"It Was Just for Fun": Taarab and the Construction of Community Identity in Two Kenyan Towns

dc.contributor.authorOwen, Caleb Edwin
dc.date.accessioned2009-11-26T09:21:22Z
dc.date.available2009-11-26T09:21:22Z
dc.date.issued2009-11-26T09:21:22Z
dc.description107 pages. A THESIS Presented to the Department of History and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Arts, Spring 2006.en_US
dc.description.abstractThis thesis chronicles taarab, a popular genre of music, in Lamu and Matadoni, two communities on the coast of Kenya. My thesis argues that taarab, despite growing as popular and widespread in urban areas, developed as a localized tradition in Lamu and Matadoni by emphasizing local styles and public performances where musicians would play for little, if any money at all. This was different from the music’s success in urban centers which often emphasized the marketing of cassettes and compact disks. Renowned taarab musicians from these cities could earn money off of their music by performing for extravagant rates. Taarab contributed to the local character of Lamu and Matadoni through its lyrics which promoted evaluation of gender relationships, social problems within the community, and challenged politicians. The thesis explores how the traditions that made taarab distinct in these communities in the past are changing due to economic problems that challenge musicians’ ability to dedicate time to play music recreationally, in addition to the impacts of globalization that have been impacting cultural practices in Lamu and Matadoni. While local taarab in Lamu and Matadoni has had to adjust in order to incorporate these changes, it still remains a popular form of entertainment for the people of these communities.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/9982
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregonen
dc.relation.ispartofseriesUniversity of Oregon theses, Dept. of History, Honors College, B.A., 2010
dc.subjectMusicen_US
dc.subjectTaarab (Music) -- Kenyaen_US
dc.subjectKenyaen_US
dc.subjectEast Africaen_US
dc.subjectLamu (Kenya)en_US
dc.subjectCulture and globalization -- Kenya
dc.subjectMatadoni (Kenya)
dc.title"It Was Just for Fun": Taarab and the Construction of Community Identity in Two Kenyan Townsen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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