Musical Soundscapes of Morocco: From Africa to America

Samuel Torjman Thomas explores the circulation of Moroccan music in America and the place of music in constructing modern Moroccan-American hybrid identities. Morocco has long been a nexus point between east and west, drawing upon an inherently international position in world history and its own ethnic diversity (including Arab, Jewish, and Berber traditions) for creative musical inspirations. In recent generations, as Moroccans have immigrated in large numbers to North America, Europe, and Israel, they have brought their unique brand of music multiculturalism with them.

Speaker Biography: Samuel Torjman Thomas is ethnomusicologist and artistic director of Asefa Music and the New York Andalus Ensemble.

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