Popular & Folk Culture

Homesick Yankees who aren’t sticklers for highbrow culture can look for Bart Simpson to brighten their day or Step by Step to remind them of those Saturday nights in front of the TV. These and other popular American and British shows appear on Jordanian television with Arabic subtitles. More authentic Jordanian programming includes music videos and disco dance extravaganzas.

Much of the pop music in Jordan is Egyptian; listen for traditional Arabic sounds through the cacophony of not-quite-Western sounds. Jordanians do, however, have their own traditional expressions of pop culture, most notably a strong oral tradition of stories, songs, and ballads. Villagers often have their own individualized songs commemorating births, circumcisions, weddings, funerals, and planting. Several Cossack dances, including a sword dance that has to be seen to be believed, are popular in Jordan, as are the dabkeh, dances performed to the resonating rhythm of feet pounding on the floor.