Global Islam
and t he Art s
Teachers
Fellowship
The Power of Art: Creating a
Platform for Understanding
Islam in West Africa and Beyond
Welcome!
Tinisha Shaw
Jennifer Earnest
Holly Loranger
Anita Rubino
Cycle of
Inquiry
What do you
observe?
What do you
think?
What do you
wonder?
Cycle of Inquiry
What do you observe?
What do you think?
What do you wonder?
Cycle of
Inquiry
What do you observe?
What do you think?
What do you wonder?
Cycle of Inquiry
What do you observe?
What do you think?
What do you notice?
Impact of the Global Islam and Arts Fellowship
Duke/UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies with Carolina Performing Arts Sacred and
Secular series
GIAT Explores Senegal, Sufism and the Arts
https://www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/US/SN
Islam and Trade in West Africa
★ Islam was likely brought to
Senegal through trade around 1000
AD
★ Accommodation and adaptation;
for example, gris-gris
The Kingdom of Ghana
★ The empire derived its power and wealth
from gold
★ Arab writers like Al Hamdani describe Ghana
as having the richest gold mines on Earth
★ The Soninke also sold slaves, salt and copper,
in exchange for textiles, beads and finished
goods.
Kumbi Saleh
★ The Ghanaian royal city was the
southern terminus of traders from
the Magreb
★ Invaders and competing sources
of gold eventually led to the
decline of the kingdom of Ghana
and the rise of the Mali Empire
Diaspora: Timbuktu
★ Trade
★ Movement of people
★ Cultural exchange: Arts
★ Islamic Identity
Mali Empire
SALT
GOLD
[13c-15c]
Salt
European Map
The Greatness of Timbuktu
The Greatness of Timbuktu
Timbuktu-”Heavenly Clay”
Great Mosque at Djenne, Mali
Songhai Empire
SALT
GOLD
[15c-16c]
Senegal
★ Arts: Through the Arts, Sufism is expressed, is a vehicle for
understanding, and an integral part of every day culture
★ Music, Visual, Dance and Architecture
Background on Sufism
“Sufism without Islam is like a candle burning in
the open without a lantern. There are winds which
may blow that candle out. But if you have a
lantern with glass protecting the flame, the candle
will continue to burn safely.”
Muzzafer Ozak
Background on Sufism
-Sufism emphasizes the personal search for mystical meaning
-Sufis aim to be as close to God as they can possibly be
Sufis aim to experience the divine through rhythmic and
continuous repetition of special prayers and chants
Bond between master and disciple is very important
Tasawuff: Sufism in Senegal
*More than half of Muslims associate with a
Sufi tradition
*A tariqah or “path” to union with God in
afterlife and experience God in physical life:
only few attain the second
*Tariqas: orders
*Path to God is through guides/teachers who
trace back to prophet
*Stages of journey: hard work, abstinence,
patience, service to others
http://muslimcanada.org/sufi/introductionsufism.htm
Sufism in Senegal
★ Arrival in 1700’s
★ 90% of population connected to a
Sufi order
★ Ahmadou Bamba 1853-1927
★ Mourides: Brotherhood:
connected with Bamba
★ Order Values: Peace, Hard Work
Sufism, Senegal and the
Arts
*Contemporary Artists imaging
Senegal
*Disenchanted youth reclaimed
forgotten or maligned areas by
cleaning and imaging with artworks
including numerous visions of
Ahmadou Bamba
*Visual arts combine with music for
an experience that reinforces personal
connections and universal connections
with Islam through Sufism
Youssou N’Dour
●
●
●
●
Senegalese artist born 10/1/1959.
Musician, actor, politician, businessman
Grammy award winning
Youssou N’Dour film “I Bring What I Love”
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFTOqZsLjaw&index
=20&list=PLpM0rIgR6BUpcq9LkxKRkVRjow-XHYPTW
Album: Egypt “Bamba the Poet”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc93kZ8UjPY&list=PLHdCjPWK5sltyAahp_aJj
REP0zjpcFmlN&index=6
Architecture
Early forms:
Soudanese style common
Use of clay, tolon: scaffolding of wood stakes (decorative and
functional), buttresses for support, mihrab tower, flat roof
Fortress like exterior similar to traditional tata defensive structures
Combination of local traditions with Islamic traditions
Contemporary
Mix of contemporary materials such as cement and glass
Influence from other mosque styles including pointed arches and
domes
Nani Topeng Losari
*Malay traditional mask
dancer
*Generation
*stories told through dance
Ajoka Theater: Dara
*Madeeha Gauhar and Salman
Shahid founded 1984
*Pakistani contemporary theatrical
group
*Social protest-awareness-peace
*
Sounds of Kolachi
10 members
Traditional and
contemporary
musicians
Fusion of folk, rock,
rhythm, traditional,
funk, etc
Listen!
Curriculum Implementation of
Fellowship
★ Cultural Kits: Encourage student exploration of cultural
artifacts for hands on engagement
★ Our experiences with the Arts in transcending linguistic and
stereotype boundaries in order to promote relevant dialogue
★ Instructional curriculum for the classroom
★ GIAT impact
Cultural kits
★ Senegal
★ Timbuktu
EXPLORE!
Breaking Boundaries through Art
★ Students can make connections through the arts: dispel “us” and
“other” concepts
★ Arts deliver content in a form that is engaging
★ Repetition of elements within the art forms correlates with emphasis
upon repetition in Islam practice
★ Meditative
★ Inclusive of various cultural elements to allow for diaspora of Islam with
respect to existing culture
Connections to US History
Musical Traditions
➢Students can explore connections
between West African musical traditions
and American musical traditions;
importance of griots and drumming...
➢Congo Square
“Music in Africa often contains messages. Music in
Senegal, and Africa, is never music for music's sake or
solely for entertainment. It's always a vehicle for social
connections, discussions and ideas.”
-Youssou N'Dour
http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2017/02/14/insideafrica-senegal-music-a.cnn
Resources
Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies:
http://ncmideast.org/
Outreach Coordinator: Emma Harver, [email protected]
Thanks :)