| Nicknamed Umm liGrumtem and li .Fiyyah, the town of S&dotbelow;ur is one of the richest regions of Oman in terms of the African presence in its musical landscape. Located southeast the capital, Muscat, this coastal town is known to have had profound connections with the coast of East Africa. Based on 2007-08 ethnographic field research conducted by the author in S&dotbelow;ur, and drawing on literature in ethnomusicology, African and African American studies, and history; this dissertation, specifically, investigates "Africa's" contribution to the creation of a musical culture of this Omani town. Drawing upon aspects of phenomenology and applying a structuralist approach, this ethnography argues that musical performances as well as other modes of expression such as interviews provide a space to examine the meanings of Africanisms vis-a-vis those of Arabisms which are reflected in the people's concepts of national and cultural identities. Furthermore, by examining the musical-making approaches in S&dotbelow;ur conceptually, it becomes possible to see the scope of an African presence in this town, which has, previously, been underestimated and unexplored. To put it briefly, this dissertation centralizes "Africa" as a concept in contrast to studies that marginalized "Africa" as a reference in the Omani society at large. |
