A brief examination of Ardavan Kamkar’s Santour playing style

1 December 2023 – 1:35 am Posted in Articles' List, Iranian Classical Music

This entry was written by Ali Farahani

I still think of those fish in a crystal bowl for the Haft sin table and those disappointed old men who went out to sell blackfish.

This subtlety and great imagination become the basis of the work “The Fish for the New Year” A clear music with clear expression.

“The Sea” was released in the late 1980s and then “The Fish for the New Year” promised a musician with a different approach than the path of the past, using techniques and songs of Iranian music and Kurdish folk music. This music brought a fundamental change in contemporary Iranian music, and also especially in Santour playing contemporary style.

“Ardavan Kamkar” was born in July 1968 in Sanandaj to a family of culture, and art. He started Santour playing when he was four years old. He studied Santour with his father, Hassan Kamkar, and he immigrated with his family to Tehran in 1980. In his youth, he presented the Santour Concertino with his brother Houshang Kamkar, on the album “In the Highest of Dawn”
The Sea was composed before 1985 and then he performed in 1990 in Vahdat Concert Hall and then was released to the music market.

“The Fish for the New Year”, which was released in 2005.
He had some combinations with other composers such as a Santour player in the album “Night, Silence and Desert” by Kayhan Kalhor and “Mandir” Album composed by Mohammad Ali Kianinejad, Touraj Mansouri’s “Iranian Landscape” Soundtrack and Santuri movie directed by Daryoush Mehrjouei and some other soundtracks are among his works. The music of this movie had a profound effect on the popularization and widespread popularity of the Santoor instrument and even in the field of instrumentation and construction of the Santour, which made this instrument penetrate into the cultural depths of society.
The book Notes of Santuri film was published in 2023.

Album of “Diamond Fine Grains” in 2013 Enjoying and looking at local Baluchi and Afghan themes The publication of Ardavan Kamkar’s Pieces Collection in 2015 ended the years of waiting for enthusiasts to play the modern Santour style ،a specialized book with a new outlook on the techniques of playing Santoor has increased the sound and play of the Santour.

In recent years, music has always seemed to be remarkably backward compared to poetry and literature, and perhaps one of the reasons for this is the lack of new and knowledgeable personalities of today, looking at distant horizons who have realized the necessity of newness and from opposition, and blaming old retrogressive thoughts.

Fearless and fearful of those who do not fear Evolution and innovation are urgent necessities and necessities in the arts that in each period should communicate with its audience at the same time Ardavan Kamkar is a remarkable and avant-garde figure such as Nima in contemporary poetry, Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh in literature and short stories, and Alinaghi Vaziri, who is considered one of the pioneers of reform in Iranian music and Santour players.

The use of unconventional tuning and scales how derived from Western music knowledge along with familiar themes and themes, parallel movements of the right and left hand. Rapid execution of notes with the preservation of the clarity of the melody of the pieces in both hands and equal abilities of the right and left hands is one of the characteristics of his playing.

He has created a new path of playing the Santoor of contemporary times through a new transformation in Persian music and imaginary, magical and very audacious music.
A new expression mixed with analysis and clear emotion has attracted many listeners and enthusiasts
In Iranian music, and today it is still fresh after thirty years and its green buds have grown to become a great
Tree in Iranian music.

This entry was written by HarmonyTalk
Tagged: Ardavan Kamkar, Kamkars, santoor, santour.

Nasser Masoudi: The Voice of Gilan and a Legacy of Iranian Music

In Iranian music, certain singers have become emblematic of their homelands through their distinctive voices. Historical figures such as Eghbal Sultan, who epitomized the grandeur of Azerbaijani music, and Taj Isfahani, who conveyed the authentic essence of Isfahan, serve as notable examples from the Qajar era. Nasser Masoudi occupies a similar position; his voice emerged as a symbol of Gilan while also achieving national acclaim. Before him, Master Ahmad Ashurpur represented Gilan’s musical landscape, but his extended residence outside Iran limited his continuous engagement in the music scene. In contrast, Masoudi’s consistent presence allowed him to introduce the voice of Gilan to audiences across Iran.

Farhad Poupel: The Voice of the Shahnameh in the Orchestras Around the World

In an era when almost no trace of contemporary Iranian music can be heard in international concert halls, except (so-called!) avant-garde works that owe their existence solely to the fashionable slogans of the “pseudo-intellectual” crowd who have seized the already meager resources for performing classical music from the true artists of the field, the numerous performances of Farhad Poupel’s works shine as a ray of hope for lovers of sincere musical art. Without resorting to trendy slogans, he has kept the flame of Iranian classical music alive purely through the power of his artistry.

