"A rich exploration of the social and religious contexts of music-making in the medieval Islamic world. Nielson weaves together issues of gender, ethnicity, social class, and religion to provide a readable and accessible survey of the complex interaction of these forces and how they affected musical culture. A recommended read for scholars and students of the medieval Middle East."

Dwight F. Reynolds, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

This fascinating book offers a remarkable new insight in the role of music and musicians at the courts of the caliphs in the medieval Islamic world. It sketches a social history of the qiyan, the singing slave girls, and their male counterparts, the mukhannathun, or 'effeminate' musicians, focusing on their socio-cultural position: their ethnical background, sexual relationships, patronage, skills, and career development.

Anne, van Oostrum, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands