Closely associated with the haunting music of the Arabs are the fiery, dances of Spain the most well-known being the flamenco. From the very beginning, these entertainers, not only sung Arabic poetry in its authentic and sentimental state but also, in its method and construction. In the cantigas de Santa María compiled by Alfonso the Wise, the musical form of the zajal is clearly evident. I said to myself: `For instrumental music, nothing could be more perfect. Although now sung in Spanish, there is no doubt that its origins go back to the Arabic songs of the Moors. To cite Enrique Sordo in his Moorish Spain: “….an inner room in an Andalusian tavern; glasses of golden wine, a guitar; a voice…. Do you plan on being with family in person this Thanksgiving? The dancers’ flaunting looks, rhythmical punctuation of the feet, flashing eyes and movements full of grace, all have their roots in the lands of the East and North Africa. Their production of large bowls, casseroles, ewers, figurines, jars, pitchers and plates are much in demand for decorative purposes and in the tourism industry. Before the close of the 12th century measured song was unknown to the Europeans; but under the name iqa’at or rhythm it had been known to the Arabs even in the 7th century. Potters in Guadix are famous for their filigree jars, full of ornamental details, inherited from the Nasrid (the last Arab dynasty in Spain) times. In Moorish Spain lovers would serenade with their ‘ud the objects of their love. The muwashshahat were written and sung in classical Arabic but the last verse always ended with two or four lines written in the Romance or the aljamiado language of the Christians and summarised the entire meaning of the poem. This video is about the influence of the Arabic language on Spanish and Portuguese, mainly due to Islamic rule in Al-Andalus. Later Arabic was abandoned for the languages of southern Europe but the Arabic format remained. The beat of the rapid handclapping in flamenco is a carbon copy of the clapping in the folk melodies and dances of the Arabian Peninsula. Spanish Music [the Canary Islands are not show in this map] ... (música andalusí) is the term use to define the classical Arabic music of Medieval Al-Andalus, which was the name given to Muslim-occupied Spain as well as current North African classical Arabic music. Do you plan on being with family in person this Thanksgiving? A Short History of Spanish Music. Although not supported by etymologies in most dictionaries, D.E. As well, their entertainers were in demand in the courts of the king and nobles of the land. Near Jaén, the pottery of Úbeda is well known for its handsome ewers and in the province of Malaga, the clay artisans are famous for their Barros Malagueños, small figurines representing popular scenes and characters. In the spring months, when the cities of Andalusia are filled with colourful religious parades, the sad and wavering laments of the saeta punctuates these processions. Encouraging experimentation and innovations in musical styles and instruments he came to establish the unique Arab musical tradition of Andalusia. Arab culture and the Islamic faith are deeply intertwined. After the reconquista of the 16th century, the polyphonic singing style, featuring complementing voices, developed probably through contact with Spain's northern neighbors France and Flanders. When the Spaniards occupied Granada, the last city held by the Moors, Arab music and singing did not die but actually flourished. Stanwood Cobb in his Islamic Contributions to Civilization, discusses the effect of Arab cultural influences on Spanish music: “The feeling, tempo and the lilt of Spanish music is more akin to Arabic than to European music, and the guitar, the most ‘Spanish’ of all instruments, was an Arab invention. (ed.) This is quite evident in the field of music. The Arab influence is more evident in the southern part of the peninsula. The ole of the cante hondo is still the wa-Allah ‘oh God’ with which the Arabs cheered every poetic recitation.”. London: Robert Hale Ltd., 1958. Well might the church leaders have feared Arab music and song for even in the Christian religion the Arab influence was to leave its mark. Our family has been producing these inlaid goods for hundreds of years.”. Before and after the Reconquest, Arab musicians, singers and dancers were in demand to perform concerts and other forms of entertainment in the palaces of the wealthy. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1975. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013, Nykl, A.R. The well-known 12th century poet from Cordova, Ibn Guzman, used to boast that his zajal was sung as far away as the eastern Arab world. The influence results mainly from the large number of Arabic loanwords and derivations in Spanish, plus a few other less obvious effects. Music, dance and song were not only encouraged in the homes but also on the streets. Játiva, a city in eastern Spain, even after the Christian occupation in the 13th and 14th centuries continued to be famous for its musicians and singers. Through usage fallah manju could easily have been transformed into flamenco. Leiden: E.J. Moorish Spain. Even in its modernized form the flamenco still had its enchantment. He was also an accomplished singer who accompanied himself on the ‘ud and composed poetry, especially to his queen, I’timad, with whom he was infatuated all of his life. How will it end?’ Scarcely was the question asked before there came the sound of a woman’s voice, clear and beautiful. From the very beginning, these entertainers, not only sung Arabic poetry in its authentic and sentimental state but also, in its method and construction. From this city, the kings of Castile and Aragon would engage Arab musicians and singers to entertain their courts with the songs of muwashshahat and zajal, accompanied by musicians playing the ajabeba, canón, rabel and añafil. Beautifully costumed, their tight-bodice multi-coloured dresses flaring at the hips and covering their legs with countless ruffles matched the carnations in their hair. In the medieval period, and even today, names of many of these musical instruments are derived from Arabic: Spanish Name            Arabic Origin              English Meaning, albogón                      al-buq                         brass flute resembling, albogue                      al-buq                         pastoral recorder, adufe                          al-duff                         Moorish type tambourine, ajabeba or axabeba  al-shabbabah             transverse flute, añafil                           al-nafir                        Moorish trumpet, atabal                          al-tabal                       kettledrum, atambor or atamor   al-tunbur                    drum, canón                          qanun                         an obsolete stringed, carrizo                         karrij                           an antiquated music, itara                            qitarah                        zither, gaita                            ghayta                        Spanish bagpipe, guzla                           ghazal                         one string rebec, nácara                         naqqarah                    cavalry drum, laúd                             al-‘ud                          lute, nakib                           naqb                                    flute, panderete                  bandayr                      small tambourine, quitarra                      qitarah                        guitar, rabel                   rabab                          rebec, rota                             rutah                          rote – a medieval violin, sonajas de azófar      sunuj al-sufr             metal clappers, tambor                       tanbur                       drum, tamborete                  tanbur                        small drum. Their influence on the Spanish language was also profound. Even though music flourished under the Andalusian Umayyads and most of that dynasty’s rulers were patrons of the arts, many religious leaders and governing officials were against this genre of entertainment and tried to enact laws against music and singing, usually unsuccessfully. Music, and to a lesser degree, poetry, were considered immoral and abandoned to some extent, due to the association of both with pagan religious rites. Arabic music or Arab music (Arabic: الموسيقى العربية ‎, romanized: al-mūsīqā al-ʿArabīyah) is the music of the Arab world with all its diverse music styles and genres. 13 and l7. In the later centuries, the Arabs of the east held on to their own traditional music and song while in North Africa and Spain the Arab/Andalusian melodies took root. One of these groups is the Moors, the Arab and Berber Muslims who conquered parts of present-day Spain in the 8th century and lived there for almost 800 years. Finally I withdrew to my room, thanking God, as though I had come out of a great trouble and were no longer ill or suffering’.”. The romerias, celebrations held near Christian shrines and still seen in modern Spain, were originally visits to the shrines of Muslim holy men that were passed from the Moorish to the Christian communities. They then refined and based this music on notes and scales and, at the same time, developed dancing and singing schools across their lands – the most famous being in Medina and Baghdad. It is as if the Al-Andalus of the Arabs continues to live on. But research by honest scholars, in the last century, has established that not only measured music but the popular Spanish music and, in fact, the folk music of all South­west Europe, was taken from Arab-Andalusian sources. From the troubadours and their Arabic songs, the serenading of Spanish lovers was born. The medieval ‘hocket’ is a combination of notes and pauses and is derived from the Arabic iqa’at.”. The History of the Mohammedan Dynasties in Spain. He arrived in Andalusia in 82l A.D. directly from the court of Baghdad. His songs and music were widely sung and appreciated by both the Muslims and Christians in all parts of the Iberian Peninsula. The artform’s basic building blocs – sung poetry and music – were borrowed from the Arabs and Berbers who … However, the best was yet to come. Despite the many religious wars in the past, the Spaniards have, to a great extent, preserved their Arab heritage, especially in the field of handicrafts, dance and music. As the Muslim influence waned, Christianity thrived and by 1492, Christianity -- specifically Catholicism -- replaced Islam as Spain's dominant religious, cultural and political institution. Western scholars have for many centuries denied that the Arabs contributed greatly to the melodies and dances of Europe. The canas, jaleo, malagueña, polos, and tiranas of the flamenco; the zarabanda danced in Spain during the 16th century; the zorongo dance with its Andalusian music; the jota from the Arabic khata (to step); the sequidillas; the fandango; the folias; the sevillanas; and the bulerias, all have been influenced to some extent by the music, song and dance of the Moors. The voice of the singer seemed to hypnotize his audience into a state of ecstasy. Also supporting the impressive contribution of measured music made by the Arabs, we find in the Legacy of Islam that in mensural notation, particular kinds of notes bearing such names as elmuarifa and elmuahym are of Arabic origin. Indeed, the Arab influence in the field of classical music has been barely researched. This was a golden age or Siglo de Oro particularly in Spanish paintings and sculptures, many of which were produced for the ever-strengthening Church. She sang and sang, and I, hidden above, could