The maalouf (or malouf)
Loving and captivating, the maalouf is a music that participates amply in the sweetness and beauty of the place. Originally from Seville, this beautiful Andalusian music was introduced in Tunisia by refugees between the 13th and 15th centuries. Carried by a soft nostalgia, the maalouf is structured by the noubas, musical compositions formed of a continuation of vocal and instrumental parts carried out according to a precise order. Usually starting slowly, it accelerates to a crescendo, guiding the emotion to a paroxysm of power and depth. A typical maalouf ensemble consists of at least three musicians, playing the oud as well as the harmonium, the darbouka or the violin, the lute or the flute.
A true pillar of national identity, the maalouf has survived only thanks to the efforts of the Tunisian government, which created in the 1930s La Rachidia, an institution bringing together the elite of musicians and poets working to safeguard the Tunisian musical heritage. After independence, the place was equipped with a conservatory where maalouf was taught, notably by the great oud player Khémaïs Tarnane, one of the first masters of the genre. In addition to its preservation, the Rachidia allowed the maalouf to be transformed into symphonic pieces played by large ensembles, inspired by Western classical music and Egyptian ensembles. The place will train generations of great artists, such as Lotfi Bouchnak, oud player and composer of Tunisian music. Among other names to remember malouf, Salah El Mahdi, whose Dantesque repertoire - nearly 600 compositions - includes some beautiful pieces of the genre, El Azifet - which means " The Women Musicians
" - the first female orchestra of art music in the Arab world (founded in March 1992 by the Tunisian Amina Srarfi) or, more recently, Zied Gharsa (son of the illustrious Tahar Gharsa) and Syrine Ben Moussa, who have emerged as icons of the genre. Apart from the headquarters of La Rachidia, one of the best opportunities to listen to maalouf is the festival of Arab-Andalusian music of Testour which is partly dedicated to it. Otherwise, some venues such as the beautiful Théâtre Municipal de Tunis program quite a bit of it. Nicknamed "la bonbonnière", this beautiful building built in an Art Nouveau style is worth a visit.The mezoued
Taking its name from a wind instrument of Bedouin origin resembling a bagpipe composed of a goat skin bag and two perforated rose pipes, the mezoued is one of the most popular traditional music in Tunisia. A perfect mezoued ensemble includes the bagpipe, of course, but also percussion instruments (bendir, tabl, darbouka) and singers. Widely appreciated for its festive melodies, this style has developed in the less privileged bangs of the population, first in the countryside, then, especially, in the cities. Through its songs, which do not hesitate to use dialect, slang or good-natured lyrics as a mode of expression, it spontaneously established itself as a musical counter-culture, defying the classical forms that respect defined rules and codes. The mezoued then suffered, for many years, of a bad reputation, before finally being widely recognized, to the point of occupying today the head of the Tunisian music sales. Among the many players of mezoued, the most important are Hedi Habbouba, the great master of the genre that he also modernized a lot, Samir Loussif who wrote some hymns like " Ya mimti el ghalia" , Ouled Jouini who has largely participated in the revival of Tunisian popular music or Zaza Show, one of the few women in the field.
Classical and scholarly music
As in the entire Arab world, the notion of learned music in Tunisia differs from the Western understanding. That said, the latter exists in the country, embodied, among others, by the Tunisian Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 1969 on the initiative of the Ministry of Culture, it is the main philharmonic ensemble in the country and aims to disseminate the masterpieces of the symphonic repertoire in Tunisia as well as adapting traditional Tunisian and Arab-Muslim music to the format of the symphony orchestra. Composed of sixty professional musicians (graduates of major schools and conservatories) the ensemble was initially entrusted to the French conductor Jean-Paul Nicollet and then evolved in the hands of the country's great conductors such as Ahmed Achour or Hafedh Makni.
If it is rather turned to the works of Mozart, Bizet or Beethoven, the orchestra also plays the great national figures of classical music such as Salah El Mahdi, Ouanès Khligène, Kaddour Srarfi or Ahmed Achour.
