Beshknow Presents: Sūr-e Sarv

Sūr-e Sarv is the radio program created by Ayenedar, the Regional and Ritual Music Festival of Iran, originally broadcast on Tehran based station Beshknow. Sornâ, Entry The Host: Hello. My name is Ali Maghâzei. I invite you to Sūr-e Sarv, the Cedar’s Banquet. It is the first radio program of Âyenedâr’s Festival: an aural banquet of tunes and melodies from Iranian regional and folklore music. This Episode: From Arvand to Aras. “Sar-Maqâm” The Host: In this episode, we start a journey from the banks of Arvandkenâr, from which we head to the southern, eastern, and northern parts of Iran. We pass through the borders of Sistân and Balūchestân, and from the northern borders of Khorâsân, we step into the dense forests of Hirkân, take a breath there, and then we well fly over the beautiful coastline of the Caspian Sea, and end our journey in the northwestern parts of Iran, joining the âshiqs of Âzerbâijân besides the banks of Aras, as we dance to their music. Mâmâ Kâzemyeh The Host: What you just heard is parts of the Deg-Zani of the Zâr Ceremony in Arvand, near Khūzestân. The ceremony is intended to cast out demons from the possessed and the sick, by the Ahl-e Hâvâ and the grand Mâmâ of Zâr, Mâmâ Kâzemyeh, performed along with her sons and daughters. The songs of coastline dwellers of Būshehr comes next, then we will fly over the Persian Gulf, sing “Helel Yâs” in its ports and islands along with the fishermen, accompanied by the ney-anbân of Ahmad Ali-Sharafi and his sons. Sūr-e Būshehri, Ali-Sharafi Ghazal-e Choshti, Erfâni The Host: The Ghazal you just heard was from the Malangân of the Sarâvân villagers, who sing beautiful Ghazals in their mystic circles and congregations with a lot of passion. In this piece, Khosrow Siâhâni, Mohammad-Jân Sepâhi, and Fârūq Rahmâni, play banjo, tanbūrak, and robâb, respectively, and Âref Dehvâri plays the tanbūrak and sings the text of the Ghazal. Now we are going to hear the “Zaboli Bâbâ Gol Afrūz” piece, performed by Qâder Âtashgar, Sistâni performers, as they take us to the midday Hanâbandân ceremony in the land of Rostam. Zâboli, Bâbâ Gol Afrūz Ey Âsheqân [O, Lovers!]. Nūr-Mohammad Dorpūr The Host: We have heard the dotâr and vocal performance of the great late Nūr-Mohammad Dorpūr. His vocal style is rooted in the Naqshbandi Khalifeh tradition of the eastern Khorâsân. He passed away a short while after this very performance. Next is the songs of the men and women of Torbat-e Jâm, the land of Sheikh Ahmad-e Jâmi, sung by Abdollâh Amini and the dotâr of Mohsen Asgaripūr, the son and the true successor of the late master, Zolfaqâr Asgaripūr, aka Asgariân. Torbat-e Jâm Torkaman, Oliâqli The Host: This was the enchanting sound of the silky, smooth dotâr of Barât-Ali Yegâneh, the son of the great Torkaman, Dargazi bakhshi, Oliâqli Yegâneh, who sings and plays in loving memory of his father. What comes next is more Torkamani music. Torkamans used to hold a ceremony to heal measles, which is now obsolete. The memory of those ceremonies still linger in the music of a few ney players, singers, and performers. Ahamad Keshvâd is accompanied by Taqi Yousefniâ, toydūk, or the Torkamani ney, player. Their music carries the sparks of the healing sessions of Torkamans from the old days. Torkamani Katūli The Host: This was parts of a Katūli neybid, performed by Darvish-Ali Khosravi, the bidkhân or beytkhân, or the great singer of the Ali-Âbâd Katūl, accompanied by the haft-band ney of Ne’matollâh Aslâni Katūli. Now we will hear the narrative music of the Gâleshs of Esterâbâd of the Gâlishi of the eastern Mâzandarân, performed by Abbâs Allâ’eddin, known as Dâi Abbâs from the Zyârat village. Dâi Abbâs Âhiq-e Âzeri The Host: It was âshiq Heydar Mahmūdi who performed with his instrument, ashiq sazi, and sang for us. Farâmarz Gūzli’s bâlâbân and Hamzeh-Ali Khedreh’s qavâl accompanied him. Here, they are going to perform another piece from the old Âzerbâijâni repertoire, so that we may pass beside the banks of Aras as we leap for joy. We wish you health and bright days, until we meet again in another banquet. “Azeri Dance”