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Ibrahim al-Mawsili
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Mawsili was an Arab musician of Persian descent, who lived from 742 to 804. He was among the greatest composers of the early Abbasid era. He was born in Kufa. His parents died early and an uncle directed his education. He went to Rayy, where he met an envoy of the caliph al-Mansur, who took him to Basra for singing lessons. Singing attracted him more than studying. At the age of twenty-three he fled to Mosul, where he joined a group of wild young men. His fame as a singer grew, and the caliph al-Mahdi brought him to court.
Music and breakthrough
He served three caliphs in a row: al-Mahdi, al-Hadi and Harun al-Rashid. With the last he became especially close, and he became the foremost musician of his time. When he died, Harun had his son al-Ma'mun recite the prayer over the body. He defended the conservative school of Arabic music against innovators such as Ibn Jami. His son and pupil Ishaq al-Mawsili took over the leadership of that tradition. Other pupils were Mukhariq, the lutenist Zalzal and Ziryab. He appears in many stories from the One Thousand and One Nights.
Influence
He is known from traditions handed down, as in the Kitab al-Aghani. No recordings from his time exist; what you hear now is later music in his tradition.
Listening
Mentioned in other articles
- Arabic classical music (maqam) Genre
The singer Ibrahim al-Mawsili and his son Ishaq became famous there, and in the tenth century the philosopher Al-Farabi wrote his Kitāb al-mūsīqā al-kabīr (Great Book of Music).