Youth Heavy Metal Bands in Morocco: Resistance and the Struggle for Change
Keywords:
Metal music, Metal bands, Moroccan youth music, activism, transgression, Moroccan Youth Heavy Metal: Between Transgression and Musical Activism
Abstract
In Morocco, Metal is a controversial genre of youth music that has usually been misinterpreted, marginalized and stigmatized by many individuals due to its transgressive sound, lyrical contents and visual codes. In his regard, the purpose of this paper is to explore the specific lyrical themes of Moroccan Metal bands in relation to elements of symbolic transgression and musical activism. It also aims to the main motivations that push these bands to produce and sustain their musical discourse taking into account the conservative nature of the Moroccan context. Using both content analysis and semi-structured interviews, the paper concluded that despite the severe cultural challenges that surround their socio-cultural condition, the artistic participation of Moroccan Metal bands have not just allowed them to gain support from their subculture but also made them impose themselves as leaders of culture of courage. By tracing the Moroccan Metal bands’ artistic engagement and commitments, this paper will bring to light the cultural sociology and multi-dimensional nature of Metal narratives in Morocco and the challenges that shape its existence. It also provides an interesting account for students and academics concerned with cultural minorities, literature and arts-related topics about the nature of content produced by this minority as a reference.
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References
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35. Metal Music.” Journal of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music. DOI: 10.5429/2079-3871(2014)v4i1.8en
36. Moroccan Youths Dream of?” In Contemporary Morocco: State, Politics and
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38. Nachit, M. 2016. “The Challenges of Teaching Visual Arts: The Case of Moroccan Higher Education.” Arab World English Journal. 168-182. https://bit.ly/3vSw3rN
39. Nevins, D. L. 2021. “Artists Reflect the Times They Live In.” The Fulcrum, September 20. https://bit.ly/3sjJ1Na
40. Purcell, N. J. 2003. Death Metal Music: The Passion and Politics of a Subculture. NC: McFarland & Company, Inc.
41. Rafalovich, A., and A. Schneider. 2005. “Song Lyrics in Contemporary Metal Music as Counter- Hegemonic Discourse: An Exploration of Three Themes.” Free Inquiry in Crealive Sociology 33 (2): 131-142. https://bit.ly/2QT9cdy
42. Sabbagh, D. 2022. “Would Vladimir Putin Actually Use Nuclear Weapons?” The Guardian, February 28. https://bit.ly/39y0ESK
43. Said, E.W. 1985. “Orientalism Reconsidered. Race & Class 27(2): 1-15. doi:10.1177/030639688502700201.
44. Schaap, J., P. Berkers 2014. “Grunting Alone? Online Gender Inequality in Extreme
45. Schaefer, J. 2012. “Protest Song Marocaine.” Middle East Report. 263: 26-32. https://bit.ly/386A5nA
46. Society Under Mohammed VI, edited by. B., Maddy-Weitzman and D. Zisenwine, 141–160. Routledge: Milton Park, Abingdon.
47. Street, S., S. Hague., and H. Savigny. 2007. “Playing to the Crowd: The Role of Music and Musicians in Political Participation.” Political Studies Association 10(2): doi: 10.1111/j.1467-856x.2007. 00299.x.
48. Tan, J. 2019. "Social Activism in the U.S. Music Industry." Backstage Pass, 2 (1): https://bit.ly/3MUonLp
49. Thomson, J. 2011. Djent, the Metal Geek's Microgenre.” The Guardian, March 3. https://bit.ly/3vdEmvd
50. Trott, Brian. 2018. "Faouda Wa Ruina: A History of Moroccan Punk Rock and Heavy Metal." Master thesis., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/1934
51. Under Mohammed VI, edited by. B., Maddy-Weitzman and D. Zisenwine, 161–177. Abingdon: Routledge.
52. Walser, R. 1993. Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music. Hanover & London: Wesleyan University Press.
