Sarban

Infobox musical artist
Name = _fa. ساربان
Sarban
Background = solo_singer


Img_capt =
Birth_name = Abdul Rahim Sarban
Born = Afghanistan
Genre = Soft rock
Classical music
Occupation = Singer
Instrument = Harmonium
Label = Various

Abdul Rahim Sarban (PerB|عبدالرحیم ساربان), known simply as Sarban, was an ethnic Tajik [Professor Enayatullah Shahrani (Dean of the Fine Arts Faculty of Kabul University) (1999). "Bazmeh Ghazal".] singer from Kabul, in Afghanistan. He is known for his unique voice and music style that no other singer from Afghanistan has been able to imitate. The legendary Ahmad Zahir was a fan of Sarban and incorporated his original songs into Zahir's own collection. Sarban is also known in Iran and Tajikestan, where he gave several rounds of live performances at the height of his career.

Career

Sarban’s life is said to have been unhappy. Little is known of his childhood and most sources only speak of him after his rise to fame.

From humble beginnings to national recognition, Sarban gained popularity due to his unconventional music style and a voice that simultaneously absorbed and repelled the listener. Due to the uniqueness of the tone of his voice, he was constantly analyzed. He had a polarized fan base as those who loved him did so with a passion and those who disregarded him also did so with strong sentiments.

Alcoholism

Sarban was reclusive and a shy man throughout his life. He seemed indifferent to fame and his celebrity status. Sarban had a drinking problem most of his life. There are no clear records of when he started drinking, but it was a well-known fact in Kabul Radio that Sarban could not sing without having a drink first. During the early 80s his alcoholism was taking its toll, and some of the symptoms began to manifest themselves: eccentric behavior on the stage; his speech began to deteriorate. The deteriorating voice effectively ended his singing career.

There are many legends about Sarban and why he was such a tragic figure. Some have attributed Sarban's alcoholism to a tragic love affair when he was a young man and others have speculated that he suffered from clinical depression. Most of Sarban's fans would strongly reject the notion of Sarban being alcoholic due to cultural taboos associated with alcoholism in Afghanistan; therefore, the idea of Sarban as a lovelorn tragic figure is more popular among his fans.

Death

Sarban died in poverty living in Pakistan.

Contribution

Sarban was the first person to put lyrics to the Ahesta Boro anthem. Among hundreds of other songs, he is especially remembered for his "Gul Parast". The music, lyrics and tone of that song have the critics startled to this day.Fact|date=January 2008

References