A rabab is an old traditional instrument found mainly in Afghanistan. It is a piece of wood that is hollow with a membrane across the opening. Nylon or metal strings are pulled across a bridge that is played with a bow. This instrument is referenced in old Afghanistan texts, but is not as common in present day Afghanistan. Like most other Afghanistan instruments, the rabab was deemed un-Islamic and banned. Traditional instruments would not become popular again, even after the fall of the ban on music. The history of the musical development in Afghanistan mirrored that of the instruments. Afghani music has been influenced by Radio Kabul, the Taliban, and the Western impact on Afghanistan music.
In a country whose history has been destroyed by war, the radio in Kabul is one of the few surviving treasures. The Taliban destroyed the ancient stone of Buddhas of Bamiyan and warlords demolished the Kabul museum. Radio Kabul was the focus of popular, modern and innovative music for Afghanistan from the 1940s to 1978, when the civil war began. It was the treasure trove of Afghanistan music. There were over 50,000 tapes that must be wound and rewound one a year to keep them from becoming brittle. William Reeve, a BCC correspondent in Kabul, reported, “In room after room there were endless shelves of radio tapes, all neatly catalogued on the spines of their boxes.” One section, Reeve said, was filled with historical tapes such as recorded speeches of former Afghanistan leaders. Another section was packed with Afghan drama and music, performed by favorite singers and artists. Mohammad Siddiq, the man in charge of looking after the archives, took care to save the tapes from the Taliban’s rampage on Afghani music (2002).
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...an artists need support as well as the archive of Kabul to salvage what little the country has left to identify with their ancestors.
Works Cited
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Qazizai, Fazelminallah. "Musical Afghanistan." - Music. OnIslam.net, 20 Nov. 2011. Web. 05 May 2014.
Reeve, William. "Kabul's Radio Treasure Trove." BBC News. BBC, 16 May 2002. Web. 05 May 2014.
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Music is a part of everyday life for almost everyone in the world. Music provides us with enjoyment and relaxation, and can be used in many ways by many different people. Some may use it to calm down after a long, hard day, while others use it for religious purposes or still others in and attempt to try and forget something that hasn’t been favorable to them. The possibilities are endless, for music is one language that can be transmitted to all people of the world, no matter their nationality, and it can be understood by everyone. Tibet is no different than any other place in the world, as it has music that serves the purpose of the people who live there. While most music in Tibet is religious, secular music still exists and is still a part of life there. Tibetan music has played an important role in shaping who the Tibetan people have become today by giving themselves different ways to express who they are, through the use of differing instruments and styles of music, and has allowed other people from around the world the opportunity to look at Tibetan culture through their music.
Grace, Gillian. “Music for a broken city: The Cellist of Sarajevo is a novel-length lament of war.” Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. CBC, 22 April. 2008. Web. 28 Sept. 2011.
As Hassan writes in his letter, "fear is everywhere, in the streets, in the stadium, in the markets, it is part of our lives here, Amir agah."(216) This setting is vital as it results in the death of Hassan therefore Sohrab 's need for rescuing. The setting of Afghanistan once again results in the presence of sexual abuse. When Amir finds Sohrab he is a victim of Bacha bazi: an afghan tradition where boys forced to dance dressed as women and are sexually abused. The fact Sohrab is a sex slave gives Amir even more motivation to save him, the way he should have saved
In his book “Buzkashi”, Whitney Azoy, a former officer at US embassy in Afghanistan, responds to how the traditional game of Buzkashi demonstrates the life of Afghans. The author tries to take an active part in the daily lives of Afghans to know more about the role of Buzkashi and its corresponding results to the lives of Afghans. Previously, when he was working as an officer, a friend suggested him to get familiar to Buzkashi as an approach to know the Afghans.
The writer talked about three key proportions of this game; Buzkashi as a tributeor commemorative, Buzkashi as a metaphor or symbol, and Buzkashi as a field for political procedure. Buzkashi as a tribute or commemorative discusses that how this game reserves the cultural birthright and the customary liability of Afghan’s daily life along with its integrity and manliness, Buzkashi is more than as a simply engagingin a game. Metaphorically or as a symbol Buzkashi is refers to a disordered and hectic site in which everyone is thinking about his self-regard and its own benefits. The word Buzkashi is so widespread in most of the northern an...
