Sacred Sounds, Dangerous Women
Remona Aly explores the turbulent relationship between Islam and the female singing voice - with the help of the acoustic duo Pearls of Islam who join her for a live performance.
Journalist and broadcaster Remona Aly explores the turbulent relationship between Islam and the female singing voice.
Over the course of history, Islam has had a troubled relationship with music, with some believers arguing that it should be banned. Female singers have been particularly hard hit. Despite periods of repression that have seen Muslim women banned from singing in public and performing solo in front of men, there is a rich tradition of women using music to deepen their Islamic faith.
Remona interweaves the stunning tones of the "queen of Sufi music", Abida Parveen, with the young hijabi singer-songwriter Sevval Kayhan, who wowed the X-Factor Holland judges. We hear silken Quranic recitations from Indonesia alongside Olivia Newton John's rendition of one of Islam's oldest songs - Tala'al Badru 'Alayna.
In order to find out more about the current state of affairs in Britain, Remona speaks to Sakinah Lenoir and Rabiah Abdullah who together make up the acoustic duo Pearls of Islam. The band explain that they believe the negative reactions some have to the sound of the female singing voice is due to fear. Far from trying to revolutionise Islam, the pair explain that their work refers back to the time of Prophet Muhammad who surrounded himself with vocal women, female singers and poets. Following their interview, Pearls of Islam perform their beautiful track Mercy live.
Remona concludes that, while the controversy over female singers remains within certain quarters of her faith, these female singers are far from dangerous. For Remona, the real danger lies in stripping away an avenue of spiritual expression for women whose only aim is to reach out to the divine through music.
Presenter: Remona Aly
Producer: Max O'Brien
A TBI production for 麻豆约拍 Radio 4
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Music Played
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Sevval Kayhan
Hello
- Hello EP.
- Sound Vision Studio.
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Abida Parveen
Maula-E-Kull
- Coke Studio Season 9: Sound of the Nation.
- Mainstage Productions.
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Sacred Sounds Women's Choir
Tola'Al (featuring Sarah Yasseen & Renu)
- Unreleased live recording.
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Olivia Newton鈥怞ohn
Tala'al Badru 'Alayna (Interlude)
- Grace and Gratitude.
- ONJ Productions.
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Pearls of Islam 鈥� Recorded Live for Something Understood
Mercy
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Umm Kulthum
Amal Hayate
- Amal Hayate - Aroh Le Men.
- Mazzika Group.
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Jimmy Page & Robert Plant
Kashmir
- No Quarter.
- Mercury Records.
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Ensemble Hassaniya Rahali, Ensemble Lalla Batul Lyoubi & Ensemble Lalla Mulati
Qa莽ida an-nabi - Qa莽ida du proph猫te
- Chants sacr茅s des femmes de f猫s, Maroc.
- Al Sur.
Readings
Title: Abida Parveen: 鈥業鈥檓 not a man or a woman, I鈥檓 a vehicle for passion鈥櫶�
Author: Nosheen Iqbal听听听听听听听听听
Publisher: The Guardian 听听听听听听
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Title: Women, the Recited Qur鈥檃n, and Islamic Music in Indonesia听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
Author: Anne Rasmussen听听听听听
Publisher: University of California Press
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Author:听 Natalie Bergner听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
Website: 听听
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Title: In Iran, no men allowed at women鈥檚 music fest听听听听听听听
Author: Rachel May听听
Publisher: The Christian Science Monitor
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Title: Making Music in the Arab World 鈥� The Culture and Artistry of Tarab 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
Author: A. J. Racy 听听听听听
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
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Title: Women of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
Author: Camille Adams Helminski听听听听
Publisher: Shambhala
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Today鈥檚 programme was presented by Remona Aly
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Broadcasts
- Sun 9 Sep 2018 06:05麻豆约拍 Radio 4
- Sun 9 Sep 2018 23:30麻豆约拍 Radio 4
- Sun 2 Jul 2023 06:05麻豆约拍 Radio 4