Al-Man??r Al-Yah?d?
AL-MAN??R AL-YAH?D?
AL-MAN??R AL-YAH?D? (early ninth century), court musician of the Umayyad caliph al-?akam i, in Córdoba, Spain. A written record of this author's contribution to music is reported in the book Naf? al-??b of the historian and biographer al-Maqqar? (1591–1632), who relied on other source material of the Andalusian historian ibn ?ayyan (987–1076). Al-Maqqar? refers to al-Man??r in the colorful story describing the arrival in Córdoba in 822 of a leading musician, Ziry?b. The story relates that al-Man??r was sent by caliph al-?akam to meet him in Kairouan and escort him to Córdoba. When the two musicians met, the news reached them of the sudden death of the caliph (822). Al-Man??r then succeeded in persuading Ziry?b to offer his services to the new caliph, 'Abd al-Ra?m?n ii. Thus, al-Man??r helped bring about the splendid era of Arab music in Spain inaugurated by Ziry?b. It is assumed that al-Man??r continued his musical activity together with Ziry?b.
bibliography:
Al-Maqqar?, Analectes sur l'histoire et la littèrature des Arabes d'Espagne, 2 (1861), 85 ff.; H.G. Farmer, History of Arabian Music to the 13thCentury (1929), 129, 131.
[Amnon Shiloah (2nd ed.)]