Pashto music () or ''Də ṭang-ṭakór'' is commonly performed in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

among

Pashtun people Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...

Genres

Tappa

Tappa Tappa is a form of Indian semi-classical vocal music. Its specialty is a rolling pace based on fast, subtle and knotty construction. Its tunes are melodious and sweet, and depict the emotional outbursts of a lover. Tappe (plural) were sung mostly ...

() is the oldest and most popular genre of the

Pashto poetry Pashto literature () refers to literature and poetry in Pashto language. History The history of Pashto literature spreads over five thousands years having its roots in the oral tradition of Tappa (Pashto: ټپه/لنډۍ). However, the first ...

. The Tappa is a composition of two unequal meters, in which the first line is shorter than the succeeding one, yet it reflects all human feelings and aspirations elegantly. Be it laborers, peasants, or women, all sentiments find expression in the Tappa. It is also common among the Pashtuns that a boy of school age would sing it, the elders in their hujrahs, or the women in their home and Godar alike. It is the only song sung in the time of grief and on the occasion of marriage. In music it is sung with the traditional Afghan musical instruments rubab and mangai. Tappa has up to 16 different models of harmony and is sung with full orchestra. In hujrah it is sung with rubab and

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...

Charbeta

Charbetta is another popular genre, which consists of an epic poem with special rhythms. There are four kinds of Charbettas. Normally, it is a poem of four lines but might also have six or eight lines. All aspects of life are discussed in it. That includes the heroic deeds and heroism of legendary figures and sometimes expresses romantic feelings. The

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...

is usually very fast and is sung by two or more singers as part of a chorus in which one singer reads the first line while the others follow the remaining. The singing or recitation of a Charbetta is called Tang Takore. Traditionally Charbetta is started just after the finishing of a Tappa.

Neemakai

Neemakai () has many different forms and normally women compose it. It is usually very short (1 to 3 lines). The first lines are repeated in the middle of the song and Tappa is usually added according to the subject and circumstances. Most of these songs in Pashtun culture have been expressed in different areas about daily life and love.

Loba

Loba is very popular among the masses and are added within Tappas occasionally. This is a form of folk music in which a story is told. It requires 2 or more persons who reply to each other in a poetic form. The two sides are usually the lover and the beloved (the man and woman).

Shaan

Shaan is sung during happy occasions such as marriages or the birth of a child, and is sung in private congregations and social gatherings.

Badala

Badala is a professional form of folk music and consists of an epic poem or a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

. Instruments used include the rubab,

harmonium The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a va ...

, mungey or

tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...

. In Badala, tribal traditions are the main theme as well as heroism, tragedies and romance. Badala consists of variations, because each

couplet In poetry, a couplet ( ) or distich ( ) is a pair of successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (closed) couplet, each of the two lines is end-stopped, implying that there ...

is varied in rhythms from the others. It is sung traditionally at night.

Rubayi

Rubayi is a Pashto form of a

Ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

. The Rubayis of Rehman Baba are popular among the masses and is sung before the starting of Badala. As with the Ghazals, the Rubayi have been heavily influenced by

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

and Turkic poetry.

Takki

Whilst not strictly speaking a literary form, Takki are a common form of entertainment in large gatherings. Two contestants take turns to extemporaneously deliver verses attacking the other, not unlike a rap battle. This is sometimes also called Hujooh or Lughat, and is more common in the southern districts of KPK and the areas across the border, such as Khost.

Composers and performers

* Haroon Bacha * Awalmir *

Sardar Ali Takkar Sardar Ali Takkar (, born 15 July 1956) in Takkar village (Takht Bai) Mardan is a Pakistani Pashto singer. He primarily sings the poetry of renowned Pashto poet Ghani Khan. Takkar is a graduate of the University of Engineering and Technology in ...

* Obaidullah Jan Kandarai *

Nashenas Dr. Mohammad Sadiq Fitrat, born Sadiq Fitrat Habibi (Pashto/Dari: ), known professionally as Nashenas (), is one of the oldest surviving musicians from Afghanistan. His fame began in the late 1950s, and since then he has produced many albums con ...

