CACrown ArchivesThe cinema collection
Menu
Research dossier · General Reference

Andalusi nubah

musical genre of the Arab-Andalusian type (or Andalusian music) that in the 9th century was from Baghdad to Cordoba and Granada. It is traditionally found in the countries of Maghreb Africa

Cross-disciplinary reference desk with index cards, atlas, dictionary and catalogue
General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 31, 2026
Entity authorityQ2897103
Source-derived summary

Andalusī nūbah (نوبة أندلسيّة), also transliterated nūba, nūbā, or nouba (pl. nūbāt), or in its classical Arabic form, nawba, nawbah, or nōbah, is a music genre found in the North African Maghrib states of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya but, as the name indicates, it has its origins in Andalusi music. The name replaced the older use of sawt and originated from the musician waiting behind a curtain to be told it was his turn or nawbah by the sattar or curtain man.

The main schools of Andalusi nubah are the following

In Algeria

Gharnati (Tlemcen)

Sanaa (Algiers)

Malouf (Constantine)

In Tunisia

Malouf (Tunis)

In Morocco

Tarab al ala

Gharnati (After 1830, following the migration of Algerians to Morocco during the French conquest)

Form, texts, and performance

According to tradition, there were initially 24 nubat, one for each hour of the day. Each nuba must have a duration of 1 hour. Lyrics are sung by a soloist or in unison by a chorus and are chosen from the muwashshah or zajal poetic forms, which are sung in classical and colloquial Arabic, respectively.

An andalusi nubah uses one tab' (similar to a maqam, or mode) per performance, and includes several instrumental pieces as well as predominantly vocal pieces accompanied by instrumentation. These differ as to mizan (pl. mawazin) or rhythmic pattern (wazn, pl. awzan).

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Andalusi nubah” as musical genre of the Arab-Andalusian type (or Andalusian music) that in the 9th century was from Baghdad to Cordoba and Granada. It is traditionally found in the countries of Maghreb Africa. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Andalusi, nubah and musical.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1830—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Andalusi, nubah and musical providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Andalusi nubah”, the useful work is to connect “musical genre of the Arab-Andalusian type (or Andalusian music) that in the 9th century was from Baghdad to Cordoba and Granada. It is traditionally found in the countries of Maghreb Africa” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 31, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2897103. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1830.

Critical limits

A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Andalusi nubah”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Andalusi nubah primary sources, Andalusi nubah archive and Andalusi research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Andalusi nubah”?
  2. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
  3. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Andalusi nubah” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.