- Sazanda
A sazanda or sazandar (Azeri: "sazəndə"; Persian: سازنده; alternative spellings in English: sazende, sazande, sazandeh) is one of the three musicians in the traditional ensemble of instrumentalists performing
mugham (an Azerifolk music genre) along with a singer (khananda ). The word means "builder" in Persian. The trio consists of a tarist, a kamanchist and adaf -player.History and development
Historically the word sazanda also applied to any musician from
Anatolia , theCaucasus orIran , who played a folk instrument. [ru icon [http://www.cultinfo.ru/fulltext/1/001/008/098/849.htm The Great Soviet Encyclopædia: Sazandari] ]The tradition of a musical trio of sazandas playing the aforementioned instruments did not originate until the beginning of the 20th century. According to
Jabbar Garyagdioglu , the mugham ensembles of the early 19th century consisted of three musicians playing the tar, the kamancheh and the balaban. In the late 19th-century, the latter was replaced by gosha-naghara.ru icon [http://www.axtar.az/ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=187&Itemid=177 Khananda] . "Axtar.az"] Nowadays the traditional variety of tambourine called daf is used and is often played by the singers themselves.Similar to the ensembles, the instruments have gone through changes in structure as well. Kamancheh has gone from having 2 strings to having 3, 4 or even 5. Prominent Azeri sazanda
Sadigjan developed a new version of tar (nowadays known as the Azeri tar or the Caucasus tar) by adding one more string to this once 6-string instrument and improving it with a number of new features. [ [http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/middle_east.htm Atlas of Plucked Instruments - Middle East] ] After Sadigjan, the tar has been played nestled to the chest rather than held vertically during mugham performances.The prominence of sazandas was seen by the physical appearance of their instruments. Some would decorate them with
precious metals andgems . Sadigjan himself was reported of having decorated his tar withgold andnacre .ee also
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Music of Azerbaijan
*Khananda
*Sadigjan References
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