Eritrean Youth Identities in the Era of Globalization
Mannar Indira Srinivasan.
[email protected] & Compiled by [email protected]
Objectives& Methodology
• Lifestyles of Eritrean youth • Music habits of Eritrean youth • Ethnography, participant observation and in-
depth interviews among Eritrean youth in the age group of 18-25 years.
• Data collected from three residential colonies of Asmara namely Tiravolu, Space 2000, and The German Colony, where the majority houses are connected to satellite TV.
Diversified Society
9 ethnic groups and lan-guages
2 major religions
Tigrinya speaking Highland Christians
Other ethnic language speaking lowland Mus-limsNature worshipping, matri-
lineal - Kunama ethnic group
Tigrinya, Arabic and English are major languages used for public communica-tion
Mass Media in EritreaState controlled media
No freedom of speech and ex-pression as the constitution was not implemented.
Single party, authoritarian government
Only country in the entire continent without a pri-vate media today
Many journalists have been jailed are with-out trail
Satellite TV started by 1996
Favorite channels
•
MBC -2 FilmsMBC-4TalkshowsMTV & the other music channelsFTV, Citraz and the other fashion TVBBC and CNNAljazeera and the other similar Arabic news channels
Life-stylesImitation of modern costumes dis-
played in the film
Young women Not wearing ‘ Zuria’
Emergence of women as a major workforce
The Tigrinya women either plait or braid their hair.
Modern women are attending beauty salons
straightening or coloring their hair
Young Asmarian identities are ex-pressed through modern western outfits & their familiarity
with the modern electronic gad-gets.
Music Preferences. • Afro American singers
like Bob Marley, 50 scent, P Diddy, & Snoop Doggs are favorite singers
• Hip-hop and Reggae music are popular.
• Singers are known for their distinct style exhibited in the form of their hair style, body language, dressing and fast beat in their songs and dances.
Music Prefer-ences
• The Back Street Boys’- I want it that way’, ‘As long as you love me’ are favorite songs
• peculiar dressing style of wearing heavy metallic/leather tops tore jeans
• wearing a hanging/stud in one of their ears feminine way of hair dressing with long hair either tied with a band or loosely braided.
• Young boys are adopting these styles imitating their
favorite singers .
• We like Reggae and hip-hop not because it is very stylish and attractive. It talks about people like us.”
• It is a carrier of our aspirations, projecting their political and social commentaries.
wrtempltes.com
Native Music .
• Tigrinya music traditionally relies on solo songs using traditional instrument ‘Krar’
• Today, they are using western musical instruments like ‘Key boards’, that are capable of mixing various musical instruments .
• Earlier they sang for attaining statehood
• Today they are releasing albums imitating western singers
• Frequently visiting US and Europe for concerts
• Eritrean Diaspora’s influence.
Music Preferences.
• Abraham Afwaerki Michal Fehira, Tesfay Mengisha, Yohanese Tikabo and female artists like Elsa kidane and Helen Meles are household figures of Asmara.
• They are part of the youth lifestyles exhibited via their walkman, slim and sleek I-pods and MP3 as well as the dress codes and the body language of these singers.
wrtempltes.com
Music Preferences.
• American jargons and usages like ‘wonn’a be’, and gonn’a be in day toady practice..
• Writing mobile language b/c(Because) • Ur (Your) etc• Change in their greeting style-”Waazaa
up?” instead of traditional greetings.
wrtempltes.com
Music Preferences.
• ‘ Back street girls’ and ‘Destiny’s Child’ are popular among girls.
• . Beyoncé Knowles is their favorite singer
• ‘Independent women ‘,“Survivor" and "Bootylicious are favorite albums.
• Hip-hop influence among young girls is seen through blonded hair,
wrtempltes.com
Music Preferences.
• ‘Singer, songwriter, actress and record produce, Mary J. Blige is an Afro-American, soul, R&B and Hip-hop performer
• No more Drama’, ‘we are certain that you too” are her albums popular among girls
• Girls wear the ‘China moon rag’ a scarf &wrist bands the singer wear.
wrtempltes.com
Conclusion.
• Majority youth of highland Asmara are highly attracted to the western lifestyles
• expressed their willingness to migrate to other countries
• Western living standards and lifestyles are fixed so deeply in their minds
• Popular western music genres like Hip-hop, Reggae, Rock and jazz music are part of their daily life.
• Western music is consumed displaying their thin and sleek mobiles, Mp3s and walkman CDs
Conclusion..• 50-Cent; P Diddy, Snoop Doggs and Bob Marley are
iconic figures, personified through the youth of As-mara.
• Main streets of Asmara are littered with video and DVD rental shops that circulate Hollywood movies and popular music DVDs like Hip-hop, Pop, Reggae and Rhythms and Blue.
• Young girls try to walk and talk like Julia Robert or Anjaleena Jolee, bleaching their hair to attain Euro-pean appearance
• piercing their Belly button like singers from the mu-sic bands like ‘Destiny’s child or ‘Back Street girls’ and decorating it with a studded stone hanging gracefully
Thanks.
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