Dialect and stance-taking by non-Egyptian celebrities in Egypt

Abstract

This article explores the stance of non-Egyptian celebrities performing in Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA) and/or living in Egypt. These celebrities are forced by the Egyptian media to take a stance towards ECA and Egypt, and engage in the ongoing dialogue concerning Egypt’s cultural role. Meta-linguistic, as well as linguistic, resources become the focal point of a struggle for dominance. Over the last five years, there have been intense debates regarding the role of Egypt as a cultural hub in relation to the Egyptian media. This is due to the increasing threat from other emerging cultural hubs – such as Dubai and Lebanon – both of which have greater financial resources and allow the use of other Arabic dialects. The data utilised for this research includes television and newspaper interviews, articles, as well as performances by non-Egyptians. One particularly relevant example is that of Russian/Armenian belly dancer Ṣāfināz who currently resides in Egypt.

Keywords

• non-Egyptian celebrities
• dialect
• stance-taking
• Egyptian media
• immigration
• code choice