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Troubadors of of Al-Andalus: An evening of Algerian maluf with Cheikh Salim Fergani
June 26, 20258:00 p.m.
MADRID
Casa Árabe Auditorium (at Calle Alcalá, 62).
8:00 p.m.
Prior registration required.
Register using this form. Available until the event’s capacity is reached.
In order to mark the sixty-third anniversary of Algeria’s independence, which will be taking place on July 5, Casa Árabe is hosting this concert organized by the Embassy of Algeria in Spain on Thursday, June 26. Reserve your seat now in order to attend.
Salim Fergani, known as “The Troubadour of Constantine,” is one of the most prominent figures of Al-Andalus music in Algeria. Born into a family of musicians in the city of Constantine, he inherited the legacy passed down by his father, Mohamed Tahar Fergani, master of maluf —the local variant of music from the times of of Al-Andalus. Salim has devoted his life to preserving and revitalizing this ancestral genre, combining a strict faithfulness to traditional forms with a contemporary sensitivity. A virtuoso of the Arabic lute (oud) who possesses a refined voice, Fergani has brought maluf to international stages, acting as a cultural ambassador for Algeria while keeping alive the rich musical heritage of the Maghreb.
Thanks to these achievements, Salim has managed to attain a new level of sensitivity in his interpretation of the ancient poems performed in traditional melodies, creating his own style and personality. Tours all over the world have given him an international outreach, as well as moniker “The Troubadour of Constantine.” Salim masterfully performers all of the traditional singing genres: maluf, silsila, hawzi, mahdjúz, ´rúbí, qadriya and zdjúl.
The event will be introduced and contextualized by musician, editor and producer Eduardo Paniagua, whose label PNEUMA has recently published “Regresarán los días pasados” (in the style of the “zéjel marinero”), “Amantes del fuego de la pasión” and “Trovadores andalusíes,” three CDs with music from Al-Andalus originating in Constantine, Algeria.
Salim Fergani comes from a family of craftsmen and musicians. His grandfather Hammou Fergani (1884-1972) was a master of the hawzi. Salim was born just before Algeria’s War of Liberation. In such a harsh social environment, from the age of five he learned the wonderful secrets of the maluf from his ancestors. His father, El Hadj Mohammed Tahar Fergani, was his first teacher, while his uncle Zonaoui introduced him to playing the arbi lute.
Eduardo Paniagua. An architect who specializes in the music of medieval Spain. At the age of 16, he recorded his first four albums with the group. A founding member of the groups Atrium Musicae, Cálamus and Hoquetus, he specializes in Moorish-Arab music from Al-Andalus. In 1994, he created the groups MÚSICA ANTIGUA and IBN BÁYA, for musical work on the Canticles de King Alfonso X and music from Al-Andalus, respectively. At the same time, he founded and runs the record label PNEUMA. For his work and for spreading awareness about this unpublished music, he is now receiving excellent reviews and international awards.
Thanks to these achievements, Salim has managed to attain a new level of sensitivity in his interpretation of the ancient poems performed in traditional melodies, creating his own style and personality. Tours all over the world have given him an international outreach, as well as moniker “The Troubadour of Constantine.” Salim masterfully performers all of the traditional singing genres: maluf, silsila, hawzi, mahdjúz, ´rúbí, qadriya and zdjúl.
The event will be introduced and contextualized by musician, editor and producer Eduardo Paniagua, whose label PNEUMA has recently published “Regresarán los días pasados” (in the style of the “zéjel marinero”), “Amantes del fuego de la pasión” and “Trovadores andalusíes,” three CDs with music from Al-Andalus originating in Constantine, Algeria.
Salim Fergani comes from a family of craftsmen and musicians. His grandfather Hammou Fergani (1884-1972) was a master of the hawzi. Salim was born just before Algeria’s War of Liberation. In such a harsh social environment, from the age of five he learned the wonderful secrets of the maluf from his ancestors. His father, El Hadj Mohammed Tahar Fergani, was his first teacher, while his uncle Zonaoui introduced him to playing the arbi lute.
Eduardo Paniagua. An architect who specializes in the music of medieval Spain. At the age of 16, he recorded his first four albums with the group. A founding member of the groups Atrium Musicae, Cálamus and Hoquetus, he specializes in Moorish-Arab music from Al-Andalus. In 1994, he created the groups MÚSICA ANTIGUA and IBN BÁYA, for musical work on the Canticles de King Alfonso X and music from Al-Andalus, respectively. At the same time, he founded and runs the record label PNEUMA. For his work and for spreading awareness about this unpublished music, he is now receiving excellent reviews and international awards.
