Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

is a

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

n country with a predominantly Arabic-speaking population. The country is best known for malouf, a kind of music imported from

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

after the Spanish immigration in the 15th century. Though in its modern form, malouf is likely very dissimilar to any music played more than four centuries ago, it does have its roots in Spain and Portugal, and is closely related to genres with a similar history throughout North Africa, including malouf's Libyan cousin, Algerian gharnati and Moroccan ''ala'' or

Andalusi The Arabic '' nisbah'' (attributive title) Al-Andalusi denotes an origin from Al-Andalus. Al-Andalusi may refer to: * Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati * Ibn Hazm * Ibn Juzayy * Ibn 'Atiyya * Said Al-Andalusi Ṣāʿid al-Andalusī (); he was Abū al-Qāsi ...

. During the Ottoman era, malouf was influenced by Turkish music. However, Tunisian repertoires, styles and also instruments remain distinctive – th
ʻūd tūnsī
is an emblematic case. This is a close relative of the 'uds associated with Algeria and also Morocco.See also https://oudmigrations.com/2017/05/28/a-tunisian-musical-icon/ 20th century musicians from Tunisia include

Anouar Brahem Anouar Brahem ( أنور براهم); born on 20 October 1957) is a Tunisian oud player and composer. He is widely acclaimed as an innovator in his field. Performing primarily for a jazz audience, he combines Arabic classical music, folk music and ...

, an oud player, Jasser Haj Youssef, a composer and a violin player, and El Azifet, a rare all-female orchestra, as well as well-known vocalist Raoul Journo, singer and oud player Dhafer Youssef, singer, guitarist and lutenist Nabil Khemir, Lotfi Bouchnak, Khemais Tarnane,

Saliha Saliha ( ar, صَلْحَة), sometimes transliterated Salha, meaning 'the good/healthy place', was a Palestinian Arab village located 12 kilometres northwest of Safed. The Franco-British boundary agreement of 1920 placed Saliha within the Fr ...

, Saleh Mehdi, Ali Riahi,

Hedi Jouini Hedi may refer to: Geography *Hedi language Afro-Asiatic language of Cameroon and Nigeria *Hedi List of prisons in Shanxi province *Hedi List of township-level divisions of Zhejiang Film *Hedi (film) People *Hédi (name), list of people with the n ...

, Fethia Khairi, Cheikh El Afrit,

Oulaya Oulaya ( ar, علية‎; 4 November 1936 – 19 March 1990), born "Beya Bent Béchir Ben Hédi Rahal",

and Naâma. In 1982, the pop-rock composer and singer F.R. David (born Elli Robert Fitoussi) peaked the worldwide charts with his song '' Words (don't come easy)''. Popular singers include

Nabiha Karaouli Nabiha Bensouda is a Danish singer-songwriter. Early life Career ”Deep Sleep", the first single from the album peaked as 4 on the Danish Tracklisten Singles Chart and was certified gold. Bensouda has already played a number of large ve ...

Sonia Mbarek Sonia M'barek (, also spelled Sonia Mbarek, 1969– ) is a Tunisian singer of classical Arabic music and related genres. She was Minister of Culture from January to August 2016. Early life M'barek was born in Sfax, Tunisia. At age nine, sh ...

, Saber Rebaï, Soufia Sedik,

Amina Fakhet Aminatu (also Amina; died 1610) was a Hausa Muslim historical figure in the city-state Zazzau (now city of Zaria in Kaduna State), in what is now in the north-west region of Nigeria. She might have ruled in the mid-sixteenth century. A controver ...

Nawal Ghachem or (Arabic: نوال ''nawāl'') is Arabic female given name literally meaning "unmerited favour of God" or "gift, grant, present, donation, award, offering" or also could mean "state or quality of being kind, act of kindness beyond what is due" o ...

, Latifa,

Emel Mathlouthi Emel Mathlouthi ( ar, آمال المثلوثي) also known as Emel, born 11 January 1982), is a Tunisian singer-songwriter, musician, arranger and producer. She rose to fame with her protest song " Kelmti Horra" ("My Word is Free"), which became ...

and the late Thekra. 21st century alternative music groups include Neshez, Zemeken, Aspirine, Kerkennah,

Myrath Myrath ( ar, ميراث ''mīrāth'', "Legacy") is a Tunisian progressive metal band formed in 2001 by guitarist Malek Ben Arbia and currently based in Tunisia. The band has been noted for its mix of Arabic and Middle Eastern instrumentation wi ...

