That music which we hear nowadays in Baluchistan differs with real Baluchi music because of many reasons. One of these reasons is the big distance between Baluchistan and the capital and lack of attention by the former regimes to the impoverished and far flung region.
From the ancient times this region has had close commercial and cultural ties with India. Why the Indian influence?due to the fact that Baluchistan was too distant from the central governments in Iran and was ignored by these governments. By exploring the root of such influence we will come across geographical and historical facts. Away from dynasties such as the Sogdians whose seat of government was in Sistan and Baluchistan during the second century A.D., lack of roads and communication with interior parts in the country where Iranian culture triumphed, was another reason that physically and spiritually exposed Baluchi music to Indian culture.
Although the Baluchi tribesmen are strictly religious and fanatic, the musicians are treated as confidantes and relatives and they are permitted to play in private parties where women are also present. However, Baluchi women do not play musical instruments and only sing songs mostly in groups and behind the curtain and where their voice cannot reach male ears. One can rarely find a woman in Baluchistan to be a professional singer in the wedding, birthday, circumcision and other festive parties. The musical instruments through which the Baluchi singer pours outs his/her restless and deep feelings, are real instruments such as Tanburak (the small guitar), Setar (three stringed guitar), Qalam (a flute divided into five or six sections), the pitcher, the oboe, ordinary and small kettledrum, the tambourine and roebuck or Hijdah (eighteen) Tar.
Another native musical instrument in Baluchistan province is banjo on which many changes have been made and it has been converted into a native instrument in the Sind Province in Pakistan. The most famous banjo player in Sind was the late Lavarborji who had descended from Dashtiari Baluchi section in the Iranian Baluchistan. The next native instrument in Baluchestan is Dongi (whose Pakistani name in Sind Province is different). Dongi includes a pair of male and female flutes. The singers and musicians who have inherited the art from their ancestors from generations to generations are called Pahlevans. "Pahlevan" is a combination of "Pahloo" and "Van". Pahloo is derived from Pahlavi language and means brave and powerful. "Van" means a singer. Meanwhile in the Baluchi language "Vang" also means singing. Therefore, "Pahlevan" means one who shows bravery and chivalry.
Here we will for a short time refer to several examples of actual Baluchi music which is now popular in the Baluchistan.
Sepad which means praise are a series of melodies which are sung after the birth of a child. Such songs continue for 14 nights while the mother prepares herself to wash her body. Sepad is sung only by women and by groups and is intended to help the mother to forget the pains that she has suffered during child delivery. In these songs they mostly praise God, the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the elders of the religion and wish health and happiness for the mother and the newborn.
Shabtagi is another ceremony in Baluchestan. When a baby is born the lady's relatives, neighbors and friends assemble in her house in the evenings and at times stay all the night and pray for the health of the mother and the baby. They congratulate the relatives for the newborn and sing poems in a soft tune accompanied by the oboe and tambourine. These poems and songs are known as Shabtagi which means to remain awake in the night. The majority of Shabtagi melodies are in praise of God, the Prophet, the Prophet's companions and elders of religion in which they congratulate the mother and the father and wish health and a brilliant future for the newborn. During such rites they officially sing the Azan (Muslim call for prayer) into the baby's ear which means that the newborn is a Muslim. Shabtagi songs help the mother to forget her labor and refreshes her spirit and bestows strength to her body. Moreover, the Baluchi tribesmen believe that evil souls and evil wishers await in ambuscade to attack and harm the mother and the newborn by talisman and by magic spells. For example they believe that Jatooq who is a devil and sorcerer will devour the child's heart and liver. Jatooq is believed to be an evil and cunning woman who longs for her newborn which she lost during delivery. She envies the others' children and harms such women. The Baluchi women believe that Jatooq's evil spirit secretly devours the baby's heart and liver and for that reason they must not let the mother and the new born remain alone for a minimum of three days and nights. As a result they assemble beside the mother and the child and recite the Quran.
Shabtagi extend from 6 nights to 14 nights at times to even 40 nights according to the family's financial condition. Loola is another song which is sung during festive occasions such as wedding parties and has different meanings. But Laloo shesghani is specially dedicated to the sixth day of the baby's birth. In this song the singer appeals to Almighty God, the Prophet and His blessed family for a happy life for the new born. For example if the baby is a boy, they wish him to be brave, true to his promise, a good swordsman, truthful, kind, hospitable and pious, obedient to elders and other good qualities which is admired in the Baluchi culture. But if the newborn is a daughter, they pray her to be chaste, faithful, a good housewife, truthful, hospitable, kind to her husband, brother and sisters and faithful to Baluchi culture. The christening and circumcision is often performed on the sixth night of childbirth and during that night female guests are entertained by food, perfume, and oil.
Liloo or Looli is in fact lullaby which the mother sings to put the child to sleep.
Zayirak is the most melancholy melody among the Baluchis which complains of separation, from unkind darling or miseries of life. Zayirak or Zayirik is accompanied by doleful melodies and the music is played only by Qalam or flute. However, nowadays Zayirak is played with banjo as well. This is a long, monotonous and doleful music which is played with drum and the notes are repeated with slight difference. Zayirak is divided into various branches among which the most famous ones are Ashrafdor Zayirak, Janoozami Zayirak and Zamerani Zayirak. When you hear Zayirak it seems that you are sitting at a melancholy coast listening to the repeated sad notes of the flute with the Gheichak. This resembles the sea waves which start with violence at first but as they approach the coast the tempest subsides and at last the ripples find peace at the seashore. The music starts with a shrill tune, rises to its peak, then gradually subsidies and grows silent. Then after a short pause, again the flutes wail shrilly, and the episode is repeated again and again. Zayirak is sung with or without musical instruments and is sung for the absence of close relatives, such as father, mother, brother, sister, daughter, son, wife, a mistress and even for absence from one's homeland. Zayirak is derived from Zahir which according to the Dehkhoda Encyclopedia means remembrance, sadness and a wish to meet the beloved one. Zahir also means melancholy and dejected. Formerly Zayirak was sung by women during their daily chores specially when they gathered near the mill to grind their wheat into flour. At those times the melody was sung alternately by two groups of women. Such a method of singing is no more observed these days. Nowadays Zayirak is only sung by men by flute, Gheichak and Banjo.
Musicians & Singers of Baluchestan
