Performing Al-Andalus

<p><i>Performing al-Andalus </i>explores three musical cultures that claim a connection to the music of medieval Iberia the Islamic kingdom of al-Andalus known for its complex mix of Arab North African Christian and Jewish influences. Jonathan Holt Shannon shows that the idea of a shared Andalusian heritage animates performers and aficionados in modern-day Syria Morocco and Spain but with varying and sometimes contradictory meanings in different social and political contexts. As he traces the movements of musicians songs histories and memories circulating around the Mediterranean he argues that attention to such flows offers new insights into the complexities of culture and the nuances of selfhood.</p>