, Ymyrgar and Checkpoint 303. (see Tunisian underground music) Modern music festivals in Tunisia include Tabarka Jazz Festival, Testour's Arab Andalusian Music Festival and the Sahara Festival in

Douz Douz ( ar, دوز ') is a town in the Kebili Governorate in the south of Tunisia, known as the "gateway to the Sahara." By road it is located southwest of Blidet, southeast of Tozeur, and south of the Tunisian capital of Tunis. History It h ...

Malouf

Malouf is played by small orchestras, consisting of violins, drums, sitars and flutes. Modern malouf has some elements of

Berber music Amazigh music refers to the musical traditions of the Imazighen, an ethnic group native to the Maghreb, as well, as parts of the Sahara, Nile Valley, West Africa. Berber music varies widely across North-West Africa and some of the best known va ...

in the

rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...

s, but is seen as a successor to the cultural heights reached by Muslim Andalusia. Malouf has been called "an emblem of (Tunisian) national identity

Nevertheless, malouf can not compete commercially with popular music, much of it Egyptian, and it has only survived because of the efforts of the Tunisian government and a number of private individuals. Malouf is still performed in public, especially at

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

s and

circumcision Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Top ...

ceremonies, though recordings are relatively rare. The term ''malouf'' translates as ''familiar'' or ''customary''. Baron Rodolphe d'Erlanger is an important figure of modern Tunisian music. He collected the rules and history of malouf, which filled six volumes, and set up

Structure

The lyrics of Malouf are based on the

qasida The qaṣīda (also spelled ''qaṣīdah''; is originally an Arabic word , plural ''qaṣā’id'', ; that was passed to some other languages such as fa, قصیده or , ''chakameh'', and tr, kaside) is an ancient Arabic word and form of writin ...

h, a form of classical Arabic poetry, and comes in many forms, including the

muwashshah ''Muwashshah'' ( ar, موشح ' literally means " girdled" in Classical Arabic; plural ' or ' ) is the name for both an Arabic poetic form and a secular musical genre. The poetic form consists of a multi-lined strophic verse poem writt ...

, which abandons many of qasidah's rules, , a very traditional form, and

zajal Zajal () is a traditional form of oral strophic poetry declaimed in a colloquial dialect. While there is little evidence of the exact origins of the zajal, the earliest recorded zajal poet was the poet Ibn Quzman of al-Andalus who lived from 1078 ...

, a modern genre with a unique format. The most important structural element of malouf, however, is the Andalusi nuba, a two-part suite in a single maqam (an Arab mode organized by quarter-tones), which lasts about an hour. A

nuba The Nuba people are indigenous inhabitants of central Sudan. Nuba are various indigenous ethnic groups who inhabit the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan state in Sudan, encompassing multiple distinct people that speak different languages which b ...

is a musical form introduced to North Africa with the migration of Muslim inhabitants of Spain in the 13 and 14th Century. It is divided to many parts : Isstifta7 Msader which are instrumental pieces Then come Attouq and the Silsla which introduce to the poems. The sung pieces begin with the Btaihia: A set of poem composed on the Main mode of the Nuba (there are several Modes in Tunisian music

Ispahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...

Isbaaïn) on a heavily syncopated rhythm called BtaiHi. Then come al barawil, Al khfeiif Al Akhtam which close the nuba. The rhythms grow fast from a component to anthem of the Nuba. Each component of a Nouba has its specific rhythm which are the same in all the 13 Nouba known today. According to legend, a distinct nuba once existed for every day, holiday and other event, though only thirteen remain. Partway through a nuba, an improvisational section was played in the maqam of the following day to ready the audience for the next performance.

History

The earliest roots of the malouf can be traced to a court musician from Baghdad named

Ziryab Abu l-Hasan 'Ali Ibn Nafi, better known as Ziryab, Zeryab, or Zaryab ( 789– 857) ( ar, أبو الحسن علي ابن نافع, زریاب, rtl=yes) ( fa, زَریاب ''Zaryāb''), was a singer, oud and lute player, composer, poet, and teach ...

. He was expelled from the city in 830, and travelled west, stopping finally at

Kairouan Kairouan (, ), also spelled El Qayrawān or Kairwan ( ar, ٱلْقَيْرَوَان, al-Qayrawān , aeb, script=Latn, Qeirwān ), is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by t ...

, 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 century, Muslims fleeing persecution by Christians in what is now Spain and Portugal settled in cities across North Africa, including Tunis, bringing with them their music. Tunisian malouf, and its closely related cousin in Libya, was later influenced by Ottoman music. This process peaked in the middle of the 18th century, when the

Bey Bey ( ota, بك, beğ, script=Arab, tr, bey, az, bəy, tk, beg, uz, бек, kz, би/бек, tt-Cyrl, бәк, translit=bäk, cjs, пий/пек, sq, beu/bej, sh, beg, fa, بیگ, beyg/, tg, бек, ar, بك, bak, gr, μπέης) is ...

