Sarban
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| ساربان Sarban |
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 Sarban in Gul Parast Album Cover
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Abdul Rab Sarban  |
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| Genre(s) | Soft Rock Classical Music |
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| Occupation(s) | Singer | |
| Instrument(s) | Harmonium | |
| Label(s) | Various | |
Sarban (Abdul Rab Sarban) (Persian: عبدالرب ساربان) was an Afghan singer. He is known for his unique voice and music style that the no other Afghan singer has been able to emulate. The legendary Ahmad Zahir was a fan of him and incorporated Sarban’s original songs into his own collection. He is also known in Iran and Tajikestan where he gave several rounds of live performances at the height of his career.
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[edit] Career
Sarban’s life is said to have been of an unhappy one. Little is known of his childhood and most sources only speak of him after his rise to fame.
From humble beginnings to national recognition, Sarban gained popularity due to his unconventional music style and a voice that simultaneously absorbed and repelled the listener. Due to the uniqueness of the tone of his voice, he was subject of constant analysis. He had a polarized fan base as those who loved him did so with a passion and those who disregarded him also did so with strong sentiments.
[edit] Alcoholism
Sarban was reclusive and a shy man throughout his life. He also seemed indifferent to fame and his celebrity status. Sarban had a drinking problem most of his life. There are no clear records of when he started drinking, but it was a well-known fact in Kabul Radio that Sarban could not sing without having a drink first. During the early 80s his alcoholism were taking its toll, and some of the symptoms begun to manifest itself by eccentric behavior on the stage and also his speech begun to deteriorate putting an end to his singing career.
There are many legends about Sarban and why he was such a tragic figure. Some have attributed Sarban's alcoholism to a tragic love affair when he was a young man and others have speculated that he suffered from clinical depression. A majority of Sarban's fans would strongly reject the notion of Sarban being an Alcoholic because of cultural taboos associated with Alcoholism in Afghan society; therefore, the idea of Sarban as a lovelorn tragic figure is more popular among Sarban's fans.
[edit] Death
Sarban died in poverty living in Pakistan.
[edit] Contribution
Sarban was the first person to put lyrics to the Ahesta Boro anthem. His recording, a must in every Afghan wedding, is enjoyed just as enthusiastically as it was when it was first released decades ago. He is also remembered for his Gul Parast song, along with hundreds of other songs. The music, lyrics and tone of the song has the critics startled to this day.
