PESHAWAR: Zubair Nawaz, a young Pashto Music Singer, has made a name for himself singing the famous songs of Malang Jan, an Afghan nationalist poet. His poetic works are correlated to the current political and social situation in the region.
Recently, he became a popular YouTuber after releasing a video called “Soor Paizwan”, a Pashto folk song written by Malang Jan and shared on social media. Around 80,000 music-lovers shared the song and viewed it.
According to Mr Nawaz, he has broken the record for all Pashto music charts on social media. He proved his skill in Pashto music within a very short time span, with his ability to tune and his confidence.
Because of its simplicity and soul-soothing effect, traditional music and folk poetry can never die. He has so far released 15 Pashto audio-video albums, and has also performed playback in a few Pashto movies.
Peshawar resident Mr Nawaz said that his family was from the US and had planned to visit the US for a concert. Through my music talents, I will prove to the world that Pakhtuns love peace and don’t support extremism. He said that although I faced family resistance, my parents supported me because they understood my goal to spread peace through music.
Mr Nawaz stated that his Eid release, ‘Warha Jeenai (a little girl) would also have an impact on the audience. He explained that Warra Jeenai was actually a flashback story in which a young poetess, Dera Ismail Khan, wrote the title song. It was about a girl reminiscing on her childhood.
“I also had plans to sing Rahman Baba songs. Karan Khan, my mentor, also came up with the idea of ‘Nafsoona. He said that it is a long poem written by Malang Jan and is a critique of the plight for Pakhtuns.”
The singer was born with a passion for music and was inspired by Haroon Bacha. His family did not have any musical background, but his father allowed him to follow his heart and pursue his goal. He used to go to school and walk up to his father’s medicines store. After completing 12th grade, however, he decided to pursue spiritual medicine — music.
He was soon the most popular young artist. He performed at live concerts in Peshawar and Karachi as well as in Islamabad and Qatar. He was invited by private Afghan TV stations.
In his twenties, Mr Nawaz began his musical career. He was trained by Ustad Buzarg, a Peshawar-based senior Afghan tabla player. Master Ali Haider as well as Ustad Shah Jahan helped him shine.
He stated that he planned to conduct research on Pashto music after completing his degree as a private candidate and seek a foreign scholarship for a doctorate on the role of Pashto music in shaping Pakhtun society.
My forte is light ghazal, but my folk songs have a magical effect on people. For my next projects, I have already picked up poems by Akbar Hoti Rashid Khattak Abaseen Yousafzai, Mumtaz Orakzai and Mumtaz Orakzai. But, I’m confident that my Eid release will be a success,” stated Mr Nawaz.
Pashtoon is an exceptional nation. Pashtoons love music, but are not interested in musicians. Although this may seem strange, there are some reasons for it. They would be from a lower social cast and choose music to make a living. Pashtoons, on the other hand, are warrior people who prefer manly occupations. Another reason could be the delicate and soft nature of the profession, which is considered by the Pashtoons to the job of women folk. They are tough, hardworking people as we can see from the nation’s history. They each have their own tastes in aesthetics. They love music and are very romantic about it. There are many reasons for their disliking musicians. Pashtoons are disapprove of musicians who make a living from music. Pashtoons prefer the occupation of agriculture and soldiery. They are less patient in all other occupations.
The Pashtoons promoted music indirectly through generous spending and giving too much to musicians for their performances. In this way, Pashto music developed. Although Pashto music is not yet written in notation, it has rich traditions that are passed from generation to generation. It is not well-known. Some of the notations and Symphonies survived, while others are being created and transferred. The mullahs were against music before radio was invented, but Pashtoon would continue their musical ceremonies.
Pashtoon, a staunch Pashtoon, would like to practice music in his Hujras with the beat of ‘Mangay (water pot) for a drum. Although he would love to sing folk songs, he does not intend to make it his profession. The Pashto music is not written, but it has a long history.
Pashtoons’ music is a result of their unique cultural and social life. Their musical heritage has been influenced by the inhospitable terrain of their homeland. It is rich in content and reflective, rooted in the history of the people. Pashto music can be divided into two distinct parts:
In Frontier and Beyond, many vocalists and instrumentalists have established themselves as well. Many people are still keeping Pashto music’s classical heritage alive despite the trend towards fusion. These include Zarsanga Mahjabeen Qizilbash Javed Akhtar Rahim Shah, Gulzar alam, Gulzar Ashtar, Rahim Khan, Gulzar Rahim, Haroon Bacha Haroon Ahmad, Siyal Ahmad Khyal Muhammad Naghma, and Wagma.
It is also a common Pashtoon song that a boy from school sings. The elders in their Hujrahs, their wives, and Godars alike can also sing it. It is the only song that can be sung during grief or on the occasion of marriage. It is sung using the traditional Pashto musical instruments ‘Rabab and ‘Mangay. Tappa can sing up to 16 types of harmony. It is now sung with full orchestra. Tappa was a song that used to be sung with no musical instruments, but musicians have created different arrangements for it. It is still sung in mountains and deserts without any instruments. Sometimes, it is sung with the melody and flute in these areas. It’s often sung in hujrah with Sittar, Rabab, and the beat of a waterpot. Popular among the many tunes of Tappa is the Tone of Teerah, Peshawar Bannu, Qandahar and Bannu. The famous Pashto singer has created a new tone. Haroon Badshah. It is a part of the Indian notation and has its own Pashto,ante; Mughalai.