Variations on enchantment
Colors of Enchantment, Theater, Dance, Music, and the Visual Arts of the Middle East, Sherifa Zuhur (ed.), Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 2002. pp456
Sherifa Zuhur previously edited a volume of studies of the contemporary arts scene in the Middle East under the title Images of Enchantment. She has, it seems, a special urge to explore that world of visual and performing arts that aim at creating "tarab" (which she translates as "enchantment"), that particular quality that brings about reciprocation of emotion between the performers and their audiences, and which she extends to other areas of creative expression. In an interesting introduction she gives it as her belief that the "balance suggested in the expression 'renaissance man (or woman)' is a condition that is being abandoned by modern education with its contemporary professional specialisations and compartmentalisations" and she stresses that many of the contributors to this volume are persons performing more than one role in the field of the arts.
The twenty-two pieces in the volume range in subject matter from the theatre to dance and from music to visual images and, geographically, from Egypt to Yemen and from Iran to Morocco.
The first piece in the book is entitled "Revisiting the Theater in Egypt" and is by Mona Mikhail, a professor of modern Arabic literature and women's studies at New York University. She deals, briefly, with how the theatre was first introduced into Egypt during Napoleon's expedition. Shortly after arriving in Cairo Napoleon had asked that a troupe of actors be sent to Egypt and a large theatre was built where performances were put on to entertain the French troops. The theatre was destroyed during the 1799 uprising, when it was rebuilt by General Minou and named Theatre of the Republic. Al-Jabarti of course wrote about it. Having taken the concept of the theatre from Europe, it was only natural that the first attempts at establishing a local theatre were made by Arabicising some of the writings of French dramatists, as for instance 'Uthman Galal's play Al-Shaykh Matlouf derived from Moliere's Tartuffe. Later on appeared figures like Tawfiq Al-Hakim, whom she rightly describes as the father of the modern Egyptian theatre, and Naguib Rihani, a comedian of rare talent. In their wake came playwrights like Alfred Farag and, most importantly, Youssef Idris, who is the subject of another excellent study by Clarissa Burt who presently teaches Arabic literature at the AUC.
While known primarily as a short story writer, perhaps the short story writer in Arabic of present times, Youssef Idris' work as a playwright is also important. The writer mentions the fact that literary circles in Cairo were at one time talking of Idris as a possible contender for the Nobel Prize, and it was widely known that he experienced deep disappointment when it was not awarded to him. As Clarissa Burt says, "the fact that Idris's work was seriously discussed in such a capacity confirms his now well-established status as a world- class litterateur of the 20th century." In her detailed analysis of Idris's several plays, the writer singles out for particular praise Al-Farafir. It is, however, significant that she entitles her study of the playwright The Tears of a Clown.
Following this long study of Youssef Idris as a playwright comes a short piece by Tori Haring-Smith who has been active over the years in the theatre. Her piece is about Hassan El-Geretly's Al-Warsha Theatre, founded in 1987 and still addressing itself to the important issues of the past and identity that, she feels, Egypt is facing today. In the first paragraph of her contribution the author gives it as her opinion that Egypt's culture is in danger of being covered over by layer upon layer of colonising influences. "The Bedouin are being settled, the Nile bridged and dammed, and the ancient songs and stories are being forgotten." She complains that the likes of McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken, Xerox and Kodak are quickly becoming the culture of contemporary Cairo, and that along with this cultural loss has come a loss of identity and sense of self. Yet of what country today cannot the same be said? Are we all not living in a world threatened by the spread of a culture which, by reason of its mere economic strength, is able to impose itself on others?
Al-Warsha seeks to revive folk art by combining it with modern theatrical techniques. This was done successfully with shadow plays and then interested itself to the dying folk art of the public story-teller. It seems that they sought out a certain Sayyed El-Daoui, a man who knew by heart the whole of the million-line epic Al-Sira Al-Hilaliya. This immense Sira is described as Egypt's Iliad and the aim of Al-Warsha in taking it over is not to act as its archivist but to redefine the Egyptian stage by producing living theatre based on episodes taken from the epic
A different form of music is the subject of an exceptionally perceptive piece on "Tarab in the Mystic Sufi Chant of Egypt" written by Michael Frishkopf, an assistant professor of music at the University of Alberta, with special interest in the music of the Arab world. His study deals in particular with Sufi inshad, a form of music singularly rich in the element of tarab which, he points out, is slowly disappearing from secular music with the passing of such singers as Umm Kulthoum. Dr Frishkopf begins his long and detailed study of Sufi Inshad with a exposition of Sufism as practised in contemporary Egypt.
Frishkopf then proceeds to discussing in what way Sufism differs from orthodox Islam by providing the purely legalistic formulation of Islam with a spiritual perception that fills the emotional vacuum. He points out that the qalb (heart) is privileged over the 'aql (intellect) in Sufism and higher truths are thus perceived. Sufism teaches that proximity to God is possible but this is realisable only through "madad" (assistance) from someone who is closer to God, particularly from a wali (saint) for many of whom a "maqam" (shrine) has been built at which very often a yearly mawlid (festival) is held. The importance of the living sheikh of a Sufi order is also stressed; he is, as the writer says, "not only a spiritual teacher and guide, but also a source of 'baraka' (blessing) inherited from his shaykh".
After preparing the reader with extensive background information about Sufi devotional practices, the writer proceeds to an equally full description of Sufi inshad where he deals in particular with Sheikh Yassin Al-Tuhami. It so happened that I had attended a session of this leading munshid in the unlikely venue of London: once at a small gathering of people in a central bookshop and again a day or two later at an open-air session on the banks of the Thames on the outskirts of the city. The experience was one of truly great emotional power and gave one an insight into the meaning of "tarab".
Among other items of real interest is one exploring the art of the political cartoon in Egypt and one entitled "Meditations on Painting and History" in which Samia Mehrez and James Stone of the AUC conduct an interview with Huda Lutfi, a painter who only recently has made her appearance on the art scene in Cairo. It's an encouraging interview for those who, like myself, have had a superficial interest in art and have entertained vague ideas of one day being inspired to paint. Known to me as an expert on the Mamelukes, I was intrigued to find that not only has she had no formal training in painting but that she confesses to being unable to draw. And yet, as can be seen from several of her paintings well reproduced in this volume, her finished works are eminently attractive in a way that is more than merely decorative. I myself am pleased to be the owner of one long panel of a snake on legs. There is hope for us all!
Reviewed by Denys Johnson-Davies
