http://faridafahmy.com/Muwashahat.html

MUWASHSHAHAT*

Muwash shahat   is the plural of   the name Muwashah , a poetic form that includes music and vocalisation. It is a sophisticated musical genre that originated in Muslim Spain during the tenth century.   It is described as a strophic poem with repeated rondo-like returns to a musical refrain. The name muwashshah, it has been said, is in reference to the Wishah   a (sash)  that women wore in Andalusia. It is described as being bejewled in delicate workmanship which is similar to the muwashshah's intricate melodic, rhythmic and poetic structure, as well as the meanings it provoked in its use of   imagery. The strophic lyrics of   the muwashshah directly expressed the poet's own thoughts and sentiments. The lyrics spoke of love, joy and sorrow. The use of imagery enriched this poetic form.

In 1492 nearly half a million Arabs were expelled from the Iberian Peninsular. They migrated to North Africa taking their cultural tradition with them. Musicians and singers carried with them their musical heritage of treaties, instruments, and different musical genres that included thousands of muwashshahat. Today, the classical form of the muwashshah remains popular in Morocco, Tunis and Algiers in North Africa, as well as in Syria and Lebanon. It remained prevalent in Egypt up to the early years of the 20 th century. Before the advent of musical notation the musical tradition of the muwashshah was transmitted orally from one generation of singers to the other. While many of the musical rendition were lost through the passage of time, much of the written poetry remains in archives in Andalusia and parts of the Arab world. By the mid 20th century numerous music historians and Muwashashat lovers dedicated many years of hard work collecting and documenting and notating what remained of this musical tradition.

* Field Research on Egyptian Folkloric Dance styles by Fardida Fahmy,
Master of Dance Ethnology UCLA - August 2009