The Graying of the Raven: Cultural and Sociopolitical Significance of Algerian Folk Poetry

With a fine touch, Aida Bamia has explored the work of Muhammad Ben al-Tayyib ‘Alili (c.1894-c.1954), a hither to virtually unknown malhun (oral poet) of Algeria, bringing to her analysis new understanding of folksongs as part of a people’s collective memory and their resistance to colonization. For 'Alili’s audience the despair and suffering faced by poor farmers before independence is embodied by the raven, grown old and gray with ceaseless frustration and humiliation, the poetry a source of consolation for managing the frustration. Because of its oral - and all too often ephemeral - nature, the work of poets such as 'Alili could escape close scrutiny by French colonial administrators who sought to eradicate nationalistic and ethnic elements. With succinct commentary. Bamia presents an outstanding historical and contextual background for 'Alili’s repertoire, while she details the richness and variety of poetic forms that had developed in North Africa. In doing so, she shows an intimate grasp of the mal - hun’s repertoire and technique, as well as of the colonial and postcolonial implications of Algerian folklore and poetry. In their citation for the AUC Middle East Studies Award, the judges noted The Graying of the Raven’s 'insightful perspective on Algerian society and the experience of colonization as perceived by the individual folk poet.