Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
The music of the Pashtoons are a product of the unique social and cultural life of the Pashtoons. The inhospitable terrain of their homeland has had an impact on their diverse musical heritage. Rich in content, it has a reflective style rooted in the history and ideals of the people. Pashto music has two distinct aspects:
Classical
The classical music amongst the Pashtoons has its origin in the historical movements that affected every part of the sub continent. Being a volatile region which suffered the brunt of every invasion, no alien music could take roots here. Hence there is not the slightest trace of classical music before the end of the eighteenth century. It was at the beginning of the nineteenth century that some of the classical vocalists, who were uprooted from their homes, settled here and founded the classical music amongst the Pashtoons. Among them, Baba Sindhi was the first vocalist to come from Kapoorthala. He was a grandmaster and it was his school from where classical music flourished and reached out to other areas. His son Ustad Abdul Karim Sindhi, grandsons and a large number of students, introduced classical music to the other Pashtoons .. even to the court of the Kabul rulers. The pioneers included the Ustad's son Fazal Ilahi and the eminent percussionist Faqir Qadir Bakhsh Peshawari, who migrated from Lahore. Ustad Abdullah Jan was another great vocalist who participated in music festivals all over India. Others who became very popular were Ustad Muhammad Khan known as Ustad Mehmanda, Bailal Chela; who came from Patiala, and Professor Miran Bakhsh. The beginning of theatre gave a boost to music. Though many of the classicists were not attracted to theatre, Mian Karim Sindhi composed and conducted music for the plays staged by New Albert Theatrical Company and Moon Theatrical Company of Peshawar. He also acted in some plays. His son Fazal also composed and sang for All India Radio. Among others, Ustad Ghulam Hussain was a great name. His popularity extended to Afghanistan to the extent that he became known as Ustad Ghulam Hussain Kabuli. He also opened a school of music in Kabul and composed music for Radio Kabul. Akbar Jan Peshawari was a superb performer who also participated in many films. Many vocalists and instrumentalists have made a name for themselves in the Frontier and Beyond. Even today there are many who are keeping the classical tradition alive in Pashto music despite the current trend towards fusion. They include Mahjabeen Qizilbash, Zarsanga, Javed Akhtar, Rahim Shah, Gulzar Alam, Haroon Bacha, Siyal Ahmad, Khyal Muhammad, Naghma and Wagma.
Traditional
Like all traditional societies, the Pashtoons too have a great and rich treasure of folk music. The songs are characteristically dance songs. Others are performed in solo as well as in chorus. Among them, are the Tappa, Charbeta, Neemkai, Loba, Shaan, Saakhmani, Badala, Ghazal, Rubayi, etc. These are explained below.
Tappa
Tappa is the oldest and most popular genre of the Pashto poetry. It is liked very much by the Pushtoons of all ages irrespective of their age and sex. Countless Tappas have been added by unknown poets and are sung with unsurpassed popularity. Lyrically, the Tappa is a composition of two unequal meters, in which the first line is shorter than the succeeding one, yet it reflects all human feelings and aspirations elegantly. Be it laborers, peasants, or women, everyone's sentiments find expression in the Tappa. A Tappa sung by Khyal Muhammad. It is also common among the Pashtoons that a boy of school would sing it, the elders in their hujrahs, the women in their home and Godar alike. It is the only song sung in the time of grief and on the occasion of marriage. In music it is sung with the traditional Pashto musical instrument 'Rabab' and 'Mangay'. Tappa has upto 16 different models of harmony. Nowaday it is being sung with full orchestra. Tappa is the song, which used to be sung without musical instruments but musicians have composed different compositions for it. In mountains and in the deserts, it is still sung without some instruments. In these places, some times is sung with the melody of flute. In hujrah it's sung with Rabab and Sittar and the beating of a water pot. Among the different tunes of Tappa, the tone of teerah, Peshawar, Bannu and Qandahar is popular. A new tone has recently been created by the famous Pashto singer. Haroon Badshah. A part from the Indian notation, it has its own Pashto andante; Mughalai.
Charbeta
Charbetta is another popular Folklore genre, which comes after the Tappa. This tone is most popular form of Pashto Poetry and is a source of pride for the Pashtoons. It is unique in its form. It is epic poem with special rhythm. There are four kinds of Charbetta regarding its genre. Normally, it is a poem of four lines but might also have six or eight lines. All aspects of life are discussed in it. That includes the heroic deeds and heroism by legendary figures. Sometime it expresses the romantic feelings. It has a very fast music and is sung by two or more singers as part of a chorus in which ones singer reads the first line while the others follow the remaining. The music and singing of Charbetta used to be called Tang takor. The term Tang Takore later on became the form for musical concert in Pashto. Traditionally Charbetta is started just after the finishing of Tappa.
Neemakai
Is another popular Folk song. It has a different kind of form normally the women compose it. It is simple in form and has 1,1/2 lines sometime 2,3 lines. The first lines are repeated in the middle of the song. Pashto Tappa is added according to the subject and circumstances. It is the real kind of Pashto songs. There are Nemakai, which can be sung without adding of Tappa, because some form of it has two and half lines of poetry in it-self. Most of these songs in Pashtoon culture have been expressed in different areas about the local -or romances. Other subjects are also there for example the love affairs and daily life. Some of the Nemakais have been notated in the different Indian ragas.
