Our Afghan Transnational Connections mix on Discostan

We were invited by the @Discostan Republic to create a mix for their show on NTS. Here it is, with our presentation text:

Considered as coming from the crossroads of Asia, Afghan music is often presented as a mixture of Indian and Persian influences. It is true that we find these ingredients in the kitchen but it would be forgetting a little too quickly that Afghanistan is also a land which saw the birth of great composers like Jalil Zaland, Nainawaz or even Ustad Shayda. Many traditional songs have become popular in neighboring countries to the point where for some of them it is no longer clear who started performing them. Artistic and popular expression doesn’t care about damn borders, does it? The song Kamar Barik is the perfect illustration of these traveling melodies: composed in Tajikistan to illustrate a poem by Lahouti (Iranian), it was Afghan singers who probably interpreted it most: Ustad Biltoon or Zaher Howeida (who had great success in Iran with this single in the 70s) had it prominently in their repertoire. Jalil Zoland, former manager of Kabul radio and himself a great singer and musician spent a while in Iran where he composed several pieces for quite a few well-known artists. Afghan singer Naïm Popal also recorded his first tapes in Iran with some famous Iranian musicians. In the other republics of Central Asia, many artists, both classical (like Leyla Sharipova) and pop (the Gulshan ensemble in Tajikistan) also used the Afghan repertoire to bring their personal touch to these pretty compositions. This non-exhaustive musical selection invites you to take a look at these transnational connections. You will find the complete tracklist just below the streaming link. Hope you will enjoy.

Tracklist:

> (Intro) Anoushirvan Rohani (Iran) – Theme of Mollah Mamad Jan 

> Pouran (Iran): Molla Mamad Jan (Afghan Traditional)

> Dariush (Iran): Ma Laghah (composed by Jalil Zaland – Afghanistan)

> Mukhamedov (USSR): Afghan traditional melody

> Ramesh (Iran): Geryeh Nakon (composed by Jalil Zoland – Afghanistan)

> Googoosh (Iran): Man Amadeham (composed by Jalil Zoland – Afghanistan)

> Makhfirat Khamrakulova and Gulshan (Tajikistan): Delro Bobin (Afghan song)

> Avram Tolmasov (Uzbekistan): Baz Amadi (Afghan song / Ahmad Zahir cover)

> Khorma Shirin (Tajikistan): Afghan song in Pashto language (live in Kabul)

> Pooneh (Iran): Gol e Naz e Man Biya (Afghan song)

> Parto (Iran): Delbar Farkhari (composed by Jalil Zoland – Afghanistan)

> Naim Popal (Afghanistan) with an Iranian ensemble of musicians, recorded in Tehran: Hal ke Deevonah Shodam Miravi

> Iraj Mahdian (Iran): Anar e Sistan (Afghan Traditional)

> Gity (Iran): Caravan ( Afghan song based on a poem of Saadi (Iran))

> Howeida (Afghanistan) and his Iranian friends, recorded in Iran: Kamar Barik (Melody from Tajikistan based on a poem by Lahouti (Iran))

> Orera (Georgia): Tshashm e Siah (Afghan song)

> (Outro) Anoushirvan Rohani (Iran): Mollah Mamad Jan theme

It was a pleasure for me to do it, I hope you will like it as much as me.

Thanks once again to Discostan for this visa.

Julien (Bordeaux, FR)

Advertisement