Seyed Ayaz Ghazvinei

Life and education

Seyed Ayaz Ghazvinei, son of Seyed Tahmasb, was born in 1908 in the village of Ghazvineh in Kangavar County. He was one of the tanbur players of the modern era and a recognised, renowned master of this ancient instrument, and he left behind a valuable legacy.

According to his own handwritten notes, he learned a great deal from his brother as well as from Seyed Nasreddin Khamushi Jeyhunabadi and Seyed Baba Hosseini Yadegari. His research into maqam playing (maqams are the traditional melodic pieces of the tanbur repertoire) may be one reason why his playing stood out so clearly.

Playing and teaching

With rare enthusiasm and skill, Seyed Ayaz taught his students the traditional Kurdish melodies, among them Sarukhani, Fattah Pashai, Gele we Dere, Sahari and Savar Savar. He also played many of the ritual melodies of the Yarsan (Ahl-e Haqq) in his own distinctive way, including Sheykh Amiri, Tarz, Sahari-ye Seyed Khamush, Abedini, Baba Faqih and Shah Khoshini; most of the players who came after him adopted his way of performing them.

Several tanbur players of his time, including the late Darvish Amir Gholi and Darvish Amir Hayati, learned from him. His students included the late Khanali Tushmalani, Seyed Mehman Mousavi, Seyed Fakhreddin Ghazvinei, Seyed Safa and Seyed Vahab Ghazvinei, and Seyed Farid Elhami.

In 1972, at a gathering of tanbur players from western Iran held at the radio and television centre in Kermanshah, he performed parts of Sarukhani, Gele we Dere and Sahari, which were warmly received by the audience and the organisers.

Death

Seyed Ayaz Ghazvinei died at the age of 85. The late Master Hossein Ruhtafi wrote a quatrain in his memory.