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The oud was most likely introduced to Western Europe by the Arabs who established the Umayyad Caliphate of Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula in 711. Oud-like instruments such as the Ancient Greek Pandoura and the Roman Pandura likely made their way to the Iberian Peninsula much earlier than the oud. However, it was the royal houses of Al-Andalus that cultivated an environment that raised the level of oud playing to greater heights and boosted the popularity of the instrument. The most famous oud player of Al-Andalus was Zyriab. He stablished a music school in Cordoba, enhanced playing technique and added a fifth course to the instrument.
The European version of this instrument came to be known as the lute luth in French, Laute in German, liuto in Italian, luit in Dutch, laśd in Spanish, and alaśde in Portuguese. |
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