Flavours of Pashto Music

Dr. Raj Wali Shah Khattak

If we look through ages the Pashtuns have promoted music indirectly by generously spending on it rather lavishly by giving too much money to the musicians for their performance. This way the Pashto music has developed. The Pashto music has very rich traditions though so far not written in notation locally, but by tradition it transfers from one generation to the other. Very little is written about it in the past. However, some of the notations and symphonies have survived, other are created and being transferred practically. Before the coming of radio, the mullahs sternly opposed the music but Pashtoon would carryon their musical ceremonies.

Apart from the professionals the staunch Pashtoon would practice music in his hujras and love to play 'Rabab' or 'Sitar' with the beating of 'Mangay' (water pot) as a drum. He would like to sing folk songs but not as profession. So the Pashto music has not written but has a long history and tradit

Types of Instruments

It has been the tradition of Pashto musical concerts that first of all the orchestra; form a symphony called Saaz. The different saazes are for different occasions. Before starting the traditional concert. The saaz of shan is played with full orchestra. The full orchestra consist on the following musical instruments.

1. Dhol (Drum)
2. Tabla (Tambourine)
3. Rabab (Traditional Guitar)
4. Sitar (Local Three strings guitar)
5. Baja (Harmonium)
6. Sarinda (Fiddle)
7. Surna (Piper)
8. Shpelai (Flute)

With all these instruments and some other modern instruments the orchestra starts, before the singing session.