Kadara Manhuei

Kadara Manhuei (son of Sorkhab) was one of the renowned tanbur players of the Gurehjub region and an eminent master of the maqams, the traditional melodic pieces of the tanbur repertoire. He grew up in a family devoted to music and mysticism and from early childhood became familiar with the ancient melodies and maqams of the tanbur. His father, Sorkhab, was himself a musician familiar with maqam melodies and played a significant part in nurturing his son’s talent.

In his youth Kadara threw himself with great passion into learning the secrets of the tanbur, and gradually became known among the players of the region as one of the most skilled and knowledgeable maqam masters. His skill – not only in playing but also in the precise transmission and teaching of melodies and maqams to his students – was renowned among artists.

He attended the gatherings of Seyed Shamseddin Heydari, one of the great mystics of his time, and thanks to his special gift for expressing, explaining and teaching maqam music he gained a special standing among those present. Kadara was regarded as an authority on the tanbur maqams, and when the maqams were being collected at these gatherings he oversaw the work and acted as its arbiter. Many students and followers of tanbur music consider their art indebted to the direct or indirect teaching of Kadara Manhuei.

At around the age of fifty, Kadara set out for Baba Yadegar, and in that holy place he devoted the last years of his life to teaching, training students and preserving the authentic maqams of the tanbur. He died there, and his memory and name have lived on in the cultural memory of the people of the region as one of the true servants of mystical and maqam music.

Kadara was the brother of Master Torab Manhuei. After him, members of his family, among them his nephew Ka Azam Manhuei, Ka Azam’s son Kaka Latif and Ka Ghader, continued the path of their forebears with abundant love and talent, and breathed new life into the ancient melodies of the tanbur.