Hossein Tehrāni (1912 – February 26, 1974) ( fa, حسین تهرانی) was an Iranian musician and
tonbak
The ''tombak'' ( Persian: تمبک), ''tonbak'' (تنبک), or ''zarb'' (ضَرب) is an Iranian goblet drum. It is considered the principal percussion instrument of Persian music. The tombak is normally positioned diagonally across the torso ...
player. He is regarded as an innovator, expanding the modern tonbak into an instrument that can be played solo, in addition to its earlier role as an accompaniment instrument. Tehrani added to the instrument's possibilities with added "beating methods" and played his instrument with different "sonorities."
Early life
He was born in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. At an early age he was going to Zurkhaneh -زورخانه (an Iranian gymnasium) and was impressed by the big clay vase covered on open bottom with skin called Zarb- ضربZurkhaneh. At age if 13 Hossein found a similar type of Zarb Zurkhaneh in a smaller size which was called
tonbak
The ''tombak'' ( Persian: تمبک), ''tonbak'' (تنبک), or ''zarb'' (ضَرب) is an Iranian goblet drum. It is considered the principal percussion instrument of Persian music. The tombak is normally positioned diagonally across the torso ...
تنبك and began practicing by himself.
Musical education
In 1928 Hossein Tehrani became interested in studying music professionally, and took private lessons from music master and
kamancheh
The kamancheh (also kamānche or kamāncha) ( fa, کمانچه, az, kamança, hy, Քամանչա, ku, کەمانچە ,kemançe) is an Iranian bowed string instrument used in Persian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian, Turkmen, a ...
كمانچه player Hossein Khan Esmail-Zadeh. Hossein was keen to observe different tonbak playing styles so he attended the music classes of master tonbak players such as Reza Ravanbakhsh and Kangarlo. He wanted to learn more about Iranian traditional music, and therefore formed a relationship with the great music master and multi-instrumentalist
Abolhasan Saba Abu Al-Hasan ( ar, أبو الحسن, Abū Al-Ḥasan, Father of Hasan), also transliterated Abu'l Hasan, is an Arabic ''kunya'' ('teknonym'). It may refer to:
Notable people
Politics and military
* Ali ibn Abi Talib (600–661), the fourth ...
, from whom he learnt music theory and different aspects of Iranian traditional music.
Music career
In 1940 the first radio station was established in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
and Hossein Tehrani was an active tonbak player accompanying musicians while performing live music programmes. He was a permanent member of the National Music Ensemble and National Music association. Hossein Tehrani formed and organized a tonbak players ensemble with seven members and performed several pieces with his group for the first time at the
Shiraz Arts Festival
The Shiraz Festival of Arts (Persian language, Persian: جشنواره هنر شیراز) was an annual international summer arts festival, held in Iran bringing about the encounter between the East and the West. It was held from 1967 to 1977 in t ...
- (جشن هنر شیراز) the group performed several concerts in
Talar Vahadat, formerly
Talar Roudaki.
While playing the Tonbak Hossein could imitate the sound of a locomotive and a motorcycle to astonish his listeners.
Tutoring career
Hossein Tehrani was a tonbak instructor at the College of Music (مدرسه عالی موسیقی) and the National Music College of Tehran. Tehrani innovated a rhythm technique, which involved the tonbak being played in harmony with the saying of Persian phrases such as ''baleh vo baleh'', ''baleh digeh'' and ''yek sad-o bist-o panj''.
Literary work
Hossein wrote a book titled ''Amouzesh Tonbak-ٱموزش تنبك'' about the style and practice of the tonbak.
Resting place
Hossein Tehrani is buried in the
Zahir od-Dowleh cemetery,
Darband,
Shemiran
Shemirān ( fa, شمیران, , also Romanized as Shemīrān or Šemirân), also known as Shemirānāt ( fa, شمیرانات ) is the capital of Shemiranat County, Tehran Province, Iran, but is actually located just north of the borders of Teh ...
, Tehran.
[Photograph of the grave of Hossein Tehrani, Zahir od-Dowleh cemetery]
References
*Haghighat, A., Honarmandan e Irani az Aghaz ta Emrooz, Koomesh Publication, 2004, (in Persian)
*Khaleghi, R., Sargozasht e Musighi e Iran, Ferdowsi Publication, 1955, (in Persian)
*
External links
* https://web.archive.org/web/20070405025213/http://www.donbak.co.uk/artists/ostad_hosain_tehrani.htm
Biography of Hossein Tehrani on Iran Chamber Society: www.iranchamber.com* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KWyjJ1vbcc
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHTJxVXUrCA&mode=related&search=
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3XUolbdXks&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Epefs%2Eus%2Fviewvideo%2Ephp%3Fid%3Do3XUolbdXks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tehrani, Hossein
1912 births
1974 deaths
Iranian tonbak players
20th-century drummers