Loba
Lobah is another popular genre of the Pashto folk songs. It too has been very popular among the masses. Sometimes Lobahs are added with Tappas. But as the of genre is play, so the form of this song is sung oftenly in chorus and two sides of singer reply to each other in singing. These two sides are usually the lover and the beloved. Some Lobahs have a drama like structure and poetic dialogues are sung in it. Commonly all the folk songs are called Lobas. Lobah in structure is very near to Neemakai. But both are different from songs. A Loba at a private gathering
Shaan
Shaan is a song of happiness. It is sung on occasions such as that of marriages and childbirths. These can be sung in private congregations and social gatherings.
Badala
Badala is too a popular folk genre. But is sing by the professional singers only. Because Badala is like an epic poem or a ballad. Badala has a -composition of music. It is sung with Rabab, Harmonium, Drums and Tabla. In Badala, tribal traditions are the main theme. Heroism and other Tragedies and comic stories are expressed in this form. Badala is the folk form of classical mathnavi. Badala means variation because each couplet is varied in rhythms from other. It is sung traditionally in the midnight, which is suitable tone for its music and enjoyment. Almost all the Pashto romances have been narrated in this form of poetry. A Badala about Yusuf Khan Sherbano
Rubayi
Rubaee is the famous name of a kind of Pashto Ghazal. It is different from the classical genre of Rubaee. Actually it is Ghazal but in a particular composition of music it has become famous as rubaee. The Rubaees of Rehman Baba are popular among the masses. It is sung in a special composition of music before the starting of Badala or any other folk song. The name is given by the folk, other wise Ghazal of 12 syllables of meter can be sung in a rubaee. Along with the Ghazal, the Rubayi have come from Arabic and Persian Poetry and is very much influenced by it.
Ghazala
Ghazal is the classical genre of poetry. It was popularized by the musicians. It has come very late to the Pashto music and only educated class of Pashtoons like it. Who are familiar with Urdu or Hindi Ghazals and have developed a taste for it. The masses don't like it very much because of its slow music and rhythm.
Genres of Tunes
Laray Shan
This actually is a tune or orchestra which is played on the way going to the brides house. It also used to be played by entering of the victorious forces to the village in the event of winning a war. So basically, it is played as a sign of a happy occasion. To this tune, one or two persons dance, ahead of the orchestra. It is a very fascinating and beautiful tune: The dance is highly artistic and worth observing. In. this dance the dancer with open hands steps two times forward and turns around while going.
Sahni
After shan the other melodious symphony is Sahni. It is originally the Pashto saaz and has different kinds of tunes and melody. Without it no concert of Pashto music can be complete. With starting of Sahni the real composition of a music starts. The Sahni of Teerah and Peshawar are the famous and popular kinds. This too has been notated and written. This is used for singing Qawalis also. But special cultural dances are performed to its tune. Lyera, Para, Ghalghal are the tunes played at night. Before starting the singing session, the orchestra plays an initial tune while sitting and the dancers dance with small Mattel bells tied to their feet. There are many other cultural dances which, on the occasion of marriages are performed by the girls who are the relative of the bridegroom.
Khattako Saaz
For Khattak dance a special type of music is composed and known every where in Pashtoonkhwa. The main instrument for it is the piper clarion and a Large drums beaten with sticks. The Khattak dance has three kinds of cultural dances. They are called 'shahdola', 'bangra', and 'balbala'. Balbala is danced by the men only while shahdola is danced by the women. And Bangrah is danced by both the sexes. But the women dance it in the homes while the men in the open. Original Khattak dance is danced with swords. It is only recently that the music for these dances have been notated, written and archived.
Logari Saaz
Logari Saaz is basically a special kind of symphony tune which is played with full orchestra, and a typical Pashto dance is danced to this tune. Sometime one or more than one person dance to it. Pashto music is typical and is divided in two regarding the instruments. One is called the instruments of Sur (Tone). The other is called TAAL (Beating time). In Sur (Tone) Rabab, Fiddle, Piper clarion, Flute etc are used while in Taal, Dhol, (Drum) Naqara, Tamble, Mangay and some pots of copper are used. These two combine make the orchestra of Pashto music.
Types of Instruments
It has been the tradition of Pashto musical concerts that first of all the orchestra; form a symphony called Saaz. The different saazes are for different occasions. Before starting the traditional concert. The saaz of shan is played with full orchestra. The full orchestra consist on the following musical instruments. 1. Dhol (Drum) 2. Tabla (Tambourine) 3. Rabab (Traditional Guitar) 4. Sitar (Local Three strings guitar) 5. Baja (Harmonium) 6. Sarinda (Fiddle) 7. Surna (Piper) 8. Shpelai (Flute) With all these instruments and some other modern instruments the orchestra starts, before the singing session. Ref: http://www.khyber.org/culture/a/Flavours_of_Pashto_Music.shtml