Tomorrow, Thursday, at 7:00 p.m., Casa Árabe in Madrid will be screening the trailer for the documentary Ziryab y la huella árabe en España (Ziryab and the Arab footprint in Spain), by Alan Cantos, dedicated to this musician, an essential figure who revolutionised Andalusian Cordoba. There will also be a colloquium with Eduardo Manzano and a lute recital by Hames Bitar. Free admission until full capacity is reached. The event will be held in Spanish.
Abu l-Hasan Ali ibn Nafi` was a Muslim poet, gastronome, musician and singer. Better known by the nickname Ziryab (Arabic for ‘blackbird’), emulating the probable colour of his skin and the bird’s melodious voice, he received a solid literary and scientific training, especially in geography and astronomy, and learned music in Baghdad under the famous cantor Ishaq Ibn Ibrahim al-Mawsilī (767-850), during the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid (786-808).
Born in Mosul, Iraq, and died in Córdoba, his story is that of the origins of our culture. During the 9th century, this unique character arrived in the Caliphate of Cordoba and revolutionised existing music, singing, percussion, customs and gastronomy. Alan Cantos’ documentary aims to accompany Ziryab’s journey from Baghdad to Cordoba in space and time, accompanied by musicians, artists and chefs.
Through this audiovisual exploration, Alan Cantos suggests that knowledge of this fascinating history can serve as an antidote to xenophobia and a motor for tolerance.
