1.2 History

The earliest roots of the malouf can be traced to a court musician from Baghdad named Ziryab . He was expelled from the city in 830, and travelled west, stopping finally at KairouanKairouan ( Arabic: Al-qayrawn is a city in Tunisia, about 160 km south of Tunis. Its name means "Little Cairo. In 2003 the city had about 150,000 inhabitants. History Kairouan was founded in the year 670 CE, during the great Arab conquests, and it has bee, the first Muslim city of great power in Africa. The city was a center for North African (Maghebian) culture, and was the capital of the Aghlabite dynasty. Ziryab crossed the Maghreb and then entered Cordoba during a period of cultural innovation among the diverse inhabitants of the region. He became a court musician again, and used influences from the local area, the Maghreb and his native Middle East to form a distinctively Andalusian style.

Beginning in the 13th century12th century 13th century 14th century other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. Events Fourth through eighth crusades of western European kingdoms against Islam Fall of, Muslims fleeing persection by Christians in what is now Spain and Portugal settled in cities across North Africa, including Tunis, bringing with them their music. Tunisian maluf, and its closely related cousin in Libya, was later influenced by the Ottoman Empire, which colonized Tunisia beginning in 1574Events April 14 Battle of Mookerheyde. Spanish forces under Sancho de Avila defeat the rebel forces of Louis of Nassau. Louis is killed. May 30 On the death of King Charles IX of France, he is succeeded by his brother King Henry of Poland, who becomes Kin. This process peaked in the middle of the 18th century, when the Ottoman governor of Tunisia, Muhammad al-Rashid , a musician, used Turkish-style instrumental compositions in his work and firmly set the structure of the nuba. Though his system has evolved considerably, most of the instrumental sections of modern nubat are derived from al-Rashid.

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Tunisia became a French protectorate and the declining malouf was revitalized. Baron Rudolfe d'Erlanger , a French-naturalized Bavarian living near Tunis, commission a collection of ancient works, working with Ali al-Darwish of AleppoAleppo is also the name of two townships in the U. state of Pennsylvania. See: Aleppo Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and Aleppo Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania. Aleppo Arabic alab Tiberian Hebrew l (modern or Ivrit Hebrew Xalav : both mean. Al-Darwish and d'Erlanger's pioneering study of Tunisian music was presented at the International Congress of Arabic Music , held in 19321932 is the leap year starting on Friday. see link for calendar) Events January-February January 3 British arrest and intern Mohandas Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel January 8 In Britain the Archbishop of Canterbury forbids church remarriage of divorcees Jan. D'Erlanger died only a few months after the congress, which revolutionized Arab music across the world. In Tunisia, the meeting inspired the Rashidiyya Institute , which was formed in 1934Events January-April January 1 Alcatraz becomes a federal prison. January 7 First Flash Gordon comic strip is published. January 10 Execution of Marinus van der Lubbe January 24 Einstein visits White House January 26 The Apollo Theater opens in Harlem, Ne to preserve the malouf. The Rashidiyya Institute undertook some alterations, revising lyrics that were considered profane, and also constructed two performance spaces in the old city of Tunis. The Institute also helped to transition malouf from being performed by folk ensembles with only a few instrument (including 'ud , tar , darbukka , rabab and bandir ) to symphonic pieces inspired by Western classical music and Egyptian ensembles.

The most influential such orchestra was called the Rashidiyya Orchestra , led by violinist Muhammad Triki . Rashidiyya Orchestra used a large chorus as well as contrabass, cello, violin, nay , qanun and 'ud sharqi , and followed the developing rules of Arab musical theory and notation. The thirteen surviving nubat were created during this time, distilled from the highly divergent folk forms still in use. Western musical notation was used; along with the popularization of recorded music, the use of improvisation quickly declined. These changes helped to popularize the malouf, though not without critics, and gave the music a reputation as classical art music.

After Tunisian independence in 1957, the country's first president, Habib Bourguiba, promoted the malouf, recognizing its unifying potential. The then-director of the Rashidiyya Orchestra, Salah el-Mahdi , wrote the Tunisian national anthem, and eventually also became the leader of the music department of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs . His musical theories became a major part of the Orchestra, as well as its successor, Institut Superieur .

Tunisian music

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