Algérie - Algeria : Anthologie de la musique arabo-andalouse, vol. 1

Malouf (ma'luf) is the Tunisian branch of the Andalusian classical tradition that took root in North Africa after waves of migration from al‑Andalus in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. It is a suite-based art music practiced by learned ensembles and vocal soloists, built on modal and rhythmic cycles that structure long, carefully paced performances. Its core large-form is the nūba (nouba), a sequence of vocal and instrumental movements that progresses from free or slow introductions to lively, dance-like endings. The modal system (tab' in Tunisian usage) and measured rhythmic cycles (mizān) organize melodies, ornamentation, and cadences; the singing style emphasizes heterophonic blend, nuanced melisma, and refined Arabic diction. Typical ensembles feature oud, qanun, violin, ney, cello/contrabass, and a battery of frame and goblet drums (bendir, riqq, darbouka), producing a resonant yet transparent texture. In the 20th century, the Rachidia (al-Rashidiyya) institute codified, taught, and revived the repertoire, helping to define malouf as a national classical music of Tunisia while preserving its Andalusian roots.

Classical music is the notated art-music tradition of Europe and its global descendants, characterized by durable forms, carefully codified harmony and counterpoint, and a literate score-based practice. The term “classical” can refer broadly to the entire Western art-music lineage from the Medieval era to today, not just the Classical period (c. 1750s–1820s). It privileges long-form structures (such as symphonies, sonatas, concertos, masses, and operas), functional or modal harmony, thematic development, and timbral nuance across ensembles ranging from solo instruments to full orchestras and choirs. Across centuries, the style evolved from chant and modal polyphony to tonal harmony, and later to post-tonal idioms, while maintaining a shared emphasis on written notation, performance practice, and craft.

Andalusian classical (also called Andalusi music, al-âla in Morocco, gharnati in western Algeria, and malouf in Tunisia) is a suite-based Arab-Islamic art music that crystallized in medieval Al-Andalus and was later preserved and elaborated in the Maghreb. It is organized into long, multi-movement suites known as nūbas (nawba), each tied to a modal family (ṭabʿ) and a set of rhythmic cycles (mīzān). The repertoire is built on strophic poetic forms such as the muwashshaḥ and zajal, set to finely ornamented, heterophonic textures. Core instruments include the ʿūd (lute), kamanja/violin (often held upright in Maghrebi practice), rebāb, qānūn, and ney, supported by frame drums (ṭār, bendir), goblet drum (darbuga), and riqq. Melodic practice uses maqām-like modal systems with microtonal intonation, rich melodic turns, and measured as well as non-metric improvisation (e.g., istikhbār). Over centuries, urban scholarly lineages in Fez, Tlemcen, Algiers, Constantine, Tetouan, and Tunis codified distinct schools, preserving nūba cycles, modes, and performance conventions that continue to define the genre today.