* Naghma *

Farhad Darya Farhad Darya (Pashto/Dari: ; born 22 September 1962) is an Afghan singer, composer, music producer, and philanthropist. Active since the 1980s, Darya has been one of the most renowned and influential Afghan pop musicians of the modern era, contr ...

Zeek Afridi Zeek Afridi (; born Zahid Noor Afridi on 1 April 1979 in Peshawar) is a Pashtun singer from Pakistan. Early life and career Afridi belongs to the Afridi tribe of Tirah. He was raised and educated in Peshawar. He attended F.G. Boys Public School ...

Nazia Iqbal Nazia Iqbal () (born 1984) is an Pashtun singer from Swat, Pakistan.Rahim Shah Rahim Shah () is a Pakistani pop singer, composer and music producer, predominantly working in Pashto music industry. He sings primarily in Pashto, however he has also created songs in Urdu and Punjabi.

Ahmad Wali Ahmad Wali (Pashto/Dari: ) is an Afghan Ghazal singer. He began his career in the 1970s, becoming popular in his native country before he was forced to flee by political upheaval in Afghanistan. He continued his work after resettling in Germany ...

Khyal Muhammad Ustad Khyal Muhammad (, born 1946) is a Pashtun singer from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. He has appeared regularly on television, usually singing ghazals and in movies. Career Khyal Mohammad belongs to the Afridi tribe of Pushtuns. He is orig ...

Gulzar Alam Gulzar Alam (Pashto: ګلزار عالم) is a Pashto singer from Pakistan. He is a famous Pashto folk and Ghazal singer, musician, and composer with fan base from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and around the world. He completed his bachelor’s degree in ...

Zeb and Haniya Zeb and Haniya (, pronounced as "Zayb aur Haa-nee-ya") was a Pakistani music duo from Kohat, active from 2007 to 2014. The pair have sung songs in Pashto, Urdu, Dari and Turkish, combining pop with folk music to create a diverse body of work. ...

Sajid & Zeeshan Sajid & Zeeshan ( pronounced as "Saa-jid and Zeesh-shaan") are a Pakistani electronic music duo from Peshawar, composed of Sajid Ghafoor (guitars and harmonicas) and Zeeshan Parwez (synths, laptops and FX modules). Both members released thei ...

Ismail and Junaid Ismail and Junaid () is a Pashto musical band originating from Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The band consists of two members - Ismail Khan, the lead vocalist, poet and composer and Junaid Javed, a guitarist, composer and supporting vocalist. ...

Jehangir Aziz Hayat Jehangir Aziz Hayat () (born 5 June 1989), also known simply as Jehangir Aziz, is a Pakistani singer, guitarist and composer.Hafeez, Zara (16 March 2014)."New age musicians: Rock on" ''The Express Tribune''. Retrieved 16 March 2014. He releas ...

Ghazala Javed Ghazala Javed (; 1 January 1988 – 18 June 2012) was a Pashtun playback singer from Swat Valley, Pakistan. She began singing since 2004 and was "popular with young, progressive ethnic Pashtuns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Her music was famous not on ...

* Homayoun Sakhi *Sannan Mahboob ( Rubab) *

Enayat Ullah Enayat Ullah (Born Inayat Ullah; 1 May 1992) known as a popular icon in Pushto music Industry by his unique voice and music compositions. Mr. Enayat Ullah is playback vocalist, music composer and songwriter. Enayat Ullah is active in music fiel ...

Traditional Pashtun dance

Attan ''Attan'' (), the national dance of Afghanistan, is a traditional dance originating from the tribal Pashtun regions. The dance is performed during weddings or other celebrations (engagements, weddings and informal gatherings). The Attan was also ...

Khattak Dance The ''Khattak'' (Pashto: خټک اتڼ , ''Khattak attan'') is a swift martial ''attan'' dance usually performed while carrying a sword and a handkerchief (while not always are they holding a sword and handkerchief) by the tribesmen from the ag ...

References

External links

Information on traditional Pashto Instruments
*
collection of Pashto Music
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pashto music Culture of Afghanistan