Abdel Qader Salim and the Andalusian Muwashahat: A Forgotten Bond Across the Shores of Song* _By Captain Mohamed Hassan Al-Tahir

Date: December 17, 2025

With the passing of the great Sudanese artist Abdel Qader Salim, we bid farewell not only to a voice but to a musical memory that served as a bridge between the banks of the Nile and the echoes of Andalusia. As we mourn this silenced voice, we return to the roots of the art that connected him to the Andalusian muwashahat—a forgotten bond that unites two souls separated by geography and united by spirit.

 

*🎼 A Golden Art Embroidered with Poetry*

 

The Andalusian muwashahat is a poetic and musical art form that emerged in 9th-century Al-Andalus. It is distinguished by its unconventional poetic structure, composed of alternating strophes and refrains, often blending classical Arabic with vernacular dialects. These compositions were typically performed with instruments like the oud, nay, and rebab. This art form is deeply tied to Andalusia, having been born from the rich cultural and religious diversity of the era, where Arabic, Amazigh, Spanish, and Latin influences intertwined. The muwashah became a lyrical expression of this civilizational fusion.

 

*🌍 Art: The Only Universal Language*

 

In a world of many tongues and diverse cultures, art remains:

– The only language that needs no translation.

– A force that transcends barriers, unites hearts, and evokes shared emotions regardless of language.

 

As one philosopher once said:

*”Art is the only truth that needs no proof.”*

 

In this sense, Andalusian muwashahat and the songs of Abdel Qader Salim belong to the same lineage:

– The lineage of shared human emotion.

 

*🎤 Abdel Qader Salim and the Muwashahat: A Kinship of Spirit, A Difference in Context*

 

Although Abdel Qader Salim did not sing Andalusian muwashahat in the traditional sense, subtle threads connect him to this ancient art form:

 

*In similarity:*

– Both relied on delicate lyrical poetry that evokes love, nature, and longing.

– Both employed Eastern musical modes (maqamat), though with different instruments.

– Both emerged from culturally diverse environments:

– Andalusia with its religious and ethnic plurality,

– Kordofan with its tribal and ethnic richness.

 

*In difference:*

– Muwashahat were born in royal courts,

while Salim’s music rose from the popular squares.

– Muwashahat tend toward melodic complexity,

whereas Salim favored heartfelt simplicity.

– Muwashahat are often performed collectively,

while Salim’s voice stood alone, yet carried the fragrance of the collective.

 

*🕊️ Farewell to the Voice of Kordofan*

 

Just days ago, we lost Abdel Qader Salim—one of the pillars of Sudanese music and the voice of Kordofan, who carried its soil in his throat. He was more than a singer; he was:

– An ambassador of Sudanese culture,

– A modernizer of Kordofani song,

– A transmitter of its heritage to Arab and global horizons.

 

With his departure, we lost a bridge between:

– Past and present,

– Desert and city,

– Sudan and the world.

 

Yet just as the muwashahat endured beyond the fall of Andalusia, Abdel Qader Salim’s voice will remain alive in memory—whispering to us that art never dies. It becomes a presence that walks beside us, reminding us that despite our differences, we sing in one language: the language of the heart.

May God have mercy on Abdel Qader Salim, and may his voice shine eternally in the heavens.