North African nawba

Music of al-Andalus

Building on the Abbasid tradition of Baghdad (his master was Ishaq al-Mawsili), Ziryab developed the 24 nawba to correspond to the hours of the day; the tradition was widespread and diversified across Andalusian cities.

(In Abbasid times, nawba ("turn") referred to one’s “turn” to perform for the patron).

Following the exodus of non-Christians from al-Andalus into North Africa, these musical traditions spread, supposedly as follows:

Seville -> Tunis (ma’luf)
Cordoba -> Algeria (san`a in Algiers; gharnati in Tlemcen)
Grenada and Valencia -> Morocco (ala; gharnati)

Turath of North Africa

The Andalusian turath is an art music tradition, variously called:

Ma’luf (Tunisia, as well as Constantine in NE Algeria)
Ala (Morocco)
San`a (Algiers)
Gharnati (Tlemcen, in NW Algeria)

Each nawba is named after its melodic mode, or tab` (related to maqam).

General form: instrumental prelude, followed by a series of precomposed vocal pieces, each with characteristic melody and rhythm. Poems tend to be strophic muwashshahat. Solo singer (munshid) leads chorus. These are interspersed with ametric vocal solos.

Moroccan nuba: ala

1. Mishalia or bughya – non-metric, semi-improvisd vocal
2. toushiya – metric instrumental
3. Nuba proper in five parts/rhythms (mayazin), gradually accelerating:

a. bsit 6/4
b. qa’im wa nuss 8/4
c. btaihi ¾ + 6/8 + 2/4
d. draj (insiraf?) 8/4
e. quddam ¾ or 6/8
end with qufl

Each of the 5 sections contains various numbers of san`a – muwashshahat songs, including nonsense syllables. Each is preceded by an instrumental solo, and interspersed munshid solos with oud and kamanja accompanying bitain (2 lines) or mawwal improv.

Algerian nuba of Algiers: san`a

Mixes Tlemcen (west) gharnati and Constantine (east) ma’luf styles.

typical form:

1. da’ira – short vocal prelude, stock text formulae
2. toushiya – metric instrumental 2/4
3. Nuba proper in five parts/rhythms (mayazin), gradually accelerating:

a. msaddar 4/4
b. btaihi 4/4
c. draj 4/4
d. insiraf 5/8
e. khlas 6/8

An instrumental intro (“kursi”) may precede each section. Free rhythm vocal and instrumental pieces called istikhbar may also be interspersed.

The nawba ensemble of Algiers:

s’nitar (similar to mandolin)
kwitra (8 string lute)
qanun (plucked zither)
ud (fretless lute)
nay (reed flute)
rebab (spike fiddle)
kamanja (similar to violin, played on knee)
tar (frame drum)
darbouka (hour-glass drum)

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Listen to a performance of a Nuba in tab` (mode) Ghrib, performed by Mohamed Khaznadji (b. 1929, Algiers), with accompaniment on s'nitar, ud, qanun, darbouka, ney, tar

Ghrib mode: similar to Bayati (D – Ed – F$ - G – A - Bd – C)

1. Istikhbar, kwithra (instrumental)
2. toushiya (instrumental)
3. Mode Ghrib intro: istikhbar - qanun/ud/nay (instrumental)
4. Kursi (instr)
5. Msaddar (first movement), "Slave to Pleasure"
6. istikhbar - solo kwitra and voice
7. kursi introduction (instr)
8. B'tayhi (2nd movement), "Promises" (muwashshah)
9. kursi introduction (instr)
10. Darj (3rd movement), "My tears are a message" (muwashshah)
11. kursi introduction (instr)
12. Insraf (4th movement), "Her charming visit" (muwashshah)
13. Insraf (4th movement, cont.), "O sweet moments!" (muwashshah)
14. Khlas (5th movement), "I fall for a beautiful woman" (muwashshah)