After watching the Watch & Think documentary “The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan” I did some more research on the history of Bacha bazi (translated in “boy for play”). What I found is this practice involves men communally, abusing, enslaving, committing sexual abuse as an organization fashion. Moreover, the young boys are chosen from poor families with the exchange for food, clothing, or money to his family “adopt” the child.
Music is a communicative activity that is essential to all cultures. It gives a group of people a way to express things such as moods and emotions or even religious and political beliefs. The significance of music to Afghan culture is expressed in The Kite Runner, “We just wanted to hear Ali sing. He’d clear his throat and begin: On a high mountain I stood, And cried the name of Ali, Lion of God. O Ali, Lion of God, King of Men, Bring joy to our sorrowful hearts” (Hosseini 11). Despite its importance in society, the Taliban considered music to be against Islam. Part of their stance against music was due to the improper uses by both the Communists and the Mujahadeen. The injustices faced by musicians are also expressed in The Kite Runner, “I learned that Khanum Taheri…had once been famous in Kabul for her enchanting singing voice…But as much as the general appreciated listening to music…he believed the performing of it was best left with those with lesser reputations” (Hosseini 177). The reintroduction of music into Afghanistan will only be possible if people understand why the ban was put into effect, how policies have begun to change, and how to effectively teach a culture to embrace music again.
In order to fully appreciate and understand what is conveyed through the songs of these women, one must understand the historical, social and political context in which they are living. Afghan women have lived and continue to live in an oppressive patriarchal society where they are not even regarded as full fledged citizens, and where men control all political, social and economic powers. In the Saur Revolution in April 1978, civil war in...
The word "music" comes from the Greek word Mousiki which means ‘the science of composing melodies’. Ilm al-musiqa was the name given by the Arabs to the Greek theory of music as to distinguish it from ilm al-ghinaa, the Arabian theory. The Arab music tradition developed in the courts of dynasties in the Islamic Empire from the seventh to the thirteenth century. It flourished during the Umayyad dynasty in the seventh and eighth centuries in Syria. Although the major writings of Arab music appeared after the spread of the Islamic religion in the beginning of the seventh century, the music tradition had already begun. Before the spread of Islam, Arab music incorporated music traditions of the Sassanid dynasty (224-651) in Persia and the early Byzantine empire (fourth to sixth century) and of sung poetry from the Arabian Peninsula.
Caton, Margaret. “Performance Practice in Iran: Radīf and Improvisation”. Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Vol. 6: The Middle East. Eds. Danielson, Virginia; Marcus, Scott & Reynolds, Dwight. Routledge, 2001. 129-145. Web.
Throughout the semester, various styles of music and the aspects of culture associated with these styles have been analyzed. Musical elements such as dynamics, texture, form, timbre, melody, instruments, etc., have been used to thoroughly explore each kind of music from different areas of the world, with an emphasis in music from Africa, India and Indonesia. These aspects of music go far beyond just music itself. Culture also plays a huge role in music and the accompanying musical elements. Each country and culture has a different style and distinctiveness that add to what makes the music of that certain culture unique. Music in Africa may differ dramatically from music in Indonesia or India not only due to those certain elements but also due to how it is interpreted by people and what it represents for those people. In addition to this, what one may consider music in one culture may not be music to another. These differences have been made apparent in the several demonstrations that we have been exposed to in class.
Paxton, Tom. (2011). "Music as a Tool of Social Protest." Squidoo: Welcome to Squidoo. Retrieved November 13, 2011, from .
The Music of India Indian music is a very varied type of music which ranges from classical to film, more commonly known as pop. Both types are extremely popular throughout the Indian society in all classes. Music is apparent in Indian culture as a way of expression. The history of Indian music extends back many centuries. Traditionally in that period, there were various kingdoms, in which the power was held equally by the king and the temples.
The term “folk” originated in England and is considered the music of the people. Folk has been used since before the 17th century but became more popular in the Romantic period. Folk songs are known to have simple melodies and are very singable. Folk music were stories written into songs by the peasants. They were passed down generations through generations. My great-grand parents passed songs down to my grandparents, my grandparents passed them down to my parents and my parents passed the songs down to me. It’s an ongoing cycle. People can learn so much about different cultures through these songs that are being passed down to us. Folk songs were about their everyday life or things that they dreadfully had to deal with and go through. There are a lot of different songs that have different meanings to their song. I believe that folk music is very important. When I was a kid, I grew up singing some of these folk songs and enjoyed them not knowing what they truly meant.