Faculty Sponsor: Kiri Miller

Alexander explored the Master Musician of Zahjoukah, a set of two traditional musical groups from a rural Moroccan village who achieved fame in the West after they were mistakenly described by Western countercultural figures in the 1960’s as having preserved a unique, ancient tradition. Despite their fame, the perspectives of the members of the group remain absent in their own promotion. Through interviews and shared musical performances, Alexander began to understand the musicians’ roles in the development of this presentation. Such an understanding illuminated the process by which uneven power structures shape the transfer of music and culture.