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 Rodolphe d'Erlanger, a French-naturalized Bavarian living near Tunis, commission a collection of ancient works, working with Ali al-Darwish of Aleppo. Al-Darwish and d'Erlanger's pioneering study of Tunisian music was presented at the International Congress of Arabic Music, held in 1932. Baron Rodolphe d'Erlanger died only a few months after the congress, which revolutionized Arab music across the world. In Tunisia, the meeting inspired

The Rachidia The Rachidia is an artistic and cultural association specializing in Tunisian music. It was created on 3 November 1934 by the intellectual, political and artistic community led by , who was Sheikh el Medina of Tunis at that period.malouf. The Rachidia 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 Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black bi ...

darbuka The goblet drum (also chalice drum, tarabuka, tarabaki, darbuka, darabuka, derbake, debuka, doumbek, dumbec, dumbeg, dumbelek, toumperleki, tumbak, or zerbaghali; arz, دربوكة / Romanized: ) is a single-head membranophone with a goblet-s ...

, rabab and bendir) to symphonic pieces inspired by

Western classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "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 The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G ...

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

, 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 Art music (alternatively called classical music, cultivated music, serious music, and canonic music) is music considered to be of high phonoaesthetic value. It typically implies advanced structural and theoretical considerationsJacques Siron, ...

. 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 A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...

, 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 Supérieur de Musique.

Mezwed

Purely Tunisian music with pop Tunisian touch. Most popular mezwed singers are Heddi Habbouba, Habib el Khal,

Samir Loussif Samir (variantly spelled Sameer) is a male name found commonly in the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe. In Arabic, Samir () means holy, jovial, loyal or charming. In Albanian, it translates literally as “so good” but the connotation is clo ...

, Hedi Donia, Faouzi Ben Gamra, Zina Gasriniya, Fatma Bousseha, Nour Chiba.

Salhi

Another authentic Tunisian genre, known as Salhi, can be heard on these tracks from 193

some of which are sung by Ibrahim Ben Hadj Ahmed, and others by another singer called Ben Sassi. The style may be related to

, and is just as ancient and authentic as a facet of the (Tunisian) national identity.

New genres in Tunisian music

New genres of music in

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

include Tunisian pop music, opera, electronic music, trip hop, hip hop, rap and metal music. The most famous pop singers are Manel Amara, Sabri Mosbah , Ruka, Asma Othmani, Imen Mehrzi, Ghada Maatouk. The most famous rap and hip hop singers are Balti, JenJoon, Samara, Tchiggy, Hedi L’artiste, Raf , Amriano , Badboy 7low, Joujma, L'arabe, Arslén, Ferr, A.L.A , Akram Mag, Kafon, GGA, Klay BBJ, K2 Rhym, Master Sina, Mohamed Amine Hamzaoui, Psyco-M, Bendir Man, Si Lemhaf, Artmasta. The most famous electronic and trip hop singers are

, Ghalia Benali. The most famous opera singer is Hassen Doss. There are a number of metal bands including

, Persona, Cartagena and Nawather who all play

Oriental Metal Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles (for exampl ...

Bibliography

* Abassi, H, ''Tunis chante et danse. 1900–1950'', éd. Du Layeur, Paris, 2001 * Davis, R. Ma'luf: Reflections on the Arab Andalusian Music of Tunisia, Lanham, 2004

References

External links

* (in Arabic) Audio Clip : Wingz's Youtube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyVnav4zdTpX3LTXeKXbZdg
Audio clips: Traditional music of Tunisia.
Musée d'ethnographie de Genève. Accessed November 25, 2010.
Audio clip: Mezoued.
The Arab and Mediterranean Music Centre. Accessed November 25, 2010.

The Arab and Mediterranean Music Centre. Accessed November 25, 2010.

The Arab and Mediterranean Music Centre. Accessed November 25, 2010.

The Arab and Mediterranean Music Centre. Accessed November 25, 2010.

The Arab and Mediterranean Music Centre. Accessed November 25, 2010.

The Arab and Mediterranean Music Centre. Accessed November 25, 2010.

The Arab and Mediterranean Music Centre. Accessed November 25, 2010.

The Arab and Mediterranean Music Centre. Accessed November 25, 2010.

The Arab and Mediterranean Music Centre. Accessed November 25, 2010.

The Arab and Mediterranean Music Centre. Accessed November 25, 2010.

The Arab and Mediterranean Music Centre. Accessed November 25, 2010.

Online Tunisian music player
{{Music of Africa