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Kemancheh - Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia The kemancheh is a spike fiddle. It has a small round wooden body with a spike producing from the base a sound table made of animal skin and a cone-shaped neck. The kemancheh rests on the player's knee or on the ground and the instrument is twisted on the spike to meet a bow. The kemancheh is played in the tradition of improvised music know as maqam. The elegant, warm sound of the kemancheh calls to mind the sound of a human voice. Therefore the instrument lends itself to solo virtuoso playing. It is usually played alone or in small ensembles. The first known written reference to the kemancheh dates from the 12th CE. For centuries the kemancheh has been revered as an exceptional instrument for use in courtly, folk, religious and secular settings. Narration and performance by Kayhan Kalhor: |
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