Images of Enchantment
What the back of the books says:
This original and multi-dimensional book brings a refreshing new approach to the study of the arts of the Middle East. By dealing in one volume with dance, music, painting, and cinema, as experienced and practiced not only within the Middle East but also abroad, Images of Enchantment breaks down the artificial distinctions - of form, geography, 'high' and 'low' art, performer and artist - that are so often used to delineate the subjects and processes of Middle Eastern artistic culture.
The eighteen essays in this book cover themes as diverse as Bedouin dance, the music Arab Americans, cinema in Egypt and Iran, Hollywood representations of the Middle East, and contemporary Sudanese painting. The contributions come from scholars and critics and from the artists themselves. Together, they present a wide-ranging and holistic view of the arts in their social, political, anthropological, and gender contexts.
Running through this book is the concept of tarab, 'enchantment,' the capacity - most often ascribed to music, but extended here to the other art forms - to move, involve, and empower both performer and audience. This fascinating collection will convey to its reader the riches of this concept and the vibrancy of the arts of the Middle East.
Sherifa Zuhur is a historian affiliated with the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, UC Berkeley and the von Grunebaum Center, UCLA. Her publications include: Revealing: Islamist Gender Ideology in Contemporary Egypt and Asmahan's Secrets: Woman, War, and Song.
Cover: Village of Chtouka by Chaibia Talal, 1982
