Shir Mohammad Espandar, the sounds of music and Baluch culture, passes away

Shir Mohammad Espandar, the sounds of music and Baluch culture, passes away

🔸Shir Mohammad Espandar, a well-known and veteran dudonele (donaali) player of Baluch music, died on Wednesday evening, July 31, at the age of 98.

🔸Iranian media have cited the cause of death of this artist from Bampoor in Sistan and Baluchestan province as “old age.”

🔸Shir Mohammad Espandar was born in 1310 in Bampoor. As a teenager, he went to Karachi, Pakistan, to learn music.

🔸After several years of residence in that country, he returned to Iran in 1337 and continued his professional activity with a focus on indigenous music of Baluchistan. Until 1362, in addition to the dudonele, he also performed music with a single reed instrument.

🔸This masterful artist had learned his style of playing the dudonele “without formal training,” and only by “observing” the hands of one of the players of this instrument.

🔸Shir Mohammad Espandar had not only skill in performing, but also particular expertise in making the dudonele instrument.

🔸The dudonele is one of the special instruments of the regional music of Baluchistan, consisting of two reeds. In addition to the dudonele, Espandar used reed instruments (ney) in performing regional Baluchi music.

🔸His performances at festivals and various domestic and foreign events played an important role in introducing Baluch music and the capacities of Iran’s regional music to global audiences.

🔸Espandar was among the few artists who managed to take indigenous Baluch music beyond geographical borders and present it to the world as part of Iran’s cultural heritage.

🔸An album of this artist’s performances, titled “Baluch Music, Shir Mohammad Espandar,” has also been published by Nashr-e Mahoor.

🔸Read the full report on the Radio Farda website.