Iranian traditional (classical) music is known as authentic Iranian music and modal music. This music consists of modes (dastgah), melodies, and vocalizations that have been passed down orally among the Iranian people since before the birth of Christ. Of all these delightful melodies, only a few have reached us today. A large part of Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, and Arab countries have been influenced by authentic Iranian music, and each of them has in turn had an impact on the formation of authentic Iranian music. Authentic Iranian music is one of the oldest musical styles from antiquity to the present day, and this music flourished during the Sassanid period (7th and 8th centuries AD), especially during the reign of Khosrow Parviz. Famous musicians such as Barbad, Nakisa, Bamshad, and Ramtin appeared during this period, and the rabāb, ghajjak, barbat, and chang were the common instruments of this period. In Iranian literary books such as the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi and Khosrow and Shirin of Nizami, stories are told of Barbad, and he is considered a composer and inventor of many diverse and delightful melodies. It is said that Barbad composed 360 melodies for 360 days of the year, and he himself played these melodies. The story of the song of the death of "Shabdiz" (Khosrow Parviz's horse) is attributed to this great musician.
Mr. Ali Karimi Torki (left) alongside the late Maestro Mohammad-Reza Shajarian (right).
Mr. Ali Karimi Torki is one of the students of Maestro Mohammad-Reza Shajarian. Mr. Mohammad-Reza Shajarian was a musician and vocalist of authentic Iranian music. Maestro Mohammad-Reza Shajarian is known among his admirers as the "Master of Persian Vocal Music" and the "The king of Persian Vocal Music". Many people in Iran consider him the most important figure in Iranian music and one of the most significant symbols of Iranian culture and music. Mr. Mohammad-Reza Shajarian enjoyed international fame. He received the Master of Music Award from the Aga Khan Foundation and was also nominated for a Grammy Award. After providing numerous services to authentic Iranian music, Maestro Shajarian passed away in 1399 at the age of 80 due to cancer. The great master of Persian vocal music received a diploma of honor and the Picasso Medal from UNESCO in 1999.
Iranian music was known as spiritual music (Zoroastrian religious hymns) before the Arab invasion of Iran. After the Arab invasion of Iran, the Arabs were influenced by the science, culture, and art of the Iranians, and Iranian music spread to Arab and Islamic countries, so much so that the Iranian barbat was played in Arab countries under the name of the oud and from there went to Andalusia (Spain), and in a sense is the origin of the modern guitar. Iranian music faced many ups and downs from the 2nd to the 12th and 13th centuries AH. In the modern era, with the advent of sound recording technology and musical notation, fundamental changes occurred in the preservation and dissemination of Iranian music. The Farahani family (Ali Akbar Khan Farahani) and his sons Mirza Abdollah and Agha Hossein Gholi collected the radifs of Iranian modal music to be passed down to future generations as an intangible cultural heritage. Among those whose voices influenced the singing of Master Shahriyar, we can mention the voice of Ms. Ghomar and Mr. Taherezadeh, Zali, and among the contemporaries, Qavami, Banan and the guidance of Mr. Nourali Boroumand.
Mr. Ali Karimi Torki was born on the 25 March 1956 in the city of Mianeh, Iran. He holds a bachelor's degree in music. He began his artistic activities in 1984 and from 1989 onwards, he studied authentic Iranian vocal music under masters such as Mr. Shapour Rahimi at the Center for the Preservation and Propagation of Iranian Music and Mr. Hamidreza Nourbakhsh. After learning authentic Iranian vocal music, he connected with Maestro Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, the great and unparalleled master of Iranian vocal music, in 1997 and until 2015 (before his illness worsened), he benefited from his exceptional art as an unparalleled treasure of authentic Iranian vocal music. Mr. Ali Karimi Torki is a main member and vocalist of the Molavi Music Group in Iran and has held numerous concerts in Iran and other countries such as Kuwait, England, Azerbaijan, and Turkey to preserve, introduce, and promote authentic Iranian music and vocal music. As a teacher of authentic Iranian vocal music and a founding member of the Zanjan Provincial Music Association, he has performed numerous vocal pieces and judged in many music festivals. Mr. Ali Karimi Torki is the vocalist of the music album titled "Yarane Movafeq" and one of the masters of authentic Iranian vocal music. Since 1993, he has started teaching authentic Iranian vocal music and by establishing a music school, he continues to strive and endeavor to educate enthusiasts and elevate the authentic culture of Iran.
