A Hundred Types of Prayer

 صد گونه نماز

امروز چو هر روز خرابیم خراب

مگشا در اندیشه  و برگیر رباب

صد گونه نماز است رکوع است و سجود

آن را که جمال دوست باشد محراب

 Today, like every day, we are ruined, ruined.
Don't open the door of worry, but take up the rubâb,
There are a hundred kinds of prayer, bowing, and prostration
It is the beauty, dear friend, of the mehrab

Maulana Rumi

Image: zawaj.com

Pakhwa پخوا

Periodically we need to take a look back and so we do with the lyrics and title پخوا for this song by Ismail and Junaid. They combine rock guitars with the rubâb and blend tradition with a contemporary sound. The appeal factor, for me, however, are the words written by Hamza Shinwari Baba. An excellent ode to the Pashto language.

This video begins with a title slide that is a reminder that many have lost their lives in the turmoil in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  We should not let ourselves forget.

Find Ismail and Junaid on Facebook.

Video Credits:

Pakhwa by Ismail and Junaid
Tune Composition: Ismail Khan / Rafiq Shinwari
Poetry: Hamza Shinwari
D.O.P: Bilal Farooq & Haseeb Shah
Directed by: Shoaib Anwar / Jawad Zeb
Edited by: Shoaib Anwar

Rubâb Interlude ...

The music and pictures take me places. Enjoy ...

Haroon Bacha

د سیند د سپینو شګو نه می جوړ کړ یو محل

This is a special presentation of three greats - the poetry, the voice and the music. Ghani Khan writes, Haroon Bacha performs and Homayun Sakhi plays the rubâb.

Tor_Khan تور خان

Khyber Zalmay - خيبر ځلمى

The classical rubâb is the national instrument of Afghanistan and is synonymous with the sound of Pashto music. Here, Homayun Sakhi plays an instrumental rendition of the Pashto classic, Mung Yu Da Khyber Zalmay موږ يو خيبر ځلمى (We are the Sons/Youth of the Khyber), sung originally by Ustad Khyal Mohammad from the early days of Pashto cinema, and recently covered by Zeek Afridi (who incidentally, is on my Facebook list of friends!).

Tor_Khan تور خان