Fairouz and the Arab Diaspora - by Dima Issa

About the Book

An exploration of the role of Lebanese singer Fairouz in shaping Arab diasporic experience amidst a dynamic backdrop of revolutions, forced migrations and changing political landscapes

Book Synopsis

With a discography of over 1000 songs, 20 musicals and three motion pictures, the Lebanese singer and performer, Fairouz, is an artist of pan-Arab appeal, who has connected with listeners from diverse backgrounds and geographies for over four often tumultuous decades.

In this book, Dima Issa explores the role of Fairouz's music in creating a sense of Arab identity amidst changing political, economic context. Based on two years of research including 60 interviews, it takes an ethnographic approach, focussing on audience reception of Fairouz's music among the Arab diasporas of London and Doha. It shows that for discussants, talking about Fairouz meant discussing diasporic life, bringing to the surface notions of Arabness and authenticity, presence and absence, naturalization and citizenship, and the issue of gender. Conversations with the research respondents shed light on the idea of iltizam (commitment), or how members of the Arab diaspora hold on to attributes that they feel define and differentiate them from others.

Review Quotes

"Fairouz is a household name in the Arab world. Alongside Umm Kulthum of Egypt, she has been indispensable to the modern construction of the cultural and musical heritage of Arab societies. Dima Issa's study illuminates Fairouz's wide reach among the Arab diaspora, astutely analyzing her beginnings and her rise as a gifted woman amidst fraught political conditions in Lebanon. It is hard to imagine a more remarkable study than Issa's on this topic." --Dr Atef Alshaer, University Of Westminister

"In this singular and sophisticated study examining the legendary Lebanese singer Fairouz and the role her music plays in the lives of her listeners, Dima Issa shows us how central Fairouz is to Arabs in the diaspora and how, paradoxically, the further away you are from Fairouz, the closer she is to you." --Moustafa Bayoumi, Author of 'How Does It Feel To Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America'

"In 'Fairouz and the Arab Diaspora, ' Dima Issa has penned an original contribution to our understanding of the connections between music, identity, and location. Lyrically evoking a family life 'filled with love, food, and Fairouz, ' Issa demonstrates the centrality of the Lebanese icon to Arab identity from Doha to London. In this theoretically rich text, Fairouz emerges as an effective portal for a dizzying multitude of aesthetic predispositions and identity postures. A rich, evocative work deserving of a wide readership." --Marwan M. Kraidy, Northwestern University in Qatar

"In one of the contemporary world's greatest voices, Dima Issa finds histories of home, movement, displacement, and sanctuary-- an entire philosophy of the Arab diaspora. By studying how, and why, people listen to Fairouz, whether in cars, hair salons, or cafes, Issa reminds us that music's most lasting meanings are made in the lives of its listeners." --Josh Kun, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

"This perceptive book beautifully illustrates how Fairouz's music shapes diasporic imaginaries across generations and spaces. As the significance of music unravels through the experiences and voices of audiences, we hear and see how diasporic identities are individual and collective, contradictory and stubborn." --Professor Myria Georgiou, LSE, UK

About the Author

Dima Issa is Senior Lecturer of Mass Media and Communication at the University of Balamand, Lebanon. Her research focuses on the relationship between popular media and diasporic audiences.