Customer Reviews

Music of Central Asia Vol. 3: Art of the Afghan Rubāb

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The tabla player on this album is amazing. He outshines the rubabist, who is also awesome. This album is very Indian in sound. The rags and ghani? (little new to the Afghan music) chosen are of a more minor/dissonant nature than the Afghan music I've heard on popular Afghan websites. The instrument itself is related to sarod, but much more percussive due to frets. The tabla player steals the show though. His use of bhari/khali technique is flawless and easily readable. Clear use of the bayan (bass) drum, not just a blur of bols. But then he hits off these rolls and uses varying stresses and mixes with syncopation. Amazing. As good as Ali Ackbar Khan and his tablaist. An excellent buy!

This may be the most important series of world music CDs ever. The Music of Central Asia initiative was set up by the Aga Khan and the Smithsonian Insitution to document the surviving folk music traditions of that rich part of the world, and to present it to the global community with enough background to get the most out of it. Each volume in the series comes with a substantial booklet with an explanation of each track and a presentation of the instruments, as well as a DVD with a short documentary film.

In this third volume, the Afghan rubab tradition is represented by virtuoso performer Homayun Sakhi. The rubab is stringed instrument of which three strings are plucked and another three function as drones and 11 or 12 as sympathetic strings. The rubab performer is accompanied by a tabla drummer. While the rubab is squarely a Central Asian creation, but its Afghani performance tradition developed in close relationship with players in the East, and so afficionados of North Indian music will find this to be quite familiar.

As a linguist, I was attracted to the Music of Central Asia series mainly by the exotic vocal traditions in Persian or Turkic languages represented in most of its installments. I therefore find this purely instrumental offering slightly less appealing. Nonetheless, this is pretty engaging music, where endless plucking of the strings leads the listener to a trance-like state, but without ever becoming that repetitive. The virtuosity of Homayun Sakhi is stunning, all the more so on the DVD where one can see his fingers at work.

The documentary on the DVD is fun, if somewhat lightweight. We get to see the lives of Homayun Sakhi and other Afghan refugees who settled in Fremont, California, where they are maintaining their musical traditions with surprising fervor. The documentary doesn't directly mention the rise of the Taliban, but those interviewed do reminisce about happier times. There's even a scene of kite-flying, a pastime which was infamously banned by the Taliban.

Homayun jaan and Toryala jaan are both exceptional musicians and performers, respectively. Living in NorCal, we have the extra advantage of seeing these two live in concert. Check out the "Little Kabul" area of Fremont, CA., especially during the Nowrouz "new year" (March 21st), where there are many concerts and activities going on, possibly a concert featuring Homayun and Toryala.

Cheers,
~dsh~

Who played the instrument RABAB is so good, you can feel it in your heart, when you listen to it more and more carefuly, it will grab you heart, some times it will take me so away from this world, Sound of Rubab is so deep and full of joy and flavor.
I love this cd and i suggest to everyone that if they want to listen to a good, deep sound instrument of Afghanistan then listen to RABAB.
Malali

Homayun Sakhi is living proof that faith in God and faith in yourself still produce the highest results in man.
If you know Rubab music, then there is no question of getting this. He has developed the Rubab into it`s full potential unlike any other Rubab player in history.
Much love goes out to him!