Rhythms and rhymes of life : music and identification processes of Dutch-Moroccan youth

2008·6.4 MB·English

by  Gazzah, Miriam, 1977-

RHYTHMS AND
RHYMES OF LIFE
MUSIC AND IDENTIFICATION
PROCESSES OF DUTCH-
MOROCCAN YOUTH
Miriam Gazzah
Amsterdam University Press
RHYTHMS AND
RHYMES OF LIFE
MUSIC AND IDENTIFICATION
PROCESSES OF DUTCH-
MOROCCAN YOUTH
Miriam Gazzah
isim dissertations
isim / leiden
Amsterdam University Press
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Coverillustration:BertSmits,www.bertsmits.com
Coverdesignandlay-out:DeKreeft,Amsterdam
ISBN 9789089640628
E-ISBN 9789048506491
NUR 761
©ISIM/AmsterdamUniversityPress,Amsterdam2008
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Rhythms
and Rhymes
of Life
Music and Identification Processes of
Dutch-Moroccan Youth
EenwetenschappelijkeproeveophetgebiedvandeLetteren
PROEFSCHRIFT
terverkrijgingvandegraadvandoctor
aandeRadboudUniversiteitNijmegen
opgezagvanderectormagnificusprof.mr.S.C.JJ.Kortmann,
volgensbesluitvanhetCollegevanDecanen
inhetopenbaarteverdedigenop8September2008
om 13.30uurprecies
door
MiriamGazzah
geborenop16maart1977
teVaassen
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Promotores
Prof.dr.C.H.M.Versteegh
Prof.dr.A.l.Tayob(UniversiteitvanKaapstad,Zuid-Afrika)
Copromotor
Dr.K.vanNieuwkerk
Manuscriptcommissie
Prof.dr.W.H.M.Jansen
Dr.M.W.Buitelaar(RijksuniversiteitGroningen)
Dr.F.Reysoo(UniversiteitvanGeneve,Zwitserland)
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Contents
Acknowledgements 7
Notesontranscription 8
Introduction 9
1. MoroccansintheNetherlands:Roots,facts,andfigures 11
2. Changingpolicies 14
3. ThefieldofstudyofDutch-Moroccans 26
4. Youthculture,music,andpost-migrationidentity 27
5. Methodology 38
6. Thestructureofthisthesis 46
1. Theorizingidentity:musicandyouthculture 49
1. Introduction 49
2. Thedynamicsofidentity 52
3. Ethnicity 61
4. Applyingidentitytheoryinpost-migrationcontext 68
5. Music,youthculture,andidentity 74
6. Conclusion 78
2. AnoutlineoftheDutch-Moroccanmusicscene 81
1. Mappingoutthescene 81
2. Populargenres 86
3. Categorizationofevents 103
3. Music,events,andidentificationprocesses 113
Introduction:Myexperiencesataconcert 11
1. ThepivotalpositionofshaabiintheNetherlands 116
2. Theimportanceofweddingsandgettingtoknowshaabi 120
3. AnexpressionofDutch-Moroccangroupness 128
4. Conclusion 138
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4. Music,Islam,andgender 141
Introduction:Myexperiencesataconcert 141
1. TheIslamizationofevents 146
2. Thedebateonthecompatibilityofmusicandperformance
inIslam 152
3. Theconsumers'viewsonthecompatibilityofmusic,
performance,andIslam 157
4. Theproducers'viewsonthecompatibilityofmusic,
performance,andislam 169
5. ThecomplexpositionoffemaleperformersinMuslim
communities 171
6. Conclusion 186
5. Dutch-Moroccanhip-hopandstereotypes 189
1. Theoryonstereotyping 191
2. Stereotypes 197
3. Strategiesofresistance 198
4. Hip-hopasmusicalresistance 203
5. Maroc-hop'soriginsandtheimportanceoftheInternet 207
6. Maroc-hop'slyrics:Acategorizationofthemes 215
7. Conclusion:Anoverallanalysis 229
Conclusion 231
Suggestionsforfurtherstudy 239
Appendix 243
Notes 245
Bibliography 253
SummaryinDutch 271
Curriculumvitae 279
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Acknowledgements
Thisstudywould nothavebeen possiblewithoutthehelpandsup-
portofanumberofpeople.
ThankyoutotheInternationalInstitutefortheStudyofIslaminthe
ModernWorld(ISIM)thatprovidedmewithfinancialandacademicsupport
throughoutthis project. ISIM creates an inspiring academic environment
andIhavegreatlybenefitedfromitinthecourseofwritingthisthesis.ISIM's
lunches,outings,andseminarshavegivenmeinspirationandmotivationto
proceed,alsoduringhardtimes.
