67 – Pavamuri 1 (“Sitting by the Mur (Lament)”)

Range: D, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭.

Tuning: Haft Dastan or Barz (C, C, G)

It is one of the majlesi maqams of the tanbur, the secular melodic-modal pieces played at gatherings, and it has a sorrowful character; according to Ali Akbar Moradi, this maqam is usually sung at the deaths of loved ones and at mourning ceremonies. The literal meaning of this maqam’s name is “sitting by the mur”, and the mur is the very song that is sung in the Lak-inhabited areas of Kermanshah. Singers of hureh (an ancient Kurdish unmetered vocal genre) also perform this maqam. The poem of this maqam is transmitted from Mowlavi Kord. It is very interesting that the following part of the maqam is an answer to the first part, and Pavamuri 2 speaks of overcoming grief.