Andrew Simon, an American historian, is old-school in an age when online music streaming reigns supreme. His office is stacked with books, a vintage boombox, and an astounding collection of cassettes acquired from Egyptian kiosks. Their material is diverse, ranging from Madonna’s 1980s singles to political lectures by former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
“Media of the Masses,” a new book by the Dartmouth College professor who specialises in Middle Eastern studies, examines diversified cassette culture in modern Egypt, a pioneer of cultural output in the Arab world. Simon’s book examines the enormous impact of inexpensive cassette cassettes, rather than more expensive vinyl records, on Egyptian society, politics, and culture during the 1970s and 1980s.
“To me, the true strength of this technology is how it enabled innumerable people to shift from cultural consumers to producers,” he remarked. “For the first time, anyone could participate in the creation of culture, distribute cultural content, and confront cultural gatekeepers or political authority… The Internet is similar to a cassette tape iteration.”
The medium also has an emotional component. “What surprised me was how many people I encountered had kept their tapes,” Simon said, “even if they don’t necessarily listen to them on a daily basis anymore.” “There are so many memories attached to it.”