Tribal Belly dance: dances of Afghanistan

Wedding dance of the Durani in Afghanistan.

→
→
→ Tribal beats on E-music
Afghanistan is one of the mayor sources of tribal costuming and jewellery, the outfit is in strong contrast with the so called "cabaret style" of costuming. For example, Afghan Kuthchi jewellery is very popular among Tribal troupes. Feared cameldrivers, the word "Kutchi" comes from Persian and means "they who wander around" or nomads. Gujarat

Festivities with dancing, playing music and elaborate eating precedes a Doerani wedding festival. Weddings are important occasions. The marriages are traditionally arranged as is the custom of the region. Public dancing has always been a part of Afghan weddings until the 80's. Flutes and drums or richak and zerberah invite every passenger to the wedding - as long as it is somebody of the Durani tribe. Durani weddings are expensive occassions and take up several days. The musicians are men and the dancers female. The dancers wear large silver bracelets about 12 cm long and colorful dresses but always with the red colour present. It's different than the attan, the Afghan national dance.
According to an Afghani source the picture would rater belong to the nomadic Pushtun tribe of Kochi known in India as the Khiljis or Ghalgis, a tribe of Afghan descent. Cultural and as a consequence also economical wealth are now long time extinct in Afghanistan, but perhaps some traces might still be found in the Pamir.
The Durani are a main branch of the Pasjtun tribe, the dominant Afghan population. The Durani are devotional sunni muslims and used to maintain a living by agriculture or keeping sheep and cows, but nowadays more and more they became city dwellers.
Their traditions and culture remained relative unchanged for thousands of years until 1978 when foreign influences altered Afghan political, cultural and social life.
Afghan music is very distinctive music, close to Indian music. (the author likes to thank Wajid hereby for his information).

---

---