Music and Cultural Diplomacy in the Middle East : Geopolitical Re-Configurations for the 21st Century

This edited volume offers innovative perspectives on the study of music as cultural diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a region often overlooked in such discussions. It offers an innovative contribution to the field of ethnomusicology, as well as political science and international relations, by highlighting the agency of non-state actors (local voices, communities, and grassroots organizations), thereby contributing towards de-centering the state, hitherto conceived as the chief player in cultural diplomacy. This volume is divided into four main parts organized along the following themes: 1. History and Historiography, 2. Migration, Diaspora, and Ethics, 3. Statecraft and Music Making, and 4. Affective and Sensorial Diplomacy. The perspectives offered in this volume offer a deeper exploration of bottom-up initiatives of cultural diplomacy through music, instead of the more usual analyses of top-down, state-directed programmes. Overall, the aim is to reconceptualize Middle Eastern, North African and Arab Gulf musical practices in their relationship to power and cultural diplomacy in order build a broader and pluri-dimensional account of these contentious relationships.

Author: Maria M. Rijo Lopes da Cunha, Jonathan Shannon, Søren Møller Sørensen, Virginia Danielson

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Publication Date: Jan 24, 2024

Number of Pages: NA pages

Language: English

Binding: Hardcover

ISBN-10: 3031362780

ISBN-13: 9783031362781