Arabo - Andalusian Music

Known since the 9th century as "Al Tarab", enchantment, or simply as "al Musiqa al Andalusia", the music of the Hispanic-Maghreban culture has its origins in cordoba, at the court of the Emir Abdu Rahman lbn al Hakam. Attributed to the legendary singer and lutenist (player of the Arabian Ud), Ziriyab, in effect it reconciled pre-Islamic Spanish music (Proto-Christian, with an important Judaic basis (with the most popular Maghreban elements (among them the rhythms of the Berber soldiers of the earliest invasions and the poetry of Arab immigrants( in a synthesis of Western and Eastern styles.

Alter more than hall a millenium of this "enchantment", tile "Reconquista" by the "Catholic Kings" tolled the knell of Arabo-Andalusian culture and marked the beginning of the exodus of the "Moors" and other islamic12ed populations from the Iberian Peninsula to North Africa. Alter the fall of Granada - in fact, the voluntary exile of the last Emir - in 1492, the classical, semi-classical end popular forms of the music survived only in towns like Fez, Tetuan, Oujda, Tlemcen, Constantine, Tunis and Tripoli. The last emigrants settled mainly in Morocco, where the style called "Grnati" (of Granada) is regarded as the most traditional.

Obviously the tradition was perpetuated along different lines in Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Thus the "Maaluf" style was preserved in Algeria and the most eastern regions under Turkish domination. Morocco, however, escaped this occupation and protected itself from foreign influences under the Saadian arid the Alawite dynasties. As a result of the Reconquista and the Christian invasions a nationalist movement became stronger, manifesting itself in an intensive exaltation of religious sentiments. The Sufi orders found numerous adepts in the Maghreb and as the custodians of the old tradition they contributed largely to the survival of the original "Nawbaat" repertory. As an example, mention may be made of the confraternities of the Aissawa and the Qadiriya as predominant in this domain, From a formal point of view their mystic songs to the glory of God and his prophet - or even the holy founder of the order - could be taken for simple profane love songs. But the profane aspect of Andalusian lyricism acquires an elevated religious connotation in which the carnal love of men and women becomes sublimated as divine love and the intoxication of wine (which is, incidentally, proscribed by the Koran) is transformed into the exaltation of the lord.

A typical example of this sublimation is represented by the Nawba, Raml al Maya. we will return to this later, but in the meantime, what exactly is a Nawba (plural: Nawbaat)? it may be defined as an instrumental and vocal suite from the Arabo-Andalusian classical repertory, It consists of live parts, each of which comprises an indefinite number of songs based on the same rhythm, or Mizan (plural: Mawazin), and performed in a predefined order. These Mawazin are. Basit, Qaim wa nisf, Btaih, Darj and Qoddam, Each Mizan begins with a slow movement called the Muwassa (largo) that becomes progressively faster until the Mahzuz (allegro) or even the Inciraf (vivo). The san'a, or songs, that form each Mizan are independent from each other, but are performed without interruption in concerts, Each Nawba starts with a Boughia or Mshalia, ie a non-rhythmic prelude aimed at puffing the listener into the mood or atmosphere (Tab'a) of the Nawba. This is followed by a Tushiya, or tempo giusto instrumental overture in the Mizan or rhythm in which the song will commence.

The songs consist of from two to seven verses belonging to the popular literary genres created in Andalusia. They are strophic with alternating tempi and rhythms and divided into couplets and refrains. Here and there pieces of varying lengths are interpolated between the songs, particularly in the ooddam. These are the Tawashi. A vocal (Mawal) or instrumental (Taqsim) improvisation sometimes serves to abridge the performance by linking two movements of the Mizan.

The Tabai'a (sing,: Tab'a), or modes employed in Arabo-Andalusian music reflect the musical tastes and preferences of the peoples that composed early Andalusian society, Spaniards, Jews, Arabs and Berbers. we cannot go info details here, but the high degree of refinement was achieved with relatively simple means, without the need of the so-called quarter-tones, or oriental modes (Maqamat - sinig. : Maqam).

With regard to Raml al Maya, its theme is presently the. eulogy of the Prophet Mohammed of whom it is said that "he is the great prophet, exalted above all praise, the best guide, the chosen one among all men, whose lace is like the perfect circle [the full moon] bringing us victory." But also "The birds were silent (during his copulation)", and "He is the best of men, he who upholds the faith and progress. The lull moon, [Mohammed] covers the love of the lover who will die one day!".

However, there are strong reasons for the assumption that even this Nawba, which was originally associated with the twilight and with the humours Air-Heat-Humidify, or the circulation of the blood, was not devoted to the praise of Mohammed until a much later period. If may, therefore, be played at any time during the day and in any mental or physical state or mood.

If should be added that Raml al Moya does not belong to the Nawbaat that have been preserved in their entirety, but to the "Yata'im", or "orphans", those Nawbaat in which several of the original parts are missing, according to the classification of the 18th century compilation of Mohammed Ibn Hassan al Hayak. in (he present case we have completed the fundamental elements with borrowings from neighbouring taba'i, Hsein, inqilab al Ramal and Hamdan. The western listener will, no doubt, suspect nothing of this!

The rather ample version of it we offer here is preceded by a short, traditionally truncated Nawba, the Hijaz M'sharqi, which lacks the major part of the Mawazin. If belongs to the system called "modal chromaticism". its subject is the separation of lovers in a marvelous garden filled with tropical birds.

It goes something like this: "The strolling of the soul among trees, pines and firs and a love nearby. Among flowers, narcissi, poppies, songs, music, courtesans and a young girl who strokes the strings of a lute, singing with her fingertips. A garden in spring from which the flowers shoot forth." And then, "The night is marvelous, smiling. If sees the lover paying a visit to his beloved to revive his heart, in which he succeeds. Thus we have been able to live marvelously, sipping and making ourselves drunk, it is here that we have attained the height of pleasure and we are most happy here, we are together and shall remain thus in the flowery meadows".

Finally a few words about the ensemble of the Master Mohammed Fasano Tazzi, born in 1923, which stands out from the "large" orchestras that generally dominate the scene with their excessive use of Kamandja (violins and violas( that has radically changed the sound and disturbed the delicate balance between the ribab and the ud. we need not emphasize the [act that we prefer a more modest ensemble comprised of a single ribab (a small, deep sounding viol with three thick strings), two Arabian lutes (ud) accompanying the song and/or the vocal improvisation (Mawal), one western violin an viola played in the oriental Kamandja manner, a tar (small drum with large jingles), a solo singer and occasionally a swissen (a small, long-necked lute.

The instrumentalists also sing in unison according to the Fasi (the adjective of Fez) under the direction of the ribab player, here Ustad (Master) Masano Tazzi. All the members of this ensemble belong to the same Sufi confraternity of their native town.