Afghan music- a sample of resistance

Despite their well-known musical tradition, Afghani people had been banned from expressing it, once this territory had become an area of violence. The country became mute after 1990, when the soviet power and the Taliban government decided that music should not be again played in this area and all instruments should be thrown away. However, all these measures could not silence the people- music moved from a natural and social event, to an underground rebellious act. Herat became the home of many musicians and music lovers, although the traditional and cultural capital was Kabul. This fact influenced the future development of the music industry, as the named area is more closely linked to the Iranian part of the country then the rest of it. These influences, together with the Pakistani characteristics are obvious in the Afghani music.

The main instruments dominating the Afghani music are the fiddle, the dutar, the zirbaghali, the flute and cymbals. But above all these, the main sovereign, dominating all other sounds, is the human voice, that pierces all other sounds, with prayer-like intonations, specific to all Asian melodies. Most lyrics are written in Persian and Pashto.

The classic music of Afghanistan involves instrumental and vocal ragas. The majority of musical professionals have learned in India, the Northern Classical Indian music, and then moved to Kabul around 1860. The connections between these two countries, hence, tend to be very strong, as many music terms have their roots in Hindustani. However, Afghani ragas have more rhythm, as the percussive instruments are the ones dominating it. The master of this traditional form of music is considered by the many to be Ustad Mohammad Hussain Sarahang. The traditional instrument, “the lion” as many have named it, is the rubab, a double-chambered flute-like music instrument, made of mulberry wood, an ivory plectrum, and with the sound resembling to the Indian sarod.

After Radio Afghanistan opened in 1925 and Radio Kabul in 1940, pop music started to rise in these parts too. In 1951, Parwin let her voice loose on the radio, becoming the first woman singing live in Afghanistan. She was closely followed by Farida Mahwash , in 1977, and her greatest hit, “ O bacheh”. Further, the 70s were the golden age of Afghan music industry, featuring national and Indian instruments, as well as European guitars or orchestras. Amateur singers were one of the main factors determining a boom in the pop culture and music in this country. They were the ones innovating the music of this area, willingly exposing their talent live on radios, and gradually developing and modernizing the traditional folklore and classical tunes into more popular form of art. Sarban, Ustad Madadi, Ahmad Zahir, Ahmad Wali, Zahir Howaida, Rahim Mehryar, Mahwash, Haidar Salim, Salma Jahani, Hangama, Parasto, Naghma Mangal are some of the names of these amateur singers. The most famous of them all is, however, Ahmad Zahir, gaining national and international recognition.

After the removal of the Taliban government, in 2001, music has resurrected socially. It never really died, but this new era meant a reemergence of the sound in all social strata and conditions. Kaboul Ensemble is just one sample of Afghan music gaining international fame. DJ Beshto is another popular name, reiterating the social aspects and realities of the Afghan culture, by expressing it on hip-hop. Abdullah Bahar, Asadullah Mehak, Jawid Sharif, Waheed Soroor, are just some of the names fighting to spread the Afghan music around the world again.

Article Source: http://www.christiannotepad.com

Afghanistan has long forgotten how to sing out loud Afghan people are still discovering ways of expressing their too long silence.