The Best Persian Classical Orchestral Songs: Martyrs of God
As the 4th part of the series "Persian Orchestral Songs" I chosed one of the best examples of orchestral works dating back to the first days of the current regime of Iran. It's in fact the graduation thesis of Hoshang Kamkar, who studied the music in the Tehran University. The singer is his brother, Bijan Kamkar, who sang the poem of Rumi with his beautiful voice. I think this work is only a part of the historical epoch, just before the current years. In those days the atmosphere of the Islamic revolution and then the so called "Holy defence" (the war between Iran & Iraq) caused an epic background for most of the musical works. Albeit the poem of this work is after Rumi, who never had such an attitude in his mind, yet the word "martyr" has a very expensive epic content. You can find out that the composer had such a semantic content in his mind, after you listened to the music, yourselves.
Hooshang Kamkar
Hooshang Kamkar (Persian: هوشنگ کامکار Kurdish: Hoşeng Kamkar) (born in 1946) is an Iranian musician of Kurdish origin.
Born in the city of Sanandaj of the Kurdistan province of Iran, he studied music first with his father, Hassan Kamkar, and later at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Tehran University, the Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome, and the University of San Francisco.[1] He is a prolific composer, writer and translator. Among his best known compositions are The Victory of Bahman, Marigold, Eternal Martyrs, Abidar's springs and In Memory of Hafez.
The Kamkars
Along with his sister and six brothers, Hooshang is a member of the Kamkars group. They are "a Kurdish family of seven brothers and a sister, are undeniably one of the leading musical ensembles in Iran today. Their repertoire ranges from the vast array of Kurdish music with its poignant, entrancing melodies and uplifting high energy rhythms to the traditional classical music of Iran. The repertoire of Kurdish music is richly diverse and deeply-rooted in the ancient history and culture of its proud and passionate people. It speaks of epic tales and wars, romantic love, and recounts ancient myths and stories of national and religious heroes, some of which date back to thousands of years to the time of the ancient Medes (the ancestors of the Kurds).
The names of the other seven are as follows:
Ghashang Kamkar: plays the Setar
Pashang Kamkar: plays the Santour
Arsalan Kamkar: plays the oud and the Violin
Arjang Kamkar: plays the Tonbak
Ardeshir Kamkar: plays the Kamancheh and Gheichak
Ardavan Kamkar: plays the Santour
Bijan Kamkar: plays the Daf, the Dohol and the Rabab. He also sings.
Translation:
کجایید ای شهیدان خدایی
بلاجویان دشت کربلایی
Where did you go, you eternal martyrs
Bravehearts of the land of martyrdom
کجایید ای سبک روحان عاشق
پرنده تر ز مرغان هوایی
Where did you go, you celestial lovers
Flying higher than the volant birds
کجایید ای شهان آسمانی
بدانسته فلک را درگشایی
Where did you go, you ethereal kings
, found the doors of cosmos
کجایید ای ز جان و جا رهیده
کسی مر عقل را گوید کجایی
Where did you go, you scaped from the vitae and the mors
, laughed in the wisdom
کجایید ای در زندان شکسته
بداده وام داران را رهایی
Where did you go, you broken the doors of the jail
and liberated the poor prisoners
کجایید ای در مخزن گشاده
کجایید ای نوای بی نوایی
Where did you go, you opened the treasure
Where did you go, you song of the silence
در آن بحرید کاین عالم کف اوست
زمانی بیش دارید آشنایی
You are in such an ocean, which this world is its lathery
so swim more and more in this sea
کف دریاست صورت های عالم
ز کف بگذر اگر اهل صفایی
Lathery of the sea is the face of the world
Float deeper and deeper and drown, if you want to enejoy from serenity
بر آی ای شمس ِ تبریزی ز مشرق
که اصل اصل اصل هر ضیایی
Rise up, thou, Shams of Tabriz, from the eastward
Th'art the origin of the origin of the origin of every lux, because!
پاینده باشید و عاشق.
