This book deals with folk songs and associated customs in Libya. The author’s excellent scholarship clearly demonstrates his ability to perform research on this material. He provides musical scores for the songs, and the book features photographs that reflect Libyan social realities.
After a preface and introduction, there are five chapters, titled as follows: “Culture and Music in Libyan Society,” “The Nawba in North Africa and Libya,” “Ma?l?f al-Idh??a: Change, Continuity and Contemporary Practices,” “The Musical Making of Ma?l?f,” and “Libyan Ma?l?f in the Realm of Arab Music Aesthetics.” Following the epilogue, there is a complete and comprehensive list of sources and references.
As a reader and a researcher in the field of Arab culture, I believe that this book sheds important light on an aspect of Libyan folklore that deserves to be disseminated among other cultures throughout the world.
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[Review length: 143 words • Review posted on October 8, 2014]