The Burda: Reweaving the Mantle, Renovating Arab Music Tradition between Egypt and the Arab Levant

Abstract

This article critically considers how the musical piece, “Al-Burda,” has introduced ground-breaking formal and rhythmic innovations within Arab contemporary traditional music. I explore the centrality of Mustafa Said’s musical adaptation of Arabic prosody in generating new rhythmic modes whilst highlighting Said’s claims of continuity with an Arab literary and musical tradition through the musical adaptation of the poetics of mu’arada, which means building upon pre-existing models. This article draws upon postcolonial theory as a fundamental tool of analysis for the underpinning socio-political commentary present at every stage of creation and production of “Al-Burda.”