and describes the power dynamics and social interactions between its tribal population and slaves of African descent. Further this section discusses and analyses the social and cultural assimilation of African slaves in the host society. The second section investigates the role music and rituals played in the lives of slaves. It specifically illustrates the merger of African music and lyrics with Gulf poetry to produce the hybrid known as alnahmah, a sea chant. This section reveals how the different African musical genres and rituals functioned to sustain the slaves' existence. Finally, this section links spirit possession to slavery as a form of slave resistance and a method of coping with enslavement. The conclusion includes a discussion of topics addressing the historical links and contemporary connections between Dubai society and the music of African descendants. Despite the prolonged silence around the issue of slavery and its legacy, through music and rituals Gulf African slaves were able to leave an indelible mark that ultimately documents, records and preserves their experience of enslavement.