Poetics of diaspora: Sahrawi poets and postcolonial transformations of a trans-Saharan genre in northwest Africa

@article{Deubel2012PoeticsOD,
  title={Poetics of diaspora: Sahrawi poets and postcolonial transformations of a trans-Saharan genre in northwest Africa},
  author={Tara F Deubel},
  journal={The Journal of North African Studies},
  year={2012},
  volume={17},
  pages={295 - 314}
}
  • Tara F Deubel
  • Published 1 March 2012
  • Art
  • The Journal of North African Studies
The oral poetic tradition in Hassaniya Arabic emerged as a distinct trans-Saharan genre in present-day Mauritania in the pre-colonial era, fusing stylistic features of classical Arabic poetry with the musical heritage and griot1 traditions of neighbouring sub-Saharan cultures. As a popular musical art performed in a colloquial dialect, Hassani poetry is accessible to a range of social classes, and mastery of composition signifies linguistic prowess and social prestige. Drawing on ethnographic… 
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