| Communications and Development |  |
Published by Communications and Development
University of Canterbury ethnomusicologist Elaine Dobson has recently purchased an Afghanistan lute after a serendipitous encounter in rural New South Wales. Now she is hoping good fortune continues so she can purchase the remaining 15 instruments in the collection.
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| UC ethnomusicologist Elaine Dobson with a robab (lute) from Afghanistan. |
Mrs Dobson was in Bangalow to visit a Tibetan musician when she spotted the lute hanging in a Persian carpet shop. She got talking to the owner, Milton Cater, only to discover he was the one who had sold her a series of Tibetan instruments in the 1970s.
The lute – a robab – is part of a collection of 16 instruments which once belonged to an Afghanistan musician. On his death, the collection was passed on to his son who also died.
“The Taliban did not respect music as a positive influence so many instruments were destroyed and many musicians were put to death. It is therefore quite unusual for such a large collection to remain intact.”
The lute, thought to be more than 100 years old, has five playing strings and 13 sympathetic strings which resonate.
“When the sympathetic strings are played it gives a scintillating flavour.”
The instrument is made of wood and goat skin and features traditional carving and intricate mother of pearl inlays. The lute is laid across the lap and is plucked.
Mrs Dobson is now hoping to raise $10,000 to buy the rest of the collection which includes a further four robabs, dutars and damburas (two-stringed plucked long-necked lutes) and a tanbur (six-stringed long-necked lute with added sympathetic strings).
Mrs Dobson said the University already had a large collection of instruments from Buddhist and Hindu cultures but the Afghanistan collection would represent its first foray into instruments from a Muslim country.
“It is important for the University to build up such collections as it is the only way students are going to be exposed to such instruments. I don’t know of any other such collection in the country.
“Personally, I feel it would be a terrible shame if the collection was broken up and individual instruments became decorations on walls. The collection was obviously built up by a very dedicated musician who cared deeply for the instruments.”
Mrs Dobson said some sheet music did exist for the Afghanistan lute but she looked forward to composing music especially for the instrument.
“There is still much I need to find out about it. Just stringing it is very complicated.”
For further information please contact:
Jeanette Colman
Communications Manager
University of Canterbury
Ph (03) 364 2260
jeanette.colman@canterbury.ac.nz