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

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

among

Pashtun people Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...

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 by ...

( ps, ټپه) is the oldest and most popular genre of the

Pashto poetry Pashto literature ( ps, ) refers to literature and poetry in Pashto language. The history of Pashto literature spreads over five thousands years having its roots in the oral tradition of tapa. However, the first recorded period begins in 7th cen ...

. 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 medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...

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, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

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 ( ps, نيمکۍ) 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 derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

. Instruments used include the rubab,

harmonium The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...

, mungey or

tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల� ...

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

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

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

Rubayi

Rubayi is a Pashto form of a

Ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

. 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 Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

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 Haroon Bacha (Pashto: هارون باچا ) (born July 27, 1972) is a Pashtun musician who sings mostly in Pashto and, to a lesser extent, in Urdu. Since starting his professional career in 1992, he has released upwards of 50 albums. Early life ...

Awalmir Ustad Awalmir ( ps, استاد اولمیر) (May 8, 1931 – April 24, 1982) was an Afghan composer, musician, singer, and poet who wrote and sang in the Pashto language. He began learning music as a teen from various music teachers and began ...

Sardar Ali Takkar Sardar Ali Takkar ( ps, سردار علي ټکر, born 15 July 1956) is a Pakistani Pashto singer, who primarily sings the poetry of renowned Pashto poet Ghani Khan. Takkar is a graduate of the University of Engineering and Technology in Peshaw ...

* Obaidullah Jan Kandarai *

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

Naghma , background = solo_singer , image = Naghma 2010-3.jpgborder , caption = Naghma singing during the 2010 Nowruz celebration at Fairplex in Pomona, California , birth_name = Shaperei (''Fairy'') , birth_date ...

Farhad Darya Farhad Darya (Pashto/Dari: ; born 22 September 1962) is an Afghan singer, composer and music producer who has written and composed songs in various languages. Darya sings in various languages including mostly his native language of Persian/Dar ...

Zeek Afridi Zeek Afridi ( ps, ; 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 ...

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

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 (born 17 October 1959, in Peshawar) 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 deg ...

Zeb and Haniya Zeb and Haniya ( ps, زیب اور حانیا, 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 cre ...

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 their d ...

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. C ...

Jehangir Aziz Hayat Jehangir Aziz Hayat ( ur, جہانگیر عزیز حیات, Jehāngīr Azīz Hayāt) (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" ...

Ghazala Javed Ghazala Javed ( ps, ; 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 Pashtun people, Pashtuns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Her mus ...

* 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 fie ...

Traditional Pashtun dance

Attan Attan ( ps, اتڼ) is a traditional dance originating from the tribal Pashtun regions of Afghanistan and North Western Pakistan. It is now considered the national dance of Afghanistan. Some believe it has spiritual roots connecting it to Zoro ...

Khattak Dance Khattak Attan (Dance) (Pashto: خټک اتڼ , ur, ) is a swift martial attan dance usually performed while carrying a sword and a handkerchief by the tribesmen from the agile Khattak tribe of Pashtuns. Khattak dance is also the National dance ...

References

External links

Information on traditional Pashto InstrumentsTypes of Pashto Musiccollection of Pashto Music
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pashto music Afghan culture