Ziryab
Abû al-Hasan Alî Ibn Nâfi' (Arabic: ابو الحسن علي ابن نافي )(c. 789-857) nicknamed Ziryâb (زيرياب, Arabic for blackbird), supposedly because of his extremely dark complexion, the clarity of his voice and "the sweetness of his character (Ibn Hayyan)," was a former slave possibly a Zanj of Tanzanian descent, who was one of the most famous gourmands, musicians and singers at the Umayyad court in Córdoba in Spain. He first achieved notoriety at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, Persia (now in Iraq) as a performer and student of the great musician and composer, Ishaq al-Mawsilî.
Ziryâb left Baghdad some time after the death of the Caliph al-Amîn in 813 and fled first to Ifrîqiyya (Tunisia), where he lived at the Aghlabid court of Ziyâdat Allâh (ruled 816-837). Ziryâb fell out with Ziyâdat Allâh and traveled to Al-Andalus, settling in Córdoba at the invitation of the Umayyad prince, Abd ar-Rahman II, in 822. There, he soon became even more celebrated as the court's aficionado of food, fashion, singing and music. Ziryâb introduced standards of excellence in all these fields as well as setting new norms for elegant and noble manners. He was an intimate companion of the prince and established a school of music that trained singers and musicians for at least two generations after him.
Ziryâb is said to have improved the technique of playing the 'ûd, created a unique and influential style of musical performance, and written songs that were performed in Spain for generations. He was a great influence on Spanish music, and is considered the founder of the Andalusian music traditions of North Africa and the Middle East.
References
Sources for Ziryâb include:
- Encyclopedia of Islam
- al-Muqtabis by Ibn Hayyân
- the Muqaddima of Ibn Khaldoun
- Ta'rikh fath al-Andalus by Ibn al-Qutiyya
- al-'Iqd al-farîd by Ibn 'Abd Rabbih
External links
Vorlage:MEast-bio-stub
Vorlage:Spain-bio-stub
Vorlage:Entertainer-stub