53. Weinstein, D. 1991. Heavy Metal: A Cultural Sociology. San Francisco: Lexington Books.
54. Weinstein, D. 2000. Heavy Metal: The Music and its Culture. Boston: Da Capo Press.
2. Arnett, J. 1991a. “Heavy Metal Music and Reckless Behavior Among Adolescents.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence 20(6): 573-592. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537363
3. Arnett, J. 1991b. “Adolescents and Heavy Metal Music: From the Mouths of Metalheads.” Youth & Society 23 (1): 76–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X91023001004
4. Baker, C., and B. Brown. 2016. “Suicide, Self-harm and Survival Strategies in Contemporary Heavy metal Music: A Cultural and Literary Analysis.” Journal of Medical Humanities, 37(1): 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-014-9274-8
5. Ballard, M. E., A. R. Dodson , and D. G. Bazzini. 1999. “Genre of Music and Lyrical Content: Expectation Effects.” 160 (4): 476-487. https://bit.ly/32KpEj0
6. Bashe, P. 1985. Heavy Metal Thunder: The Music, Its History, Its Heroes. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
7. Ben-Layashi, S. 2013. “Feet on the Earth, Head in the Clouds: What do
8. Bhabha, H. 1994. The Location of Culture. New York: Routledge.
9. Bouazzaoui, C. 2015. “Metal Is Not Satan’s Work, Discover This Music before You Judge: Yassine Bourial.” Morocco World News, September 11. https://bit.ly/3dJm27e
10. Boum, A. 2013. “Youth, Political Activism and the Festivalization of Hip-Hop
11. Brouwer, L., and E. Bartels. 2014. “Arab Spring in Morocco: Social Media and the 20 February Movement.” Africa Focus 27(2): 9-22. https://bit.ly/37oCc5B
12. Cannon, A. 2020. “Thinking of Music as Social Activism.” University of Birmingham, June 1. https://bit.ly/3wa0s3Y
13. Cumming, T. 2013. “The Rolling Stones of Morocco - Nass El Ghiwane's music of protest.” The Arts Desk, June 30. https://bit.ly/3xnjHqj
14. Divita, J. 2018. “13 Rock + Metal Bands Who Were Banned from Countries.” Loud Wire, October 27. https://bit.ly/37pB6qp
15. Farley, H. 2009. “Demons, Devils and Witches: the Occult in Heavy Metal Music.” In Heavy Metal Music in Britain, edited by Gerd Bayer, 73-88. England: Ashgate Publications.
16. Foucault, M. 1978. The History of Sexuality VolumeI: An Introduction. NY: Vintage.
17. Gana, N. 2012. “Rap and Revolt in the Arab World.” Social Text 30 (4): 25–53. https://doi.org/10.1215/01642472-1725784
18. Garratt, J. 2020. “Music and Radical Hope ‘After the Future’: Prefigurative Politics in Theory and Practice.” Paper presented International Virtual Conference for Music and Resistance, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, December 11-14. https://bit.ly/3KTfUXB
19. Guerra, P., and E. Turner. 2021.“ ‘People Have the Power’ : Songs of Resistance in Late Modernity.” Cidades – Open Edition Journals. https://bit.ly/39JViEe
20. Guibert, G. 2006. “De l’Internationale-Metal au Conflit Sociétal Local : La Scène de Casablanca.” Open Edition Journals 5(2): 153-177. 10.4000/volume.550
21. Hecker, M. 2005. “Taking a Trip to the Middle Eastern Metal Scene.” Nord-Süd aktuell. 57-66. https://bit.ly/3gxZCYz
22. Hess, J. 2018. “Singing Our Own Song: Navigating Identity Politics Through Activism in Music.” Research Studies in Music Education 1–20. doi: 10.1177/1321103X18773094
23. Hjelm, T., K.K. Harris, and M. Levine. 2012. “Heavy metal as controversy and counterculture.”Popular music history 6 (1): 5-18. doi:10.1558/pomh. v6i1/2.5.
24. Hou, L. 2019. “Metal au Festival L'boulevard a Casablanca.” Hanslucas, September 16. https://bit.ly/3yl6sJS
25. Jabran, A. 2015. “Agadir Court Rejects the Marriage of Moroccan Guy to a German Girl Because of Devil Worshiping." Hespress, April 2. https://bit.ly/3neNDAp
26. Jedicke, P. 2020. “How Heavy Metal Became Mainstream.” DW, July 30. https://p.dw.com/p/3g7rE
27. Jonathon, S. E., and J. P. David. 1990. “Heavy Metal Rock Music Juvenile Delinquency and Satanic Identification.” Popular Music and Society 14 (4): 67-76. doi: 10.1080/03007769008591414.
