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Philip Ciantar: The Ma’lûf in Contemporary Libya – An Arab Andalusian Musical Tradition. Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2012. 204 pp.

Libya has been in the news a lot lately, and often for the wrong reasons. Our collective imagination, conditioned by decades of political intrigue, has given us an imperfect view of what is essentially one of our closest neighbours.

Philip Ciantar’s recent publication helps to deepen our knowledge of this enigmatic country, and explores contemporary Libyan culture through music. He focuses primarily on the ma’lûf, a particular form of music pertaining to a pan-Arabic musical tradition.

It is a musical form that was brought into North Africa by Andalusian Arabs fleeing from the Spanish reconquista of the Iberian peninsula. The form then developed according to regional characteristics in different parts of the Maghreb, with the Libyan form being the least studied.

This publication also comes at a very particular moment in Libyan history. The research was conducted at the time when Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was still in power. With the recent political upheavals, this book has assumed the character of an important historical document, as it gives us an insight into the Gaddafi era.

The first chapter deals precisely with an overview of Libyan musical history. Of prime importance is the importation of Western instruments and styles, as these would eventually find their way into traditional Libyan music.

The advent of recording equipment has also allowed forms like the ma’lûf to be heard by audiences which would not normally have access to it.

Central to the whole research is the tension between old and new. The Gaddafi revolution appropriated the ma’lûf as a typical Libyan cultural product, and it was promoted as an alternative to Western music. However, the form was also ‘modernised’ through the efforts of Hassan Araibi, the founder of the modern ma’lûf.

With the recent political upheavals, this book has assumed the character of an important historical document, as it gives us an insight into the Gaddafi era

This has created two distinct genres. One is the traditional ma’lûf, which forms part of specific religious rituals held under the auspices of particular Sufi lodges. The other is a more modernised approach that has taken the ma’lûf into the realms of public concert performance and the recording studio.

Ciantar then proceeds with a detailed exploration of the ma’lûf in its ritualistic context, and how the musical, poetic and ritualistic elements have contributed to the form itself.

Interestingly enough, the Gaddafi regime was suspicious of the ma’lûf in its original context in Sufi ceremonies, since they were seen as dangerous brotherhoods which opposed his regime.

The officially endorsed ma’lûf is the work of Araibi, considered to be the father of the modern ma’lûf. Whether or not one agrees with his reforms, Araibi is responsible for ensuring the survival of this form. He also saved it from becoming fossilised, and allowed it to grow into new directions.

His reforms, fully endorsed by the Gaddafi regime, have ironically fostered a heated debate on the nature of ma’lûf. In a country where debate was often discouraged, and even the ma’lûf was turned into a political tool, such discussions are rare.

This is not to say that the ma’lûf was a revolutionary tool in itself, but it was at least a platform which allowed for a limited scope of self-expression. Even though Ciantar analyses the form in depth, he stresses the fact that Libyans do consider a theoretical analysis important for the ma’lûf. They are more interested in the sincerity and depth of each performance.

The book is clearly constructed, and is approachable even to the musically uninitiated. There are some passages (particularly the fourth chapter), which dwell at length on the compositional aspects of the ma’lûf, and which might seem daunting. However, a little patient reading will be extremely rewarding for the reader.

Ciantar takes a very general approach, and includes historical and anthropological perspectives in his research. His literary style is straightforward and easy to follow.

If the technical Arabic names become a bit too confusing, there is a glossary at the end with all the translations.

Whether you are interested or not in Arab music or Libyan culture, this book will certainly help correct many misconceptions. What we perceive as primitive or alien is actually closer to home than we can imagine.

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