Faculty Highlight: Dr. Lisa Urkevich

American University of Kuwait Associate Professor of Music and Director of the Arabian Heritage Project Dr. Lisa Urkevich, presented a poster session in Boston, USA, at the annual American Historical Association (AHA) Conference on January 8, 2011. The session, titled "Zar Spirit Rituals and Music in the Arabian Peninsula," explored music-trance events from the past as they were practiced in the upper Gulf States and parts of Saudi Arabia. "Zar" rituals, which are rooted in African traditions, encompassed all-night musical events in which participants, who believed themselves possessed by a spirit, partook in specialized practices including dancing in an attempt to communicate with the entity and appease it. The presentation discussed how these customs spread from east Africa through slavery and migration, the musical styles that were used, and the decline of these in modern times. Dr. Urkevich's presentation was one of twenty-four unique poster sessions presented at the large conference. 

The American Historical Association (AHA) was founded in 1884 for the promotion of historical studies, the collection and preservation of historical documents and artifacts, and the dissemination of historical research. It is the largest historical society in the United States, and has been holding an Annual Meeting for the past 125 years. Approximately four-dozen affiliated societies meet jointly with the AHA, and attendance at the conferences averages 4,800 to 5,200. This is Dr. Urkevich's third time taking part in the AHA, via traditional paper or poster presentation, and she was pleased to see so many interested scholars visit her session.
 

Dr. Lisa Urkevich at the American Historical Association Conference, Boston, Jan. 2011