28. Jowett, B. 2008. The Republic. New York: Cosimo Inc.
29. Kaabi, A. 2019. “La Scène Underground de Heavy Metal au Maroc en Images.” Mille World, Novembre 20. https://bit.ly/3weJT73
30. Kahn-Harris, K. 2007. “Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge.” Oxford: Berg.
31. Kreps, D. 2021. “Serj Tankian Thanks President Biden for Recognizing Armenian Genocide.” RollingStone, April 24. https://bit.ly/3gB6rZd
32. Langendonck, G. V. 2010. “Morocco: Rock, Rap and Heavy Metal Music Fans Rejoice In Newfound Freedom.” Los Angeles Times, April 20. https://lat.ms/2QTJtlu
33. LeVine, M. 2008. Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle For the Soul of Islam . New York: Broadway Books.
34. Mendes-Flohr, P. R. 2013. “Reflections on the Promise and Limitations of Interfaith Dialogue,” European Judaism 46 (1): 4–14. doi:10.3167/ej.2013.46.01.02.
35. Metal Music.” Journal of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music. DOI: 10.5429/2079-3871(2014)v4i1.8en
36. Moroccan Youths Dream of?” In Contemporary Morocco: State, Politics and
37. Music in Morocco.” In Contemporary Morocco: State, Politics and Society
38. Nachit, M. 2016. “The Challenges of Teaching Visual Arts: The Case of Moroccan Higher Education.” Arab World English Journal. 168-182. https://bit.ly/3vSw3rN
39. Nevins, D. L. 2021. “Artists Reflect the Times They Live In.” The Fulcrum, September 20. https://bit.ly/3sjJ1Na
40. Purcell, N. J. 2003. Death Metal Music: The Passion and Politics of a Subculture. NC: McFarland & Company, Inc.
41. Rafalovich, A., and A. Schneider. 2005. “Song Lyrics in Contemporary Metal Music as Counter- Hegemonic Discourse: An Exploration of Three Themes.” Free Inquiry in Crealive Sociology 33 (2): 131-142. https://bit.ly/2QT9cdy
42. Sabbagh, D. 2022. “Would Vladimir Putin Actually Use Nuclear Weapons?” The Guardian, February 28. https://bit.ly/39y0ESK
43. Said, E.W. 1985. “Orientalism Reconsidered. Race & Class 27(2): 1-15. doi:10.1177/030639688502700201.
44. Schaap, J., P. Berkers 2014. “Grunting Alone? Online Gender Inequality in Extreme
45. Schaefer, J. 2012. “Protest Song Marocaine.” Middle East Report. 263: 26-32. https://bit.ly/386A5nA
46. Society Under Mohammed VI, edited by. B., Maddy-Weitzman and D. Zisenwine, 141–160. Routledge: Milton Park, Abingdon.
47. Street, S., S. Hague., and H. Savigny. 2007. “Playing to the Crowd: The Role of Music and Musicians in Political Participation.” Political Studies Association 10(2): doi: 10.1111/j.1467-856x.2007. 00299.x.
48. Tan, J. 2019. "Social Activism in the U.S. Music Industry." Backstage Pass, 2 (1): https://bit.ly/3MUonLp
49. Thomson, J. 2011. Djent, the Metal Geek's Microgenre.” The Guardian, March 3. https://bit.ly/3vdEmvd
50. Trott, Brian. 2018. "Faouda Wa Ruina: A History of Moroccan Punk Rock and Heavy Metal." Master thesis., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/1934
51. Under Mohammed VI, edited by. B., Maddy-Weitzman and D. Zisenwine, 161–177. Abingdon: Routledge.
52. Walser, R. 1993. Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music. Hanover & London: Wesleyan University Press.
53. Weinstein, D. 1991. Heavy Metal: A Cultural Sociology. San Francisco: Lexington Books.
54. Weinstein, D. 2000. Heavy Metal: The Music and its Culture. Boston: Da Capo Press.
Published
2023-12-20
How to Cite
El Harami, S., & Yachoulti, M. (2023). Youth Heavy Metal Bands in Morocco: Resistance and the Struggle for Change. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 24, 742. Retrieved from https://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/view/17592
Section
ESI Preprints
Copyright (c) 2023 Said El Harami, Mohammed Yachoulti
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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