Pashto Saazuna

Prof. Dr. Raj Wali Shah Khattak

Laray Shan

This actually is a tune or orchestra which is played on the way going to the brides house. It also used to be played by entering of the victorious forces to the village in the event of winning a war. So basically, it is played as a sign of a happy occasion. To this tune, one or two persons dance, ahead of the orchestra. It is a very fascinating and beautiful tune: The dance is highly artistic and worth observing. In. this dance the dancer with open hands steps two times forward and turns around while going.

Sahni

After shan the other melodious symphony is Sahni. It is originally the Pashto saaz and has different kinds of tunes and melody. Without it no concert of Pashto music can be complete. With starting of Sahni the real composition of a music starts. The Sahni of Teerah and Peshawar are the famous and popular kinds. This too has been notated and written. This is used for singing Qawalis also. But special cultural dances are performed to its tune.

Lyera, Para, Ghalghal are the tunes played at night. Before starting the singing session, the orchestra plays an initial tune while sitting and the dancers dance with small Mattel bells tied to their feet. There are many other cultural dances which, on the occasion of marriages are performed by the girls who are the relative of the bridegroom.

Khattako Saaz

For Khattak dance a special type of music is composed and known every where in Pashtoonkhwa. The main instrument for it is the piper clarion and a Large drums beaten with sticks. The Khattak dance has three kinds of cultural dances. They are called SHAHDOLA, BANGRHA, and BALBALA.

BALBALA is danced by the men only while shahdola is danced by the women. And Bangrah is danced by both the sexes. But the women dance it in the homes while the men in the open. Original Khattak dance is danced with swords.

It is only recently that the music for these dances have been notated, written and archived.

Logari Saaz

Logari Saaz is basically a special kind of symphony tune which is played with full orchestra, and a typical Pashto dance is danced to this tune. Sometime one or more than one person dance to it. Pashto music is typical and is divided in two regarding the instruments.

One is called the instruments of Sur (Tone). The other is called TAAL (Beating time). In Sur (Tone) Rabab, Fiddle, Piper clarion, Flute etc are used while in TAAL, Dhol, (Drum) Naqara, Tamble, Mangay and some pots of copper are used. These two combine make the orchestra of Pashto music.