The orchestra regularly participates in the International Festival of Symphonic Music of El Jem, a major international event held every summer, but also in the International Festival of Carthage and the International Festival of the Sahara in Douz. More international, one can also appreciate a very good classical program during the October Musical Festival
of Carthage. During twenty days in October, a myriad of artists meet in the Acropolium with piano, violin and guitar concerts. Linked to scholarly music, Tunisia has seen the emergence of a wave of avant-garde and improvised music since the late 1990s. Very dynamic, this scene is particularly prized for its explorations and its desire to take the Tunisian musical tradition out of its comfort zone. Among them, the most prominent names are Dhafer Youssef, a great oud player, Anouar Brahem, also a master of the oud, who is used to building bridges between Arab music and jazz (signed on the fabulous ECM label), Wajdi Cherif, a pianist who shares the same ambition, and Jasser Haj Youssef, who mixes classical, oriental and jazz influences by using the viola d'amore, a forgotten instrument from the European baroque period, which he has brought back to the fore. Names that it is quite possible to cross on the poster of the International Jazz Festival of Tabarka, event of international fame welcoming also the musics of the world, latino, raï...Popular music
Member of the Rachidia since the 1930s, Saliha is one of the first stars of the Tunisian song and its eternal great voice. After her, it is necessary to wait until the years 1960 and 1970, and the development of the Tunisian variety, to see emerging new popular figures of the music. It is here that appear some icons among which Naâma, which will be the muse of several important composers (Mohamed Triki, Ahmed Hamza, Ridha Kalaï, Ali Riahi, Kaddour Srarfi or Chedly Anouar), Oulaya, whose success will resound in a good part of the Arab world or Zouheïra Salem, which belongs to the same generation. Some men also illustrate themselves at the time such as Mustapha Charfi, Ezzeddine Idir and especially Kacem Kefi, very appreciated. Let's also mention Ali Riahi, a great modernizer of Tunisian music between the 1950s and 1970s, who is also famous for his extravagant stage looks and his vast repertoire, divided between tradition and Westernized style. His music was a resounding success throughout the Maghreb.
More recently, Tunisian popular music has been embodied by artists such as Nabiha Karaouli, a contemporary diva with a majestic voice, Saber Rebaï, whose repertoire draws heavily on local heritage, Latifa Arfaoui, the embodiment of pop music in Arabic, and Amina Fakhet, a regular at the Carthage International Festival. The latter is one of the most important events of the country and is one of the best opportunities to hear on stage its most beautiful voices.Current music
As everywhere in the world, hip-hop has found in Tunisia a land where it can flourish. The Jasmine Revolution has allowed many rappers to become the voice of this rage for freedom and to remind the injustice of the former regime. Among the most famous in the country, we will gladly mention Klay BBJ with his very rebellious image and Bendir Man, a true anti-Ben Ali flag bearer. Today, the latest local rap successes are called Samara or Alfa.
As for electronic music, the Tunisian scene is beginning to make a serious impact on the international scene. Starting with Emel Mathlouthi. Emel Mathlouthi is the muse of the Jasmine Revolution - which led to her being deprogrammed from the Carthage Festival before being reinstated under public pressure - and she has developed a powerful trip hop - in the tradition of the greats of the genre such as Björk or Massive Attack - in which her Tunisian musical roots are infused. Another interesting artist of the young guard, Azu Tiwaline cadences dub and dubstep with traditional Amazigh rhythms. Closer to us, signed on the Parisian label InFiné, Deena Abdelwahed is considered one of the most promising artists of techno. And finally, the Belgian-Tunisian collective Bargou 08 mixes traditional instruments and repertoire with synthesizer and electronic groove.
For all that concerns current music, the most appropriate meeting of the country is by far Pop In Djerba. For three days in October, pop, rock and electro meet on the beach of Sidi Mehrez to vibrate the island. Otherwise, the Y Ü K A, one of the trendiest clubs in Tunis, often invites good DJs.The theater
The theater experienced a kind of rebirth in Tunisia after independence. The great actor of that time, Ali Ben Ayed, played a decisive role in the renewal of the Tunisian theater. Great promoter of the discipline, actor and director relentless, his time at the head of the municipal theater company of Tunis marks the golden years of the latter but also the beginning of a national influence, even international, the Tunisian theater. He had great success with Caligula by Camus or La Yerma
by Federico Garcia Lorca, both of which he performed in Arabic.Mahmoud Messadi, another famous name, was noticed with a work with a significant title, The Dam, drama of the Tunisian land. In recent years, a piece marked its time Yahia Yaiche - Amnesia
by Fadhel Jaibi and Jalila Baccar, which dreamed before the hour of the fall of Ben Ali. Today, Leila Toubel, activist, actress and playwright Tunisian work very strong, is one of the most important figures of contemporary Tunisian theater. Every two years, the Carthage Theatre Days sound their three blows. The Tunisian troops rub shoulders with international troops. Another important event, the Hammamet International Festival, held from mid-July to mid-August, is a great place for theater. In Tunis, apart from the Municipal Theatre - the institution -, the El Hamra Theatre is an important place in the local cultural life.
