Mid Eastern / Central Asian Classical

an amazing master musician I recently discovered, several discs of his music has recently been released.


Ostad Elahi in 1966

A well-known and respected theologian, Ostad demonstrated remarkable erudition in the subject of mysticism. Thoroughly versed in mystical trends and movements and a foremost specialist of the Ahl-e Haqq—a mystical order in which his father was an eminent personality—what is perhaps most striking is how Ostad would combine his scholarly approach with a rigorous practice on the path of spiritual perfection.

As a master musician, Ostad’s extraordinary skills were equaled only by the humility and depth of his character. Without ever seeking the admiration of his fellow musicians, his technical virtuosity and seemingly endless creativity essentially renewed and transcended the age-old tradition of the tanbour. Though music played an essential part in his life (he would devote several hours to it each day), he never considered music as a means of acquiring fame, but rather as a medium for meditation and a language for prayer.

Rooted in a tradition that has remained secret for several centuries, Ostad Elahi’s music is truly remarkable and unique. Eluding classification in any of the conventional categories, this music has historically been reserved for devotional contexts. For Ostad, music was above all a means of contemplation and prayer, and he would therefore only play alone or in small gatherings of family and close friends. The recordings that currently remain of his work were made towards the end of his life under simple and nonprofessional conditions, often without his knowledge. While these recordings (totaling some 40 hours) have mostly been edited and made available after his passing, those who actually had the opportunity to hear him play were profoundly affected by his music, including several renowned artists and musicians.

The Musical Art of Ostad Elahi

Born into a family and environment steeped in mystical tradition, the spiritual gatherings of that time revolved around sacred music, which encompassed invocations, chants, dances, and rhythms that were accompanied by melodies of the tanbour. A child prodigy, Ostad rapidly assimilated this sacred repertoire, as well as those of the surrounding regions. In order to fully develop the potential of the tanbour, he developed a complex and subtle playing technique that included all five fingers of each hand, notably the rolling motion of the right hand. Moreover, he doubled the higher string of the tanbour to increase its expressiveness, enhancing not only its potential for ornamentation, but also its overall range and richness. It would only be a matter of time before these innovations were adopted by the next generation of tanbour players. Today, it is widely acknowledged that his instrumental technique and art of ornamentation mark the pinnacle of middle-eastern lutes of the tanbour family.

There are two things on which my time was truly well spent: the tanbour and spirituality

Among Ostad's major contributions to the art of tanbour is an original repertoire of over one hundred pieces. Considering the richness of these compositions and their intricate ornamentation, this repertoire clearly transcends the one that preceded it. Moreover, Ostad used this repertoire as a basis for improvisation, an art form in itself which highlighted Ostad’s musical genius and enabled him to play with a freedom never heard before in this type of musical tradition.

Through all these innovations, Ostad not only revived, but also transcended the ancient musical tradition he had inherited as a child. When we consider his significant contributions to the art of tanbour (including the physical modifications he made to the instrument itself), it would not be an exaggeration to state that Ostad Elahi was indeed the true creator of this art. Through his efforts, a popular tradition with a scattered and limited repertoire was transformed into a learned music.


The Role of Music According to Ostad Elahi

Parallel to the practice of music, Ostad Elahi reflected on the role of music and its relation to the soul and the Divine. On the path that must lead it back to its origin, the soul finds nourishment in music, which strengthens its fervor and serves as a means of communication with the Creator.

One should not limit music to a purely esthetic use, nor solely take into account its technical aspects; the important thing is to hear those true celestial harmonies. Music should be considered as a means of spiritual communication, not as a goal in itself.

If music has an esthetical and technical dimension that can be reached through effort and perseverance, it also has a spiritual dimension from which it draws its deepest effect. According to Ostad Elahi, among all the factors that contribute to the impact of music on the soul, the most determining is the personality of the artist. If he is able to free himself from technical constraints, delve deep within, and focus on the Divine, he will be able to capture and convey something of the Creator’s beauty.

New Series on Smithsonian







From a NYYimes article by Ben Ratliff:

Tengir-Too, Academy of Maqam, Homayun Sakhi
''Music of Central Asia''
(Smithsonian Folkways)

There are a finite number of differences between music in the world; beyond that, endless similarities. The extravagantly gorgeous work on ''Music of Central Asia,'' a new three-CD series, comes from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, but a Westerner can hear himself in it. It doesn't feel very foreign.

The musicians on these discs aren't shepherds but learned folklorists, students of their own formerly nomadic culture. And much of the music isn't entirely ancient. Some is from the 1920's and 30's, the early days of the Soviet occupation of the region, which reshaped its cultures partly by trying to impose European pedagogy. Who knows the extent of the musical cross-pollination that went on between the people of these territories and the rest of the world? And where are the lines between recreating different eras of folkloric music and creating an original modern style?

Vol. 1 , ''Tengir-Too: Mountain Music of Kyrgysztan,'' prompts these questions the most. It's rooted in the music of Kyrgystan's nomadic culture, but follows some rules of European-style counterpoint. Some of the music uses the ocarina, heard all through Central and South American music. Much of it is played by Tengir-Too, a rigorously balanced ensemble, but that's an innovation: nomads weren't known for playing in bands. On ''Kara Ozgoi'' (translation: ''Impudent One''), the playing of the musician Ruslan Jumabaev on the komuz, a three-stringed fretless lute, prompts lots of possible comparisons: Malian guitar music, or the jazz-and-blues guitarist James Blood Ulmer, or Celtic reels, or the more virtuosic end of bluegrass. In any case, it's intense, pulsating music, centered by drones.

Similarly, consider ''Talquin-I-Ushshaq,'' on Vol. 2 of the series, ''Invisible Face of the Beloved.'' The ensemble is the Academy of Maqam, from Tajikistan; it has three lutelike stringed instruments, a single-frame drum and seven singers. The music is Shashmaqam, the Tajiks' prized classical form. And the drone of the lutes, the repeated riffs of irregular length, the warped feeling of the ''limping'' rhythm that slides the music between two different tempos -- these can connect to devices we know from Indian music, from certain slow, meditative metal bands, from jazz, from rock.

The third volume is narrower, focusing on one musician, the rebab player Homayun Sakhi. But the music on all three discs is beautifully played and recorded, and each album package comes with a well-produced documentary disc on a separate DVD.