The Colours of Rubab

This is a stunning showcase of the Pakistani rubab (lute). It is played here by Gulab Afridi, a celebrated folk and classical musician – though he has been known to dabble in pop, check out his version of ‘Despacito’ on YouTube. Afridi hails from Peshawar, so the music here is rooted in the Pashtun regions of northern Pakistan. Afridi has referred to music as an alternative to meditation and that's easy to hear in this set of four ragas. The music is stately and subtle. Ideas are given time and space to develop – the opening ‘Raag Yaman I’ is over 20 minutes long. Even when accompanied by the tabla, the rubab dances politely under Afridi's gentle touch. This is all a testament to Afridi's virtuosity, for there are moments of ornamentation where the fingers fly impossibly fast, but it never feels showy. A master musician in total control of his playing.