• Under the Archaemenids (550-320 BCE) music served and important function in worship as well as in courtly entertainment
• The first written evidence of Persian music is from the Sassanid period (226-643 CE)
• The Sassanians wrote both secular and religious music
• In the king’s entourage (ex. Khosrau II), musicians occupied a high rank, some became famous (ex. Barbad who is said to have developed the musical system with 7 modal structures -> royal modes, and 365 melodies associated with the days of the week, month and year)
• The compositions of Barbad survived at least until the 10th century
• Iran has a vast variety in their music because it has a lot of different tribes
• Iran’s folklore music has two forms:
  • Local melodies, which are sung by one person or a group
  • Local danced which are accompanied by traditional musical instruments
• The pre-islamic music of Iran comes from their tribes, such as: Bakhtyari, Kordi and Lori

Pre-Islamic Turkish Music

• It is made of of many diverse cultures (it’s at the axis of the east/west)
• Anatolia had a very rich culture with thousands of years of history
• Mystical elements and epic song traditions were widespread in almost all turkish tribes during this period
• Religious figures: Shaman, Kam, Baksi (they were also healers and used music to meet the social needs of their societies), they were influential and directed the course of music
• When the tribes migrated they brought their musical traditions/songs with them
• Turkmens -> cultural bridge between the Turks of Asia and those of Turkey

Pre-Islamic Persian and Pre-Islamic Turkish Music is a post from: The Glaring Facts

• Jahiliyah = pre-islamic period = “wrath”, “pride”, “impudence”, “ignorance”
• Music in nomadic encampments for every event, social meetings, inciting warriors, etc.
• Earliest songs: Huda (ghina’ dereived nasb, sinad and hazaj from it), for dancing
• Society was ruled by tribal union, tribal solidarity was supreme law
• Poetry source of musical life
• Qaynah = singer and servant (-> pouring wine, providing other sensual pleasures) (made up a lot of slave trade), they have impeccable knowledge of Arabic language and training in poetic arts
• In the markets of Medina, Taif and ‘Ukaz they held competitions of poetry and musical perfomances
• Many Qiyan lived in palaces: Harith of  Ghassan, Nu’man and Munthir of Hirah
• They entertained the king and his family with music, recited works by great poets
• Famous Qiyan like: Jadarah of ‘Ad, Mulaykah, Bint Afzar and Hurayrah lived and worked in: Medina, Mecca, Yamamah, Yemen and Hadramawt
• Two singing styles of the Jahiliyah were:
  • The Bedouin nomads: It is generally described as being simple and naïve because of its limitations to:
    • the genres Huda’ (the rousing song of the camel driver, its rhythm corresponds to that of the camel’s steps)
    • and Nasb (the general name given to the songs intoned by young beduouins riding through the desert on their camels and the dirges sung by the women)
  • The sedentary population (Ahl al hadar): it is characterised as viruosic and extraordinary, two categories with regard to form and content:
    • Sinad: a text that dealt with with more serious themes of dignity, fame, pride and arrogance, it was composed in the long classical metrical style of Arabian poetry
    • Hajaz: simple songs which were intended only for entertainment and amusement, composed in short classical metrical style and accompaned by lute, flude or hand drums
• Pre-islamic Arabs as well as other semitic and Hamitic people shared similar forms of music with common characteristics, many concepts were derived from the cultures of Babylon, Assyira and Egypt, where choral and instrumental ensembles wre part of religious worship
• Early pre-islamic music was performed mainly be female vocalists and caravan songs were the rule among bedouins

Pre-Islamic Arab Music is a post from: The Glaring Facts