AFGHANISTAN
NASTARAN
ENSEMBLE KABOUL
The
Kabul Ensemble, devoted to the performance of the traditional music of
Afghanistan, was formed in 1995 in Geneva (within the framework of the
Ateliers d'ethnomusicologie) by Hossein Arman, a singer of repute in his
native Afghanistan who was forced into exile by the political situation
there. Hossein Arman, his son Khaled (rubâb and artistic director)
and his cousin Osman (an excellent flautist) form the basic nucleus of
the ensemble. They are joined on this CD by the late Ustad Malang Nedjrabi,
the great master of the zirbaghali drum, who travelled from Peshawar (Pakistan)
for the recording; Yusuf Mahmood, a member of a long line of renowned
tablâ players, who now lives in London; Taher Hakami, a young singer
with a remarkable natural flair for vocal music, and Paul Grant, of American
origin, who reintroduces the santûr, which had disappeared from
Afghan music.
A country composed of many ethnic groups, Afghanistan offers a wide variety
of music, full of colour and emotion. The Kabul Ensemble's repertoire
includes love songs, songs of celebration, wedding songs, and also brilliant
instrumental pieces. From the region of Mazar-i Sharif in the north it
has borrowed ethereal melodies and songs inspired by the Tajik bards.
From Herat, near the Iranian border, come subtle instrumental compositions.
From Jalalabad and Logar in the south the ensemble has taken ecstatic
celebratory pieces, in which the tulak flute soars in flights of lyricism
with virtuoso accompaniment from the percussion. Finally, from the capital,
Kabul, the group has adopted a number of popular melodies.
As in most oriental music, the repertoire of the Kabul Ensemble is based
on a traditional corpus of melodic modes (râg) and time cycles (tâl,
sometimes also known, as zarb). The notion of râg is never very
explicit in the popular music of Afghanistan, however, particularly in
Comparison to Hindustani art music. The râg indicated for the pieces
presented on this recording were determined, often by analogy with the
help of the ethnomusicologist John Baily. The tâl that appear in
these recordings are the three main time cycles of Afghan music, Gedah,
8 or 4 counts (mâtrâ), Mogholi, 7 counts, and Dâdrah,
6 counts, plus the classical Tîntâl of North India, 16 counts,
on which Ustad Malang's solo (track 14) is based.
This recording is a fine illustration of the intention of the ETHNOMAD
series: to demonstrate the dynamism that is to be found in many musical
traditions, whether in their country of origin or among musicians now
living in exile or as emigrants. Advanced modern techniques are used to
bring out the full potential of this creativity based on pure tradition.
The Kabul Ensemble shows deep respect for the musical heritage of Afghanistan
(including all the various influences that have been assimilated over
the centuries), whilst retaining its own individual character.
The ensemble's repertoire draws from the classical and folk heritage of
the various regions of Afghanistan but its interpretation is refined by
Khaled's very careful arrangements, which make them into veritable jewels,
whose brilliance brings new lustre to the traditional melodies and rhythms.
The Kabul Ensemble's characteristic sound is produced by a unique blend
of timbres, those of the rubâb and the santûr – the
latter has rarely been used in Afghanistan, at least not over the past
forty years. The group also brings together several percussion instruments:
the tablâ of Indian origin, the Afghan zirbaghali (similar to the
Iranian zarb) and the darbukka of the Islamic Middle East and North Africa,
thus reflecting the various facets of Afghan music and its influences.
The Kabul Ensemble also builds its own instruments. Khaled Arman has devised
a rubâb with extra frets, thus giving its high register maximum
clarity and precision. Paul Grant has made a chromatic version of the
santûr in order to be able to produce all the notes of Afghan melodies.
And Ustad Malang Nedjrabi was not only a great innovator in the technique
of playing the zirbaghali, but he also improved the tone of the instrument
by using mulberry wood instead of pottery for its body and by introducing
a system for adjusting the tension of the skin. This CD bears witness
to the constant inspiration which he imparted to his fellow musicians.
Sadly, Ustad Malang Nedjrabi died after these recordings were made. Naturally
they are dedicated to the memory of this very great master.
ENSEMBLE KABOUL : Hossein ARMAN (Voix, armonia) - Paul GRANT (Santûr) - Yusuf MAHMOOD (Tabla) - Khaled ARMAN (Rubâb) - Osman ARMAN (Tulak).
Other Artists : Soungalo Coulibaly, Ensemble Aznach , Lucy Acevedo, Xhemali Berisha, Junko Ueda, Nelson Rojas, José de la Negreta, Parvathy Baul, Marina Pittau. NEWS : Prem Kishor, Maciré Sylla
Other Discs : Dengo, Zoura, Négra, Hapi Syté, Satsuma-Biwa, Bulenga, Sueno Gitano, Radha Bhava, Raighinas
New release : Varanasie Ras, Sarefi