From silence into song: Affective horizons and nostalgic dwelling among Syrian musicians in Istanbul

Abstract

What roles might music play in how Syrian migrants in Turkey navigate new socio-economic, political, moral and affective terrains? How might music serve as a source of comfort and nostalgic remembrance in conditions of displacement, or even as a touchstone for contestation over collective memory and the meanings of belonging? This article explores the contradictions of lived experience among Syrian migrant musicians in Istanbul. Based on ethnographic research Istanbul since 2015, this article analyzes the growing Syrian musical culture in Istanbul, focusing on shifts in the relationship of Syrians to their urban environment, changes in their understanding of future horizons (afaq), and how this produces new forms of affective engagement both with their homeland and with their new home. Focus on a single artist reveals the contours of more significant shifts occurring among Syrians in Turkey more generally.

Keywords

• syria
• migration
• music
• affect
• nostalgia

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