watch without being seen. Muqaddam ibn Qabri, born in Cabra near Cordova, was the father of muwashshah. Bottles, bowls, plates are made, decorated with geometrical, animal and vegetable forms, and words in the Arabic Kufic script. Each of Arab Spain’s city states became noted for excelling in one or the other of the arts, but Seville outshone them all. Gallops, R. A Book of the Basques. I felt that my soul understood this music and would find repose in it, with none of the repugnance I had felt for the other. Throughout this period and long thereafter, Arab-Andalusian music and poetry belonged not only to the wealthy but also to the workers and peasants. It is also clear to hear for example in the works from Isaac Albéniz, Manuel de Falla and Joaquín Rodrigo. I opened the door of my room and followed the sound until I reached the part of the house whence I could overlook the neighbours. Approximately 4,000 Spanish words are Arabic in origin, or eight percent of the Spanish dictionary. As flamenco artists and critics began to explore the elements of gitano performance, they rediscovered the rich Arab influence in flamenco. Once again potters are re-introducing designs, decorative methods and techniques, reflecting the splendour of Córdoba’s pottery during the city’s Islamic era. The Alhambra in Granada, the Mesquita of Cordóba, the Alcázar in Seville, and above all, Andalusia’s culture and artisan products, testify to the rich artisan legacy the Arabs bequeathed to Andalusia and to a lesser extent to all of Spain. As flamenco artists and critics began to explore the elements of gitano performance, they rediscovered the rich Arab influence in flamenco. London: Faber and Faber, 1974. The zajal and muwashshahat type of verse and song were the most famous. Sarabande, originally, a dance considered disreputable in 16th-century Spain, and, later, a slow, stately dance that was popular in France.Possibly of Mexican origin or perhaps evolved from a Spanish dance with Arab influence that was modified in the New World, it was apparently danced by a double line of couples to castanets and lively music. In Moorish Spain it was later modified by Greek music and song giving birth to the Arab-Andalusian … In the surrounding towns, particularly remarkable are the small ewers from La Rambla, the earthenware vats from Lucena, the pitchers and scoops for waterwheels from Baena, and the flowerpots from Alcolea del Rio. Imamuddin, S. M. Muslim Spain. And all this time there had been no sound of a human voice. However, as time wore on and the Islamic world was established on a permanent basis, the love and appreciation of poetry and music surged forward, incorporating the old and formulating the new. Emil Naumann in his History of Music notes “…we cannot fail….to be struck with the remarkable similarity which the melodies of the Koran bear to the responses and chants of the Catholic liturgy.”. To him is credited the addition of the fifth string to the ‘ud (lute) and the invention of plectrums made from eagles’ talons which replaced the wooden ones in use until his time. Two of his friends took good care of him but at night when he tried to rest the loud noises of musical instruments and vulgar singing, from the neighbouring homes, kept him awake and increased his misery. The Arabic influence on the Spanish language is mostly lexical. In the area around the city, Baena and Almodóvar del Rio are noted for their leather products made for pack horses and mules while the town of Montora is famous for its handmade cartridge belts, gun cases, pouches and shoes. PROVO, Utah (Mar. Despite the collapse of the Andalusian Umayyad Dynasty, music and song flour­ished reaching their pinnacle under the tawa’if or petty kings, once nobles and generals under the Umayyads. London: Macmillian Publishers Ltd., Vol. But many Spanish intellectuals prefer a Latin-based word origin to an Arabic-based one, and the Arabic word for “spirit”—jinn—is as likely the root. This enraged him but one night his feeling for the music and singing, coming from the surrounding buildings, changed. Seman, K .1. Ziryab, was a marvellous entertainer and enchanted the court of Cordova for years with his wit, music and song. Lowe, A. Cobb, Stanwood. Daniel, F. S. The Music and Musical Instruments of the Arab. Islamic Contributions to Civilization. The Heritage of Spain. He became famous as his type of verse spread throughout the Arabic-speaking world of his time. ... "Arabic letters, Arabic phrases. In the west of Andalusia, around Huelva, old Moorish techniques are used in the production of small ewers with large mouths, used by fishermen to capture squid. Later Arabic was abandoned for the languages of southern Europe, but the Arabic format remained. It was popular among the masses in both Muslim and Christian Spain and later spread throughout the Muslim world with remarkable rapidity. Read, J. The History of Music. (There, the Roma people are called Gitanos.) Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Ltd., 1976. The recent researches of Ribera tend to show that the popular music of Spain, in fact, of all Southwestern Europe, in and after the 13th century, like the lyric and historical romance of that region, is to be traced to Andalusian and thence through Arabic, to Persian, Byzantine and Greek sources.”. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1980. 16, 2017)—How much of Spanish culture comes from the Arab Muslims who centuries ago ruled the country? A type of dance originally brought from India, these dances were embellished by the footwork of the Berbers in the Atlas Mountains. The poetry and music of the zajal and muwashshahat also gave rise to the troubadours, from the Arabic tariba – to sing. However, when the Spanish Inquisition banned everything Muslim, including music and song, Moorish entertainment faded from the land.