“Saafi”: A Catchy Example of Darija
This week in my Darija class we listened to a new song by Moroccan pop star Asma Lmnawar called “Saafi.” It was a great way to hone our listening chops with Moroccan Darija, because it really is...
View ArticleFirst Glimpses of the Sahara
Over the weekend I finally set foot in a part of the world that I’ve wanted to see since I was quite young. My interest in the Sahara has matured from an early fascination with images of camels and...
View ArticleRamadan Mubarak!
Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, began in Morocco last Tuesday, ushering in a new pace for daily life as the vast majority of the population fasts between dawn and dusk. I was in...
View ArticleMoroccan Soundscapes
The innocuous pop song faintly heard in the grocery store, the 30-second jingle seeping into our subconscious from the television in front of us or in the next room, or the booming bass from the car...
View ArticleNorthern Morocco: Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Riffian Explorations
Last weekend was the last of our major group trips on the CLS program, and it was certainly the most pleasant even if the visit to the Sahara will likely be the most memorable and meaningful to me. I’d...
View ArticleOn Eids and Exams
Ramadan will be ending this week, but nobody knows when exactly. As I understand it, because the Islamic calendar is based on the moon rather than the sun (as in the Gregorian calendar), the beginning...
View ArticleMoroccan Soundscapes, Pt. 2
In an earlier post I wrote about some of the various ways in which I encountered music and sound throughout my journey in Morocco. I noted in particular what I felt were ways in which the contrasting...
View ArticleRiding in Cars with Noise
It’s good to be back in Niger. Not to harp on the same issue every time I resume posting here, but since it takes me some time to warm up to the places I’m visiting, and it plays a big part in how I...
View ArticlePraise Songs for El Hadji Taya and “Modern Nigerien Music”
Last Saturday, the Center for Music Promotion and Training (CFPM) El Hadji Taya held its annual celebration for the late El Hadji Mai Manga Taya (1951-1988). CFPM is an institution in Niamey offering...
View ArticlePortraits of Agadez
“Is this your husband?” the old man asks, gesturing toward me as a distant fluorescent light reveals the hint of a smile on his face. It’s 4:30am at one of the outdoor bus stations in Agadez, where I’m...
View ArticleHarmattan Homecoming
This is the first time I’ve been in Niger during the winter, and it’s in some ways a pleasant change. Steady harmattan winds blow cool(ish) air across the desert, reminiscent to me of the Santa Ana...
View ArticleThe Electoral Soundscape in Niamey, Part 1
As the American presidential campaign seemingly stretches earlier for each election, Niger’s official electoral campaign season appears refreshingly brief. When it opened on the night of January 29,...
View ArticleThe Electoral Soundscape in Niamey, Part 2
Previously, I touched on some of the connections of Nigeria’s Hausa media industry and Niger’s election songs. While the sounds and texts of Nigerian dandali soyeya may emerge in Niger, Nigerian...
View ArticleHot Season Touring
A month ago, I was grappling with multiple frustrations related to my research moving slowly: it’s the hot season; there’s an energy crisis in Nigeria, which provides much of Niger’s electrical power,...
View Article