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June 07, 2005

Comments

SP

False binary, ya ustaz...can't you have your pan-Arabism and your Haifa too? Isn't Arab identity more united around Nancy and Haifa than it was around the squabbling political strongmen? Wouldn't Bashar rather have home-grown sluts than Britney? ;)

aardvark

True on all counts, SP. The pairing of two images I happened to have in my downloads folder was just irresistable, alas.

'course it does raise the much more interesting question of the extent to which Haifa and company represent some kind of globalization-with-an-Arab-mask vs something "authentically" Arab, or something hybrid, or what. Question for another day.

Nur al-Cubicle

Well, I'm waiting for the Arab Björk.

Leoparded and feathered globalized bimbo mascaraed McChanteuses in the meantime.

aardvark

NC - well, there's Natacha Atlas, formerly of Transglobal Underground, who does some pretty funky and original singing in Arabic (skip her most recent album Something Dangerous and try either Gedida or Halim, if I remember those titles right). I don't think she gets much (any) play in the Arab world, but I think she's really good.

Nur al-Cubicle

Oh you know of Natacha Atlas? Right! She could be a Bjork! I have two Transglobal Underground discs: Psychic Karaoke and Dreams of 100 Nations. She is also figured in the Buddha Bar Compilations and Claude Challe's work (Near Eastern Lounge, Magic Carpet Ride)

http://www.claudechalle.com/claudechalle.htm

Penta

But is there an Arab ABBA?:-)

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