(b Aleppo, Syria, 1884; d Aleppo, 26 Nov 1952). Syrian musician and music researcher. He studied music and muwashshah singing in Aleppo and Istanbul. From 1912 to 1920 he lived in Turkey, where he taught music and wrote an unpublished book entitled The Real Theories in the Science of Musical Readings. On return to Aleppo he became leader of the Mawlawi Sufi group, playing the flute (nāy) during the ceremonies and teaching muwashshah singing.
In 1927 he was invited to teach at the Royal Institute of Music in Cairo; his pupils included the composers Riyād al-Sunbatī and Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhāb. In Egypt he documented many old muwashshah and musical pieces. In 1931 he went to Tunisia to do joint research with the French musicologist Baron D'Erlanger, and while resident in Tunis taught muwashshah for six years. He made the first notations of Tunisian Andalusian Nawba suites, for which he was awarded the Medal of Pride. In 1932 he participated in the Cairo International Conference on Arab Music, presenting important research material on modes of the eastern Arab world and on rhythms.
In 1939 he returned to Aleppo, but was later invited to Damascus to teach music. In 1945 he moved to Baghdad to teach muwashshah, and during that period recorded over 120 sung examples. In 1951 he returned to Aleppo where he recorded numerous muwashshah suites and Andalusian nawba suites for the radio. He also composed muwashshah and melodies and made recordings of his excellent flute playing. His son Nadīm al-Darwīsh continued his musical work.
SAADALLA AGHA AL-KALAA