Falak (literally "heaven," "fate," "universe") is a style of music native to the

Pamir Mountains The Pamir Mountains are a Mountain range, range of mountains between Central Asia and South Asia. They are located at a junction with other notable mountains, namely the Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun Mountains, Kunlun, Hindu Kush and the Himalaya ...

of Central Asia, particularly the

Badakhshan Badakhshan is a historical region comprising the Wakhan Corridor in northeast Afghanistan, eastern Tajikistan, and Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in China. Badakhshan Province is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Much of historic ...

region of northeastern Afghanistan, southeastern Tajikistan, and northern Pakistan. Falak lyrics can involve religious-mystical themes of divine love, separation and reunion (often drawn from Persian

Sufi poetry Sufi literature consists of works in various languages that express and advocate the ideas of Sufism. Sufism had an important influence on medieval literature, especially poetry, that was written in Arabic, New Persian, Persian, Punjabi language ...

), or secular and melancholy lyrics of human love and suffering.

Music theory

Falak music is generally in a descending scale, with a limited range often limited to a

hexachord In music, a hexachord (also hexachordon) is a six- note series, as exhibited in a scale ( hexatonic or hexad) or tone row. The term was adopted in this sense during the Middle Ages and adapted in the 20th century in Milton Babbitt's serial t ...

(six notes).

Instrumentation

Falak may be sung a cappella, accompanied by instruments, or instrumental. Falak instruments include the

ghijak The ''ghijak'' (also spelled ''ghidjak'', ''ghichak'', ''gidzhak'', ''gijak'', ''g'ijjak'', ', or ''ghijek'' (, or occasionally ; Chinese: 艾捷克 ''aijieke'' or 吉孜哈克 ''jizihake''; ), is a group of related spike fiddles, used by Afg ...

(spike fiddle), nay (Persian flute), and dombura (long-necked lute), as well as percussion instruments.

References

{{reflist Music of Central Asia Music of Afghanistan Tajik music Sufi music