A Quest to Catch a Goddess: The Rahbani Brothers and Syrian Narratives of Nationhood

This thesis explores how the celebrated musical-theatrical works of Fairuz and the Rahbani Brothers—widely known for blending folkloric motifs with modern orchestration—were received, reinterpreted, and strategically co-opted in Baathist Syria (1963–2011). It asks: How did these productions, when staged in Syria, align with, challenge, or become instrumentalised by Baathist narratives of national identity? Three emblematic plays— Jibal al Sawan (,جبال الصوان The Flint Mountains), Yaish Yaish (يعيش يعيش , Long Live! Long Live!), and Petra (بترا) — are analysed through a multimodal method that codes dialogue, music, and mise-en-scène across four axes: national identity, political messaging, resistance and heroism, and class dynamics. The analysis draws on Gramsci’s cultural hegemony, Bourdieu’s symbolic capital, Mayer’s narrative politics, and Smith’s ethno-symbolism. Archival Syrian press and six interviews with exiled Syrians triangulate the findings, showing how state media...Show moreThis thesis explores how the celebrated musical-theatrical works of Fairuz and the Rahbani Brothers—widely known for blending folkloric motifs with modern orchestration—were received, reinterpreted, and strategically co-opted in Baathist Syria (1963–2011). It asks: How did these productions, when staged in Syria, align with, challenge, or become instrumentalised by Baathist narratives of national identity? Three emblematic plays— Jibal al Sawan (,جبال الصوان The Flint Mountains), Yaish Yaish (يعيش يعيش , Long Live! Long Live!), and Petra (بترا) — are analysed through a multimodal method that codes dialogue, music, and mise-en-scène across four axes: national identity, political messaging, resistance and heroism, and class dynamics. The analysis draws on Gramsci’s cultural hegemony, Bourdieu’s symbolic capital, Mayer’s narrative politics, and Smith’s ethno-symbolism. Archival Syrian press and six interviews with exiled Syrians triangulate the findings, showing how state media reframed pastoral motifs, paternal authority, sacrifice, vigilance, as markers of Baathist virtue, while audiences variously embraced, resisted, or reimagined these messages. The study finds that (1) Rahbani dramaturgy offered a portable “myth-kit” through which Baathist institutions naturalised authoritarian fatherhood and heroic martyrdom; (2) repeated circulation generated “anthem fatigue,” enabling ironic or oppositional readings; and (3) in diaspora, the repertoire survives as a flexible heritage—mobilised as nostalgic refuge, feminist critique, or secular resistance. By tracing the shifting political charge of cultural icons under authoritarianism, the thesis contributes to Middle Eastern cultural politics, proposes a transferable method for performance analysis, and underscores the urgency of preserving regional theatre archives.Show less

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A Quest to Catch a Goddess: The Rahbani Brothers and Syrian Narratives of Nationhood