🎻 Ethnic and folk music — Iranian

Iranian art music rests on the radif, a body of melodies organised into several modal systems called dastgâh and âvāz. These systems have historical affinities with neighbouring maqâmât but possess their own organisation and aesthetic. The târ, setâr, santour, kamâncheh, ney and tombak are among the main instruments. The poetry of Hafez, Saadi, Rumi and other authors nourishes an important vocal tradition, though not all sung poems belong to classical music. Iran also has Kurdish, Azeri, Baloch, Lori, Turkmen and Persian Gulf musics, as well as an active pop, rock and electronic scene both in Iran and in the diaspora.