Afghanistan: The Traditional Music of Herât

A center of Islamic culture during the 15th century, the city of Herat has produced vocal and instrumental music uniquely identified as “Herati.”

These field recordings, made between 1973 and 1977 (prior to the Soviet-backed coup in 1978 and subsequent political turmoil continuing into the 21st century), reveal influences of both Iranian and Indian music. Songs are sung in Dari (the Afghani variant of Persian), and accompanied by traditional instruments like the dutâr, a long-necked lute, the hand-pumped Indian harmonium, and tabla (paired, pitched hand drums). Lyrics often draw upon texts derived from classical Persian poetry. In this collection, some songs have been abstracted from longer performances. The liner notes detail the recording environments, instrumentation and vocal forms used in each song.

Track Listing

101	Chahârbaiti Koshki Gada Mohammad	07:28
102	Na't Sufi Abu Bakr	03:40
103	Shaikh Ahmad-e Jâm Abdul Shâ'er	05:31
104	Bâdâ bâdâ Hawa	02:06
105	Medley of wedding songs: Olang olang, Mobârak Bâdâ, Bib Gol Arus, Haina ba-Kârhâ Sharafoddin, Nezâmoddin, Ostâ Mayin, Habibollah Jân	06:47
106	Shirin châi na khordom Mâdar-e Zâher	03:15
107	Dokhtar Amu Jân Abdurrahmân Saljuqi	02:53
108	Ai Zamân Karim Dutâri	02:34
109	Chahârbaiti Abdullâh	02:48
110	Sufi song Mohammad Yusuf	02:50
111	Allâh Hu Zainab Hairawi	04:09
112	Âsheq manam Laili Gholâm Nabi Zendadel, Gada Mohammad	03:17
113	Jâm-e Nârenji Mohammad Sâdeq Bolbol, Rahim Khushnawaz, Gada Mohammad, Naim Khushnawaz	06:40
114	Ghazal Ostâd Amir Jân Khushnawaz, Rahim Khushnawaz, Naim Khushnawaz	05:45