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Bangecha and his Dancing Dog (Mark Slobin)
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Bangecha and his Dancing Dog (Mark Slobin)
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Recorded in the city of Tashkurgan south of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan in 1968, this song is an example of "teahouse music" (i.e. popular music performed in teahouses), and the players are none other than Bangecha (of "Bangecha and his Dancing Dog" fame - see photo above) and a certain Simorgh. The song (05:23) is called Laili Laili Jaan ("Dearest Laili"; Laili/Laila and Majnun are the eastern equivalents of our Juliet and Romeo).
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The rhythm of this song is fantastic, and the musical performance quite impressive. The use of "dove's bells" marks the Uzbek influence of this piece; these bells (zang-i kaftar) are attached to the drummers' hands, and provide a nice counterpoint to their efforts whilst enhancing the effects of the rhythm. Another clue to Uzbek influence is the audience expressing their satisfaction or admiration by whistling in imitation of birdcalls.
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The dancing dog ("Pupi") was part of Bangecha's act, a gimmick useful for building a reputation. (Apparently, a contemporary of Bangecha's used a goat to attract a crowd.) At 02:15 (just before the middle of the song), you can hear Bangecha saying "Wah, wah", "Woof, woof", which presumably triggers his dog à la Pavlov into doing a quick trick for the audience. And the crowd goes wild, and applauds, with congratulatory cries of "Wallah!"
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For more on Uzbek music from northern Afghanistan, go to Mark Slobin's excellent website. (He's the genius who recorded this in the first place.)
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The rhythm of this song is fantastic, and the musical performance quite impressive. The use of "dove's bells" marks the Uzbek influence of this piece; these bells (zang-i kaftar) are attached to the drummers' hands, and provide a nice counterpoint to their efforts whilst enhancing the effects of the rhythm. Another clue to Uzbek influence is the audience expressing their satisfaction or admiration by whistling in imitation of birdcalls.
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The dancing dog ("Pupi") was part of Bangecha's act, a gimmick useful for building a reputation. (Apparently, a contemporary of Bangecha's used a goat to attract a crowd.) At 02:15 (just before the middle of the song), you can hear Bangecha saying "Wah, wah", "Woof, woof", which presumably triggers his dog à la Pavlov into doing a quick trick for the audience. And the crowd goes wild, and applauds, with congratulatory cries of "Wallah!"
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For more on Uzbek music from northern Afghanistan, go to Mark Slobin's excellent website. (He's the genius who recorded this in the first place.)
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