Malouf is performed by an ensemble of musicians playing instruments like the oud (a pear-shaped lute), the darbuka (a goblet-shaped drum), the violin, and the riq (a tambourine). The music is built around musical modes called nubat — there are 13 different nubat, each associated with a different time of day or mood. A full traditional performance of all 13 nubat can take many hours.
The songs are sung in Arabic and often use beautiful poetic words describing nature, gardens, friendship, and longing. The style of singing is highly ornamented, meaning singers add lots of small decorative notes around the main melody, showing off their skill and expressing deep emotion. Learning malouf properly takes many years of study.
The Rashidiyya Institute in Tunis, founded in 1934, has worked for nearly a century to teach malouf to new generations and record its music so it is never lost. Concerts of malouf are held at venues across Tunisia and the music can also be heard at the famous Carthage International Festival, performed under the stars in the ancient ruins.