Anewhistoryoftwentieth-centuryNorthAfrica,thatgivesvoicetothemusicianswhodefinedaneraandthevibrantrecordingindustrythatcarriedtheirpopularsoundsfromthecolonialperiodthroughdecolonization.Iftwentieth-centurystoriesofJewsandMuslimsinNorthAfricaareusuallytoldseparately,RecordingHistorydemonstratesthatwehavenotbeenlisteningtowhatbroughtthesecommunitiestogether:Arabmusic.Fordecades,thousandsofphonographrecordsflowedacrossNorthAfricanborders.ThesoundsembeddedintheirgrooveswereshapedinlargepartbyJewishmusicians,whogavevoicetoachangingworldaroundthem.Theirpopularsongsbroadcastonradio,performedinconcert,andcirculatedondisccarriedwiththemthepowertodelightaudiences,stirnationalsentiments,andfrustrateFrenchcolonialauthorities.Withthisbook,ChristopherSilverprovidesthefirsthistoryofthemusicsceneandrecordingindustryacrossMorocco,Algeria,andTunisia,andoffersstrikinginsightsintoJewish-Muslimrelationsthroughtherhythmsthatanimatedthem.Hetracesthepathofhit-makersandtheirhitrecords,illuminatingregionalandtransnationalconnections.InaskingwhatNorthAfricaoncesoundedlike,Silverrecoversaworldofmanyvoices--ofpioneeringimpresarios,daringfemalestars,cantorsturnedcomposers,witnessesandsurvivorsofwar,andnationalandnationalisticons--whosemusicstillresonateswellintoourpresent.
