Eritrean Youth Identities in the Era of Globalization

Mannar Indira Srinivasan.

mannar.indira@gmail.com & Compiled by nag.ramesh@gmail.com

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.

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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.