Author : Aarohi Agarwal
Rubab, also known as Rabab is one of the national musical instruments of Afghanistan. It is also known as ‘the lion of instruments’. The word ‘Rubab’ means something spike fiddle, which simply means a small or cylindrical body attached with a narrow neck.
This instrument is made with a single piece of wood from the mulberry tree. The upper portion of the head of the instrument is a hollow place, which is known as the sound chamber of the instrument. The head of the instrument is made from the skin of the goat and the strings of it are made from the intestine of baby goats or nylon.
This melodious instrument is immensely famous in the area of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, and a few regions in north India. It is vastly used in the traditional musical forms of the regions. It is a proven entertaining instrument in all these places.
In rural areas in Afghanistan where other forms of entertainment are rare, Rubab has proven to be very entertaining and unifying for Afghan young men. Young men in these areas gather and listen to Rubab Music, usually played by amateur Rubab players.
- History of Rubab:
Rubab is the national instrument of Afghanistan and was invented in the same country. Rubab is demonstrated in Afghanistan by the Pashtun and Baloch in the 7th century CE. The use of this instrument is visible in almost every song of the region. This instrument is widely used in the countries like Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan, and more. Initially, this instrument was played in Sikhism. It is a significant traditional instrument in various cultures. This single instrument has influenced a lot of musical traditions.
- Structure of the instrument:
This wood-made instrument has a sound chamber at the top. Apart from that, it has three main strings, two to three long drones, two short drones, and fifteen sympathetic strings. The strings are attached with the body to the bridge. It is tight strings that help to produce the sound. This is the structure of any usual Rubab but it also depends on its various sizes of it. Different strings are used for different reasons. Some are used to make heavy sounds and on the other hand, some are used to make thin sounds.
- Variations:
The instrument Rubab has quite a few variations of it. Mainly it has three variants, one is Kabuli Rubab which is used in Afghanistan, the second is Seni Rubab that is used in the places of north India, and the other is Pamiri Rubab which is used in the regions of Tajikistan. These are the three kinds of Rubab that are used in all Asian countries. Other than that the different kinds of variations are also done by the size of the instruments, Small, Medium, and Large. The size of the Small Rubab is 27 inches, the Medium is 28 inches, and the Large one is 30 inches. These are the proven variations of any kind of Rubab.
- Eminent Rubab players:
Rubab is a very famous instrument. There are a lot of musicians who have showcased their talent through this beautiful piece of art. Some profound Rubab players are-
- Ustad Mohammed Omar: he is a renowned Rubab player of all time. This artist belongs from Kabul, Afghanistan. He achieved Fulbright-Hays Foreign Scholar Fellowship to teach afghan music at the University of Washington.
- Ustad Homayun Sakhi: this afghan born Rubab player has influenced the world with his unmatchable talent. He is considered the master of Rubab. This artist moved to the States and collaborated with famous musicians of Kronos Quartet.
More Rubab players apart from these two are, Ustad Rahim Khushnawaz, Ustad Ramin Saqizada, Ustad Sadiq Sameer, Ustad Shahzaib Khan, and more.
