Rubab musical instrument: Afghan-Iranian cultural link

Rubab (Rabab), an ancient musical instrument that resembles a lute, is described as a link between Iranian and Afghan cultures.

The cultural link is known to be extremely strong as a section has been dedicated to it under the title ‘Rabab in Iranian and Afghan Music’ at the 37th Fajr International Music Festival (FIMF).

“Rabab did not have a clear picture in the Safavid era; so, there is no informative report of the usage of the instrument in the region,” said Iranian Rubab player Ali Tavakkoli at the 2nd research meeting of the FIMF.
The meeting was held in the presence of prominent musicians from Iran and Afghanistan, including Ali Tavakkoli, Farouq Rahmani and Mohammad Nasim Khoshnavaz, Ahmad Sadri and Babak Khazraee.   

“Mizrab (a kind of plectrum) should be worn on first finger, while Tar players did not know it and they wore Mizrab on the second finger,” Tavakkoli said, adding that players changed Rubab’s plastic strings with spring strings; thus, they altered the identity of the instrument.

According to the regional music specialists, in the early days, the most Rubab players were in fact those who played Tar or Oud.

Farouq Rahmani, Rabab player, who also attended the research meeting noted that Rabab is the main instrument in eastern Baluchistan region in Pakistan’s border area, and that poems from Amir Khosro Dehlavi are among the main poems, which are signed when artists play Rabab in Baluchistan region.

Mohammad Nasim Khoshnavaz, Afghan Rabab player, said that there are two musical styles in Herat, which belong to Master Khoshnavaz, his father, and Master Sultan Rabab.

The 37th Fajr International Music Festival is annually held in commemoration of 43rd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

Established in 1986, the festival is affiliated with UNESCO and includes national and international competition sections wherein many renowned national and international musicians perform in diverse genres.

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