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12/1/1991 - Musical Interludes by Carol V. Rose

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUTWRrrER SCONSENT CVR INSTITUTEOFCURRENTWORLDAFFAIRS Peshawar Pakistan December InterIudes Mr Peter Bird Martin Executive Director INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS West Wheelock Street Hanover New Hampshire 03755 Dear Peter A snake charmer walking street outside house playing wooden sounds bagpipe For rupees basket release hooded cobra savage viper charmed music Never snakes musician serpent plays eerie melody In order extort rupees onlookers pretend snake demonstrate miracle putting stone alleged wound No letter about scoundrels although might forthcoming It about music subcontinent which ranges raucous marching clarinet Nepal meditative chanting Tibetan monks You zithers painted display former Maharajah palaces India watch Himalayan people dance empty gasoline Once I danced total Charming A Pakistani musician silence group viper snake dangling Afghan women Carol Rose ICWA fellow writing about South Asia Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstanding young adults outside United States write about international areas issues Endowed Charles R Crane Institute supported contributions minded individuals foundations These musical performances rarely concert halls They informal gatherings people homes somewhat grass musicals I United States My first experience music three weeks after I arrived Peshawar My Afghan neighbor looking place music His father forbade concert their house since music making might considered Islamic local mullahs mujahideen commanders threaten Afghans during jihad Tom I offered concert The event began evening traditional Afghan neighbor house mutton chicken pudding I ushered kitchen where other women preparing musicians guests I urged Afghan women attend concert merely giggled thought showing themselves public After dinner party shifted house Tom I removed furniture living threw carpets pillows floor The musicians around small Afghan center while audience formed circle around As hosts expected serve fruit guests throughout evening A Chitrali whistle metal gasoline One musician played harmonium accordion instrument floor looks miniature piano Another played tabla Indian drums while third strummed rahab Indian strings sympathetic strings Afghan classical music Pakistan India ragas songs based Indian musical scales There seven common scales variations A begins musician slowly plays scale introducing theme He improvises weaving intricate harmonic pattern pushing tempo faster until reaches frenzied pitch suddenly stops A Chitrali dancer spins trance During concert audience quietly floor sipping green murmuring inspire musicians complicated motifs Wary angering neighborhood mullahs I repeatedly front which mysteriously opening The third I guards neighbor women listening concert other separates houses They asking After I until music stopped around clock morning Since first concert Tom I attended number Afghan musicals affairs invitation The pattern usually feeds musicians guests gather circle concert which continues night My favorite musicians include pudgy hashish smoking clarinetist plays sitting straight backed cross legged Buddha He tones improvise fashion Bennie Goodman lifting eyebrows reaches notes T local rahab master plays thrown looking Afghan British guitarist Eric Clapton The memorable musician tabla player produces amazing pitches cadences rubbing fingers palms heads drums His rhythmic masterpieces spell audience During these solos rabab player offers encouragement crying Persian He drummer challenge other melodic faster faster louder louder Suddenly leaving listeners breathless A Chitra dancer struts around I entirely different imitation mountain musical experience September while staying mountainous Chitral northwest Pakistan After grueling drive rough scenic roads I checked local hotel needed As I drifted sleep there It hotel clerk inviting performance Chitrali music hotel restaurant My curiosity better fatigue I decided When I entered restaurant there Pakistani women children sitting table This audience The consisted hotel staff porter played whistle clerk gasoline waiter banged metal serving sweeper other clapped danced Using assortment instruments played music based theme notes notation I One gasoline while others clapped shouted One dance Some dancers pretended mountain putting their heads moving around dance floor butting enemy performing mating dance Other dancers would flick hands wrists their heads spinning whirling dervishes trance Often music dancers thrashing violently around before suddenly collapsed floor After hours concert I musicians around table sipping Pepsi talking They warned about concert anyone because local mullah threatened hotel merry making continued Even could dampen spirits As I walked through hotel courtyard illuminated magnificen mountain peaks around sweet trilling whistle echoed Soon thereafter I treated spontaneous musical performance I staying Chitral Kaffir Kalash black infidels It harvest Saifullah Jan I spent helping grapes gather walnuts When tasted first brewed pinkish liquid reminiscent British cider Slightly tipsy stumbled single Saifullah foreigner walked As tripped along Saifullah bellowed Kalash later written years named Mandalee since converted Islam Hai Mai Rurook Oh little partridge A parik You I Durik parik Over Durik Shawala Shawala Tai Hatdieh Kezem For I Sureroo kursee A golden chair Tu nesis You Dan jagalek I Hai ghamburi Oh flower Salaam Karim I hello O satai gandurak That smell Nasua Upon which I drunk Kat nisai You veranda Sharap You drink To parik after durush together house mratch trees On occasion music provided solace during otherwise frustrating depressing journey It occurred spring I traveled remote border region eastern Nepal interviewing refugees Bhutan It difficult I ridden motorcycle countless refugee camps stopping people stories torture sickness death I dying child unable carry hospital motorcycle At I returned mosquito infested hotel Nepali Birtamod flinging myself Twisting Pakistani children enjoy local concert Once again there Chitral knock This named Dhital owned Birtamod He joined intellectual elite printer school teacher singer We concert Dhital Music thing I weeping singing Still I appreciated Dhital effort hospitable A dingy hotel hardly place concert however I suggested performance hotel The gathered chairs circle under stars crescent The singer acappella The lyrics young couple another opposite banks river unable cross The singer insisted I before would continue Reluctantly I belted pitiful rendition She Only Bird Gilded Cage Broadway about beautiful young woman marries imprisoned The lyric sentiments seemed please After singer series ballads written about As other began dance circle around chair My initial mbarrassment disappeared I became enraptured performance The dancers moved gracefully their hands painting pictures The songs spoke midst sorrows Stars sparkled overhead diamonds against black velvet For evening I aside suffering I succumbed sweet embrace music Regards Nepal dance beneath stars Received Hanover