Page 90 - Cyberculture and New Media

Mahmoud Eid 81
______________________________________________________________
singers to perform two-hour songs, as Umm Kulthoum did while standing
still on stage. Instead, they expect the experience to be participatory,
stimulating all of their senses. New media have therefore increased
competition between Arab singers by rendering conformity and uniformity
obsolete. Many Arab singers, such as Amr Diab and Elissa, had to learn the
technique of hybridizing Arabic pop music by incorporating foreign
elements, such as techno and Spanish flamenco music, into their songs and
performances. Critics have also contested the trend among producers to
reintroduce classic songs such as those of Abdel-Halim Hafez by remixing
them with techno music. Despite their objections, these songs continue to
gain popularity and attention, both in the region and abroad. Arab pop music,
mainly through music videos, is witnessing an explosion of overt female
sexuality as a result of the quest to innovate. Nancy Ajram and Haifa Wehbe
are forcibly pushing the boundaries and paving the way for other female
singers to capitalize on their femininity in order to secure a bigger
47
following.
New media have helped bring Arab music into the international pop
music scene. New media as a facilitating agent for globalization, thereby
affecting culture and identity, is not exclusive to the Arab region. What
makes the situation in the Arab world unique is that before the introduction of
the Internet and satellite television, governments heavily controlled the media
environment and censorship was the custom. New media offer the Arab
public an alternative, more open media environment. As a result of the
symbiotic relationship that exists between technology and communication,
the Arab world will continue to witness an evolving popular music industry
with the introduction of every new medium and technological advance. With
the onset of each evolution, Arab artists will attempt to adapt and reinvent
themselves. Those who do so successfully will emerge in the limelight both
at home and abroad, ensuring that Arab pop music continues to garner
international attention. The new media phenomenon in the Arab world has
found recent expression in the show Superstar, the Arab world’s version of
the U.S. program American Idol. Arab Superstar is a joint venture between
TV 19 (the UK-based creator of the Pop Idol concept), Warner Music
International and its Middle Eastern licensee, Music Master International.
The program was broadcast regionally by the Lebanese satellite channel
Future TV. The 10,000 entrants from across the Arab world who originally
applied to appear on the show were narrowed down to 12 finalists from seven
different countries. Over 21 weeks, viewers got to vote by fax, Internet, or
cell phone for their favourite singers, who covered a variety of musical styles
from Arabic pop to traditional dance and classical music––there was no
Western pop. Viewer response to the program surpassed all expectations.
Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria witnessed lavish campaigns including large