It's interesting to see the groundswell of focus the taqwacore movement is getting in mainstream press these days, based on the circulation of not one but two films.
In one of the most vivd examples to date of life following art, Taqwacore (an amalgam of the term "taqwa," approximately translated as the concept of piety or awe and love for the Divine, and "hardcore") began with the novel "The Taqwacores" by Islamic convert Michael Muhammad Knight describing a punk Islamic scene in Buffalo, NY. Initially distributing xeroxed copies for free, his work gained enough traction by word of mouth and e-mail to spawn a real-life Islamic punk culture, with musicians forming real bands inspired by and/or named after imagined ones in the book.
Some of the more established bands on the scene include The Kominas and Al-Thawra, Vote Hezbollah, and Secret Trial Five, among others.
Coupled with Mark Levine's work documenting young musicians struggling in the MENA in his book "Heavy Metal Islam" (see earlier post), one gets a larger sense of a vital, articulated undercurrent of expression that can change the way MENA and South Asian culture is perceived by upcoming generations.
p.s. while my own Duo's electric music shares somewhat of a bond with the taqwacore spirit, I've been inspired for some time to develop a separate project that would prbably be more aligned: Sufi/metal/improv/freejazz/poetry/rap. Last Exit meets Hafiz. Anyone know a Muslim drummer here in NM?
In a novel that could be perceived from edgy to blasphemous, depending upon your own take of Islam, Knight gives voice to identity and faith issues felt by many others, evidenced by the real-life traction the movement has taken (well pointed out in this NY Times article of 2008 ).
In the context of previous posts and general Islamosphere chatter on modern Muslim identity, taqwacore is one facet, one response in that larger discussion that's visibly taken root -- and it can't be swept under the prayer rug in such discussions, regardless of how uncomfortable some may be with it.
It's created two films: one is a film version of the novel, to be featured in Sundance 2010, and one is a documentary (Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam), following Knight and a few of the bands as they make way across the U.S. and into Pakistan.
As these films begin to make their circulation, it will be interesting to see their impact on mainstream media, and what kind of take MSM will put on it. It will also be interesting to see if the movement gains even further traction as result of these films, (though I imagine that those who are seeking an alternative Muslim identity to bond with , already know of it). I'm curious as well to see if the topic comes up at the forthcoming ICNYU conference (which I'm attending), "Building Momentum in Mainstream Culture."
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