Authentic Iranian music or Iranian modal music includes seven modes named:("Shur"), ("Mahour"), ("Segah"), ("Chahargah"), ("Nava"), ("Homayoun"), and ("Rast Panjgah"). And five avaz named ("Abu’ata"), ("Beyat Turk), ("Afshari and "Dashti" - from the appendages of the Shur mode) and ("Isfahan" - from the appendages of the Homayoun mode).
The radifs of Iranian music are the source of the melodies and tunes that are created inspired by them. Authentic Iranian music, as one of the oldest musical styles from antiquity to the present day, has witnessed the presence of many famous and stylish celebrities, each of whom has played a significant role in the development of this music. Based on this and considering the history of music in Iran, UNESCO inscribed "The radifs of authentic Iranian music" on the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
In this section, Mr. Ali Karimi Torki, as one of the students of the late Master Maestro Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, examines one of Master Shajarian's beautiful songs called "Payam-e Nasim" (Message of the Breeze), which is a ghazal number 454 by Sheikh Ajl, Hafez Shirazi, the great Iranian poet, and is performed with the tar of Master Dariush Pirniakan in the Mahour mode for lovers of authentic Iranian music.
Introduction to Mahour: Verse number 1
Verse number1+tahrir (ornamentation)+vocal response (tar)-(repetition of the second line of this verse for expansion and better understanding of the meaning of the poem).
Gusheyeh Ghoshayesh: Verse number 2
Verse number 2 + tahrir + vocal response (tar).
Gusheyeh Khavaran: Verse number 5
Verse number 5, repetition of the poem + vocal response (tar). Tahrirs are primarily used to expand phrases and repeat verses to convey the meaning of the poem or a specific word.
Gusheyeh Shekaste: Verse number 8
Verse number 8: repetition of the first line + tahrir after the second line. Here, the master employs very beautiful and calculated modulations (melodic shifts), transitioning the vocalization from the Mahour mode to the Chahargah mode. The tahrirs allude to the gusheh of Hesar and lead to the introduction of Chahargah.
Introduction to Chahargah: Verse number 11
Verse number 11 + vocal response (tar).
Gusheyeh Zabol: Verse number 6
Beginning or tahrir and its expansion. Verse number 6: repetition of the first line and repetition of the second line (expansion) + vocal response, tar. In this part, Master Shajarian, using the shared dastgah of Chahargah and Homayoun, performs one of the beautiful and mournful gusheh of Homayoun, namely Shushtari. (Shushtari is one of the famous maqams of modal music that is widely performed in the music of Arab, Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Iranian countries.) It should be noted that Iranian vocal modal music was also previously performed in a maqami style.
Gusheyeh Shushtari: Verse number 10
The Gusheh Shushtari begins with various tahrirs (expansions). Verse number 10, vocal response with the tar. There are various tahrirs and modulations again (returning to Mahour, in fact, returning to the initial state, which is technically called "bāz gardān"). From Shushtari, it returns to Mahour. (The continuation of the tahrirs is an incomplete descent that creates a sense of expectation for a complete descent for the listener, and the complete descent continues with the poem.)
Descent: Verse number 13
Verse number 13, repetition of the first line (expansion)- The continuation of the complete descent is performed with tahrir.
This article is based on an exclusive interview with Mr. Ali Karimi Torki and is supported by reliable research sources.
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This article was contributed by Mr. Akbar Karimi, the international reporter for Arirang Culture Connect and the Founder and Managing Director of the Samte Ganjineye Ghoghnoos Cultural-Artistic Institute in Iran. His leadership in preserving and promoting Iranian intangible cultural heritage, along with his extensive experience in cultural-artistic research and his active participation in international forums such as UNESCO and ICCN, enriches his contributions to the global cultural dialogue.
Translated by Mrs. Farnaz Seydi, the director of international relations of Samte Ganjineye Ghoghnoos Institute.
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