Music 220 - TOPICS IN WORLD MUSIC

Topics course. Music is a thorny issue in most Islamic societies. There is often tension between hardliners who believe that music has no place in Islam and thus try to prohibit it and those who tolerate it, albeit within well-defined parameters. The debate intensifies in the case of popular music. Despite this, there is an incredible variety of vibrant popular music traditions throughout the Islamic world. In this course, we will engage with Islamic debates on popular music, explore a broad range of case studies, and examine the ways each illuminates different themes (forms of Islam, issues of diaspora, gender considerations, musical diversity, etc.). No prerequisites, though MUS 101 will be helpful.

Topic: Popular Music in the Islamic World.