Specialthankstomy(former)colleagues:Prof.AsefBayat,Prof.Anne-
lies Moors, Dr.Linda Herrera, Drs.NadiaSonneveld, Dr.Martijn de Koning
anddrs.DennisJanssen.
ThankyoutotheTCMOdepartment(DepartmentofArabicandIslam)
atRadboudUniversitywhogenerouslyadopted measacolleague.Ithank
myTCMO colleague Drs. Nicolet Boekhoff-Van derVoortforall thetalks,
cupsofcoffee,lunchesandforlistening.ThankyouDrs.AnnemarieHinten-
Nooijen (Radboud University Nijmegen), drs. Simone Boogaarts-De Bruin
(AmsterdamUniversity)anddr.LindaDuits(AmsterdamUniversity).
Thank you to Dr. Bibi Panhuysen and Evelyn Raat at Imagine IC,
Amsterdam.
Thankyou:DJNadia,BadBrya,RaptiMiedema,LianevanderLinden,
MariaSouadBouananiandSanaaMakhlouf.
Thankyoutoalltherespondentswithoutwhomthisprojectwould
nothaveexisted.Ithankthemfortheircooperation,trustandfrankness.
Manyspecialthankstomyfamily:SamirandFairouz,AminandSara
andOmaSmits!
ThankyoutothefamiliesGazzah,Sghaier,Filali,GourarinTunisia.
ThankyouNinaandAlfred,BertandNaomi,KeesandOlga.
Last, butmostimportantofall, I thankmy parents Kuna Smitsand
Mohamed Gazzahforalways standing by meand inspiring mewith their
support,encouragementsandadvice.
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Noteson transcription
InthetranscriptionoftermsinArabicandArabicnames,nodiacritic
signshavebeenusedexceptthectoindicatetheArabiclettercaynandthe
'fortheArabic letterhamza,withtheexception ofthewordshaabi.This
wordisusedasagenrelabelfor'popularMoroccanfolkmusic';ontheinter-
netandinmusicshops.Onthecompartmentlabelsitisusuallytranscribed
withoutdiacriticsigns.Termsthatarecommon intheEnglish languageor
toponymsaretranscribedintheirmostcommonEnglishform,forexample,
burqa,jihadandMecca.Thesewordsarenotwritteninitalics.Inothercases,
I haveused italicstoindicatetheArabicorigin ofthewords,forexample,
hadith,culamaoranasheed.
In this dissertationparts ofsong lyrics arecitedandtranslatedfrom
DutchintoEnglish(fairuse).Ihavetriedtogetintouchwiththerightfulauthors
ofthesetextstoaskpermissionforcitingandtranslatingthem,butthiswasto
noavail.
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Introduction
Ahmed(organizerofMoroccanconcerts):"Musicdoessomethingtopeople.
Beingtogether[duringaconcert]alsotouchespeople,itgivesthemacertain
identity;asif...it'sliketheyareallgoingtoMoroccoonaboat.Youfeel...you
areseparate,butyouareone.ThatisafeelingthatIcannotexplaintoyou.You
know?Weallhavethatsamefeeling.Andthen[whentheboatarrives],then
youseeyourcountry.Withaconcert,it'sthesamething:afeelingofsolidarity
comesoveryou.Youwanttosharethemusicwitheachother,justlikeyouwant
tosharefood.Thatisthefeelingitgives."
Amal(freelancejournalist):"Itisnotlikethemusicisthereandyouareoutside
ofit,you know....Youarethemusic...[Duringaconcertorparty]Ihaveto
dance.Ihaveto!Itisshynessthatcanstopme,butwhenIstartdancing,then
euhh...wonderful!"
M.G:"Doyounoticewhatisgoingonaroundyou..?"
Amal:"Ehmm,wellyousee,Iam,ofcourse,aMoroccangirlandwearealways
awareofwhoiswatchingus,becauseanythingcanandwillbeusedagainst
youinacourtoflaw.Ha-ha."
Aisha(student):"[Musicis]thesoundtrackofmylife.Ilikethatphrase.AndI
reallybelieveit.Therearesongsthatwhenyouhearthem,doesn'tmatterifit
istenorfifteenyearsago,youknowexactlywhatyouweredoingatthattime,
whathappened,thatkindofstuff.Yeah,itis...background,itisaframeofrefer-
ence,itisdecor,itisexperience,atmosphere..."
Musiciseverywherein ourcontemporarysociety:in shopping cen-
tres,inelevators,ontheradioandonTV,whenyouareputonholdduringa
telephonecall,inaeroplanesandsoon.InhisbookMusicofilia,neurologist
OliverSacksexplainsthat,forhumanbeings,listeningtomusicisaneuro-
logicalaswellasanaural,emotional,andphysicalactivity.Ourbrainisneu-
rologicallysensitivetothesounds,rhythms,structure,andmelodyofmusic.
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