Abû al-Hasan Alî Ibn Nâfi' (c. 789-857) nicknamed Ziryâb ("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 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 as a performer and student of the great musician and composer, Ishaq al-Mawsilî. The Courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, one of the grandest architectural legacies of the Umayyads. ... Location within Spain Córdoba, the Roman bridge and the Mosque-Cathedral View across the old Roman bridge towards the Mezquita Interior court of the Mezquita Córdoba is a city in Andalucía, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. ... Abbasid provinces during the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid Abbasid (Arabic: العبّاسيّون AbbāsÄ«yÅ«n) was the dynastic name generally given to the caliphs of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Islamic empire, that overthrew the Umayyad caliphs. ... Average temperature (red) and precipitations (blue) in Baghdad Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Province. ...

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 Andalusia, settling in Cordova at the invitation of the Umayyad prince, 'Abd al-Rahmân 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

Links

• Ziryab, the musician, astronomer, fashion designer and gastronome