Era The Cairo Congress of Arab Music

The Cairo Congress of Arab Music

Era introduction

The Cairo Congress of 1932 was a decisive moment in the history of Arabic music because it brought together musicians and scholars from the Arab world and beyond in an effort to document the heritage and discuss its future. It marked a rare moment in which preserving authenticity met the desire for modernization.

This era is read within a broader timeline, so the dates are not treated as final borders between separate styles. The main point is to notice the social and technical setting in which music moved: oral transmission, teaching, courts, theatres, radio, recording, or contemporary platforms depending on the era.

Historical context

The era title and period show how music's relationship with place and institutions changed. Some periods are connected to courts, cities, and writing, while others are connected to modern revival, recording, radio, cinema, and the public concert.

Musical features

  • Documentation
  • Music research
  • Preservation
  • Modernization

Linked people and events

Artistic Works

  • al-Durr al-Haqiqi fi Alhan al-MusiqaUnpublished manuscript

    Ali al-Darwish

  • Notation of Aleppine muwashshahatPreservation and notation project

    Ali al-Darwish

  • Jerusalem Radio recordings of old muwashshahatRecordings, 1944

    Ali al-Darwish

  • Collection and notation of Andalusian nubat in TunisiaHeritage documentation

    Ali al-Darwish

  • Bashraf and sama'i works attributed to Ali al-DarwishAttributed instrumental works

    Ali al-Darwish

  • Cairo Congress 1932 Iraqi maqam recordingsArchival recordings

    Muhammad al-Qubanchi / Muhammad al-Qubbanji

  • Maqam performances attributed to Muhammad al-QubanchiVocal repertoire

    Muhammad al-Qubanchi / Muhammad al-Qubbanji

  • Le Maqam en Irak and related reissue contextArchival reissue context

    Muhammad al-Qubanchi / Muhammad al-Qubbanji

Era Sources
  • Encyclopaedia BritannicaSource

    Basic biographies, Dates, Historical significance, Artistic importance

  • BrillSource

    Academic context, Music theory debates, Late classical and post-classical positioning, Conference documentation context

  • MasperoSource

    Biographical summaries, Role in Egyptian musical development, Nahda and early modern music context

  • Syrian History / Arab Music Magazine / related Syrian sourcesSource

    Aleppine and Syrian musical context, Educational and performance roles, Conference participation background

  • Studies on Rauf Yekta and Ottoman/Turkish music theorySource

    Musicological role, Theoretical debates, Position on tuning and the 24-quarter-tone issue

  • Iraqi cultural sources on Muhammad al-QubbanchiSource

    Iraqi maqam context, Conference participation, Impact of Cairo recordings on his legacy

  • Turkish reference sources on Mesut CemilSource

    Identity clarification, Turkish performance background, Conference participation

  • Cairo Congress recording archives / BolingoSource

    Conference recording documentation, Association with Tunisian maluf performance, Archival evidence rather than a full standalone biography

  • Dar al Hikma and related Algerian sourcesSource

    Tlemcen Andalusian music context, Performance legacy, Conference representation

  • Wikipedia and general biography pagesSource

    Supporting biographical information, Name normalization, Basic timeline support, Used where stronger single-source institutional biographies were not available in one place

Related Musicatea profiles

Continue with profiles such as Ali al-Darwish, Muhammad al-Qubanchi / Muhammad al-Qubbanji.

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