Latest posts

From Past Days…

Interview with Farhad Poupel (I)

Born in Isfahan, Iran, and based in the UK, Farhad Poupel’s music has been performed and will be performed in numerous prestigious concert halls and festivals throughout the world including Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan; La Roque-d’Anthéron Piano Festival, La Roque-d’Anthéron, France; Biarritz Festival, Biarritz, France; Stoller Hall, Manchester, UK; Janacek academy of music and performing art, Brno, Czech Republic; Karlskrona International Piano Festival, Karlskrona, Sweden; by distinguished artists such as Kotaro Fukuma, Peter Jablonski, Daniel Grimwood, Margaret Fingerhut, Catherine Carby, Kristýna Znamenáčková,Jeffrey Biegel, Jean-Francois Bouvery and orchestras such as Windsor Symphony Orchestra or broadcasted on the NPR Radio 4, Netherland. The following is an interview with him on the ocaasion of the premier of the Legend of Bijan and Manijeh.

Principles of Playing Violin (V)

3/1/2/5: When the first finger lands next to the nut, continuation of first phalange of this finger, on back of the hand, should be in line with continuation of the back of the wrist and the left hand; moreover, it should not pass them and bend at knuckles. Otherwise, an uncommon stretch is created in first finger’s knuckle also reducing the freedom of other fingers (especially the fourth finger) in finger placement.

Iranian Fallacies – Composition and Arrangement

In the tradition of classical music, it is generally tried to use the same technical terms related to music in all countries. Even in the cultures in which native terms exist to refer to musical terms, usually the better known universal terms are employed.

Women Musicians in Large Iranian Orchestras

It is more than a century now that the sociologists consider the presence of women in different social domains as a benchmark for a society’s progress. They analyze the presence of women in society by the means of available statistics. Unfortunately, as with regard to the Iranian society, statistics related to women’s engagement, has not been available to the researchers, if they existed at all.

From the Last Instrumentalist to the First Composer (II)

Rouhollah Khaleghi was the master of composing beautiful melodies. He was the premier of the course of history which was first established by Ali Naghi Vaziri and which improved the Iranian music from simply a gathering music to the classical music of the country. First efforts to compose independent and instrumental music can be also traced in Khaleghi’s works.

Negation of Changes in Iranian Music: Embracing Tradition

The perspective that denies any alteration or innovation beneath the realm of Iranian music, and more broadly, the performance and even the structure of Iranian music instruments, stems from the discourse of “tradition-oriented”* and the “return to self” movement in Iranian music. Given that some educators still adhere to this discourse and emphasize the necessity of preserving tradition, a perception is formed among art students that Iranian music, including Radif, lacks dynamism and is confined within a rigid framework.

About Davoud Pirnia, the founder of “Golha” radio program

Davoud Pirnia, writer and musicologist was the founder of “Golha” (Flowers of Persian Song and Music) programs on Tehran Radio (1956-1966). He received his early education from his father, Hassan Pirnia (Moshir al-Douleh), and several tutors of the time (Taraghi, interview, July 1989) and continued his studies at Saint Louis School in Tehran and then in Switzerland and graduated in law. While studying law, Pirnia got acquainted with European classical music. Upon returning to Iran, he was employed by the Ministry of Justice and founded the Lawyers’ Guild. Then he was transferred to the Ministry of Finance and established the Department of Statistics in this ministry. Later, he became the head of the state inspection office at the Prime Ministry; he was, then, promoted to the position of the Deputy Prime Minister (Navab Safa, interview, August 1999)

Parviz Meshkatian’s Heart Beat for People (I)

Amidst the popularity of traditionalism in the Iranian music, Parviz Meshkatian (1955- 2009) moved from Neyshabur to Tehran. He learnt to play Santour and became educated in the Radif of Iranian music at the Centre for Preservation and Promotion of Music which was at the forefront of promoting the return to musical traditions. Despite his studies at a centre which promoted the use of the phrase “traditional music” in Iran, Parviz Meshkatian emerged as a creative artist whose innovative and unique ideas attracted the admiration of Iranian artists and people from different walks of life. This article studies the reason behind Meshkatian’s deviation from the wrong approach of traditionalism strongly promoted by the Centre and argues that apart from the issue of theory of Iranian music, he can be considered as Ali Naqi Vaziri’s successor.

Developments in Iranian Music Since Qajar Era (II)

Santour:
Nine-bridge and twelve-bridge Sanours were both used until the early Pahlavi dynasty. However, as Faramarz Payvar devised new methods for playing the nine-bridge Sanour, this variety of the instrument which was hammered by felted sticks became popular.

A Note on the Occasion of Houshang Zarif’s Demise

No introduction is needed when talking about the position of the late Houshang Zarif (1938-2020) in the Iranian music. His character and personality are so well-known among musicians that his name per se is a symbol and role model for the Iranian youth. “Becoming Houshang Zarif” is the dream of many young people who enter the world of music in Iran and many of whom retire regretting the realisation of this dream.