Mohammad Rahim Khushnawaz - Afghanistan: Le rubab de Hérat (1974)

This wonderful collection of field recordings (grabbed in an improvised studio set up in a hotel room in Herat, Afghanistan) made in 1974 by professor John Baily (for a profile of this researcher, click here), published in cd format in 1992 by AIMP (Archives internationales de musique populaire, Geneva), magnificently captures Afghan “Rubab” (the Afghan lute) virtuoso Mohammad Rahim Khushnawaz both in solo and group contexts.

«This release is the best Rubab playing you can hear that is available to the world audience – a true classic inside and outside Afghanistan. Khushnawaz had developed the speediest, most eloquent voice in Rubab playing. I feel his technique is unsurpassed, even by younger players such as Homayun Sakhi. The tone of his Rubab is some very magical thing. This is the best place to start if you want to know the beauty of solo Rubab. There is really nothing like this instrument, and the playing of Khushnawaz will have you intoxicated, even after 1,000 listens and beyond...» (Amazon, reader review)

Learn more about Afghan music:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Afghanistan
http://www.mikalina.com/Texts/music-afghanistan.htm

Link in comments (always appreciated)