Présentation

Arab world patrimony music is evolving into a rich cultural mosaic, embodying the collective memory of centuries-old communities and identities. This thematic issue examines, through interdisciplinary research papers, the ways in which this music continues to thrive within the double pressures of the erosion of oral traditions and the increasing hegemony of globalization and digitization. The body of works discussed clusters around
a predominant inquiry: in what ways can musical patrimony be maintained amidst ongoing contemporary transformations?

In her work “Women’s poetic song in Algeria. Hawfi of Tlemcen”, Nebia Dadoua Hadria offers a living example of an imperiled oral patrimony. In a study of the Hawfi, she points out how Algerian women’s everyday activities have been converted into a sung form infused with feeling and unique rhythms. Despite its connection to other North African musical genres, like the bukala, this specific song upholds linguistic and ritual uniqueness specific to the female domain. However, its unclear origins and mode of oral communication are factors in its tenuous survival, highlighting the urgent need for extensive documentation to complete the preservation and appreciation of this cultural legacy.

This topic is in line with Aida Niati’s research in “The Vocal Practice of the Oral Musical Patrimony in Tunisia: Socio-Cultural Forms and Representations (Kebili Region).’ In her work, the author shows that vocal genres like ṣawt al-jarād, which is linked to wedding ceremonies, and ṣawt al-barrāsh, linked to Ashura celebrations, establish a symbolic musical system that pervades daily rituals. She emphasizes the leading role played by women in preserving this musical identity through practices such as taṭwiḥa that introduce embellishments into the song using their voice. Nevertheless, the disappearance of social contexts in which these practices can be articulated endangers their transmission despite their resilience.

Whereas the first two researches are focused on local orality, Riadh Lamloum’s paper “The artistic musical patrimony in the town of Testour in Tunisia: a social and artistic approach.” shows how a patrimony becomes a stronghold of collective identity. Inherited from the Andalusian Moriscos, Testour’s malouf, extends beyond musical performance. It is woven into the fabric of local architecture, as in the town’s mosque, religious practice, notably Sufism, and celebrations, including week-long weddings. Its uniqueness, founded upon the exclusive use of percussive instruments like the ṭār or the nughārāt, renders it a stark cultural signifier. However, the lack of written records threatens its transmission, even as it is safeguarded by intercontinental festivals.

Here, Imed Ghdemsi’s “Oum Kalthoum’s music and modern technologies: musical patrimony and contemporary frameworks
- which image, which music, which method” is a warning of sorts: whereas previous scholarship worried about being forgotten, the threat now is that of the commodification of patrimony. The author illustrates the life-altering implications of digitization, facilitated by sites like YouTube or advancements in artificial intelligence, on Oum Kalthoum’s form and voice, which are being diminished to inferior representations and, therefore, substituting classical musical critique with a ‘culture of likes.’ Nevertheless, certain technologies, like holograms, may gain popularity with young people, pending the institution of effective safeguards (ethical framework for use) that will uphold the cultural authenticity of this great music.

Mohamed Hirreche Baghdad’s article, “Funerary inscriptions in some Algerian Sahara towns: simplicity and sense”, is a dual contribution to anthropology and philosophy as it examines the complex nature of the relationship between human beings and death in Saharan societies. By examining ancient funerary inscriptions, specifically those of N’mara and Tihouda, and comparing them with contemporary examples, the author illustrates how epitaphs constitute a search for mercy and transcendence, setting them apart from more introspective or ironic-philosophical forms in other cultures. The examination is comparative and critical, based on textual and empirical evidence to examine the rhetoric of silence, void, and sobriety as instruments of spiritual ascendance. The article also emphasizes the significance of oral traditions and personal and communal scriptural practices in cultivating a memory of the dead. Lastly, it summons a reinterpreting of these practices as vehicles for an inherent philosophy of life, richly rooted in environment, historical context, and belief systems. In short, the literature cumulatively underlines one basic idea: musical patrimony is not just an aural relic to be heard, but a living memory shaped by constant interactions between people, their environment, and the world at large.

Be it hawfi in Algeria, ṣawt al-jarād in Tunisia or the malouf of Testour, they all represent cultural systems of resistance against oblivion. Confronted with the dangers of commodification, especially when it comes to Oum Kalthoum, the challenge is still to come up with transmission mechanisms that will enable the preservation of authenticity without freezing tradition, and the welcoming of modernity without vulgarizing it. Ultimately, musical patrimony is not a past that has to be preserved, but a present that has to be re-invented with clarity.