Arab Techno for the People: Sonic Responses to Orientalism in Toronto and Montreal - Hardcover

by Jillian Fulton-Melanson (Author)

An ethnographic look at the techno and house music of the Arab diaspora in Canada

This book analyses electronic music soundscapes as a way of exploring the lived experiences of cosmopolitan, Arab-identified individuals living in Toronto and Montreal. By deconstructing the soundscape into various 'Arabscapes' samples of Arabic music in house and techno tracks, examples of Arabic language performance, Orientalist conversations, and sonic responses that jam Orientalist messages, Fulton-Melanson argues that Arabscapes 'sound' the Arab diaspora in multicultural Canada in the way they unveil the experience of memory and nostalgia, presence and absence, racism and (mis)interpellation, and the various subtle realities that one must consider when ethically navigating such cultural complexities.

Author Biography

Jillian Fulton-Melanson is based in Toronto and Casablanca. She holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from York University and has training in ethnomusicology, education, and music performance.