Ahmad Ebadi
Encyclopedia
Ahmad Ebādi (Persian
: احمد عبادی) was an Iran
ian musician and setar
player. Born in Tehran
, he was a member of the most extraordinary family of Iranian music. Ahmad's father, Mirza Abdollah
, is arguably the most influential figure in Persian traditional music, and his paternal uncle, Mirza Hossein Gholi
, is also well-known for his mastery in playing the tar
. Ahmad's paternal grandfather, Ali Akbar Farahani
, was also a talented musician.
Ahmad started learning music at early age. At the age of seven, he was able to play Tombak to accompany his father. Unfortunately he lost his father soon, but continued his education with his sisters especially Moloud Khanom. He became one of the best setar
players of all time. For years he played on Iranian radio especially in a program called Golha
, produced by Davood Pirnia. Ebadi had a unique style in playing the setar
. He also invented a variety of different tunings
for setar
.
He died in 1992 and is buried in Emamzadeh Taher
Cemetery in Karaj
.
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: احمد عبادی) was an Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian musician and setar
Setar (lute)
Setar is a Persian musical instrument. It is a member of the lute family. Two and a half centuries ago, a fourth string was added to the setar, which has 25 - 27 moveable frets...
player. Born in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, he was a member of the most extraordinary family of Iranian music. Ahmad's father, Mirza Abdollah
Mirza Abdollah
Mirza Abdollah, also known as Agha Mirza Abdollah Farahani , was a tar and setar player. He is among the most significant musicians in Iran's history...
, is arguably the most influential figure in Persian traditional music, and his paternal uncle, Mirza Hossein Gholi
Mirza Hossein Gholi
Mirza Hosseingholi, also known as Agha Mirza Hosseingholi Farahani, was a musician and tar player. Born in Tehran, he and his older brother Mirza Abdollah started learning music from their father Ali Akbar Farahani who was a well-known musician. He is best known for his radif and for his unique...
, is also well-known for his mastery in playing the tar
Tar (lute)
The tār is a long-necked, waisted Iranian instrument. It has been adopted by other cultures and Azerbaijan. The word tar itself means "string" in Persian, though it might have the same meaning in languages influenced by Persian or any other branches of Iranian languages like Kurdish...
. Ahmad's paternal grandfather, Ali Akbar Farahani
Ali Akbar Farahani
Āghā Ali-Akbar Farāhāni was a musician and tar and setar player. He is the father of two significant musicians, Mirza Abdollah and Mirza Hossein Gholi, and the paternal grandfather of another outstanding musician, Ahmad Ebadi, Mirza Abdollah's son....
, was also a talented musician.
Ahmad started learning music at early age. At the age of seven, he was able to play Tombak to accompany his father. Unfortunately he lost his father soon, but continued his education with his sisters especially Moloud Khanom. He became one of the best setar
Setar (lute)
Setar is a Persian musical instrument. It is a member of the lute family. Two and a half centuries ago, a fourth string was added to the setar, which has 25 - 27 moveable frets...
players of all time. For years he played on Iranian radio especially in a program called Golha
Golha
The Golha radio programmes comprise 1578 radio programmes consisting of approximately 847 hours of music and poetry broadcast on an Iranian government-owned radio station over a period from 1956 through 1979....
, produced by Davood Pirnia. Ebadi had a unique style in playing the setar
Setar (lute)
Setar is a Persian musical instrument. It is a member of the lute family. Two and a half centuries ago, a fourth string was added to the setar, which has 25 - 27 moveable frets...
. He also invented a variety of different tunings
Musical tuning
In music, there are two common meanings for tuning:* Tuning practice, the act of tuning an instrument or voice.* Tuning systems, the various systems of pitches used to tune an instrument, and their theoretical bases.-Tuning practice:...
for setar
Setar (lute)
Setar is a Persian musical instrument. It is a member of the lute family. Two and a half centuries ago, a fourth string was added to the setar, which has 25 - 27 moveable frets...
.
He died in 1992 and is buried in Emamzadeh Taher
Emamzadeh Taher
Emamzadeh Taher is located in Iran in the town of Karaj, is one of the most famous cemeteries in Iran.-Notable interments:Many prominent figures of Iranian literature, art and culture are interred here, including:- External links:...
Cemetery in Karaj
Karaj
Karaj is a city in and the capital of Karaj County, Alborz Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 1,377,450, in 385,955 families, , making it the fifth-largest city in Iran after Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan and Tabriz.) It is situated west of Tehran, at the foothills of the Alborz...
.
External links
- Ahmad Ebadi entry in the Encyclopædia Iranica
- A sample of solo music on Setār by Ahmad Ebadi in the following DastgahDastgahDastgāh is a musical modal system in traditional Persian art music. Persian art music consists of twelve principal musical modal systems or dastgāhs; in spite of 50 or more extant dastgāhs, theorists generally refer to a set of twelve principal ones...
s: Segāh, Chahārgāh, Homāyoun, Esfahān, Afshāri. - A sample of orchestral Persian traditional music in Segāh DastgahDastgahDastgāh is a musical modal system in traditional Persian art music. Persian art music consists of twelve principal musical modal systems or dastgāhs; in spite of 50 or more extant dastgāhs, theorists generally refer to a set of twelve principal ones...
, with Ahmad Ebadi playing the Setār, from the Barg-e Sabz, no. 306 . The singer is Mohammad Reza ShajarianMohammad Reza ShajarianMohammad-Reza Shajarian is an internationally and critically acclaimed Persian traditional singer, composer and ostad of Persian music...
, singing a ghazalGhazalThe ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
by SaadiSaadi (poet)Abū-Muḥammad Muṣliḥ al-Dīn bin Abdallāh Shīrāzī better known by his pen-name as Saʿdī or, simply, Saadi, was one of the major Persian poets of the medieval period. He is not only famous in Persian-speaking countries, but he has also been quoted in western sources...
. Other players are Assadollah Malek, ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, and Jahangir Malek, TonbakTonbakThe tonbak or zarb is a goblet drum from Persia . It is considered the principal percussion instrument of Persian music...
. The poems, by JamiJamiNur ad-Dīn Abd ar-Rahmān Jāmī also known as DJāmī, Mawlanā Nūr al-Dīn 'Abd al-Rahmān or Abd-Al-Rahmān Nur-Al-Din Muhammad Dashti who is commonly known as Jami , is known for his achievements as a scholar, mystic, writer, composer of numerous lyrics and idylls, historian, and one of the greatest...
and Kamal Esmail, are read by Roshanak.