Mountain Melodies

Description

Product Description Afghanistan s Traditions Preserved...During Quraishi's childhood in Kabul, his father built him his very first rubab -- an ancient instrument of the short-necked lute family. Traditionally made of mulberry wood with a skin face, often richly ornamented, it typically has three melody strings and as many as 20 sympathetic strings -- which impart a deep, distinctive resonance to the national instrument of Afghanistan.The youngster quickly excelled in the regional folk styles of his country s numerous ethnic groups including Pashtun, Uzbek, and Tajik and steeped himself in classical Hindustani music theory, the foundation of Afghanistan s musical tradition. After emigrating to New York in his teens, Quraishi realized his calling: the dedication of his life to preserving the traditional Afghan rubab style. On both PURE & TRUE RUBAB (his 2004 debut) and his new album MOUNTAIN MELODIES, the rubab master is accompanied by percussionist Chatram Sahni, who served his apprenticeship on Afghan radio in the 1970s and played with many of the country s greatest singers.Quraishi s world-class music is a rare and vital link from the rich tradition of classical Afghan music, the golden years of Afghan radio, and New York City s diverse immigrant culture to the very future of Afghanistan s musical identity. Review Mesmerizing. --Wall Street JournalA hypnotic pulse flavored with spiky, briskly fingerpicked improvisation. --New York Music DailyA precious listen into Afghan music and the masterful Mr. Quraishi makes the listen well worthwhile, because there s just no way not to listen and find the true heart of the Afghan people. --worldmusiccentral.org