Pashto singers in Pakistan

[Elias]

Ive read articles and watched documentaries about pashto singers in Pakistan and many singers claim that they aren’t supported by public or by any institutions anymore.
What was the reason that lead to this situation?
Are the punjabi/Sindhi singers in the same situation as the pashto singers?

[Kakar-Wardak]

Damman should never be put on a pedestal, we may listen to their music but that dosen't mean we respect damman.

[maneatinglizard]

A Pakistani might know more about the situation, but this doesn't sound like a government issue to me. Pashtuns traditionally don't have much respect for singers and musicians (the saying goes that we hate musicians but love music). Maybe there was some "modernization"/Westernization policy in the past that attempted to raise the status of musicians in KP that no longer exists, and musicians are complaining about that. But it seems to me that singers are getting more popular nowadays, not less.

[Traveller]

Punjabis also have the concept of looking down on daman in their culture. Their word for Dam is Mirasi.

[Traveller]

A Pakistani might know more about the situation, but this doesn't sound like a government issue to me. Pashtuns traditionally don't have much respect for singers and musicians (the saying goes that we hate musicians but love music). Maybe there was some "modernization"/Westernization policy in the past that attempted to raise the status of musicians in KP that no longer exists, and musicians are complaining about that. But it seems to me that singers are getting more popular nowadays, not less.

There were complaints of MMA government in KP that was harsh on musicians and music scene.

[Elias]

Pashtuns traditionally don't have much respect for singers and musicians (the saying goes that we hate musicians but love music).

lol yeah that’s so paradoxical but this way of thinking is not limited to Pashtuns. ‘Saazenda’ is a derogatory term for a musician in Dari.

Maybe there was some "modernization"/Westernization policy in the past that attempted to raise the status of musicians in KP that no longer exists, and musicians are complaining about that.

That could be possible.
Just like the communists encouraged musicians.
But sometimes they exaggerated by forcing musicians to sing revolutionary songs.

But it seems to me that singers are getting more popular nowadays, not less.

Its easier to get popular due to youtube, social media etc.
Back in the days there was just tv/radio and they had restriction on what to air.
This sort of popularity like having millions of clicks on YouTube doesn’t fill the pockets of Afghan singers or Pashto singers of Pakistan. Afghan singers and Pashto singers in Pakistan make money mainly through concerts and singing on weddings. But according to Gulzar Alam the people of Pashtunkhwa are not anymore interested in concerts and singing on weddings bring him as much money as not to starve. I think singers in Afghanistan are in a better situation.

[Elias]

There were complaints of MMA government in KP that was harsh on musicians and music scene.

Do those laws still exist?

[maneatinglizard]

Punjabis also have the concept of looking down on daman in their culture. Their word for Dam is Mirasi.

Is it the same though? I never got that impression from Punjabis. I guess it could just be that the kinds of Punjabis that come to the West are probably more urbanized/Westernized, and have adopted the Western obsession with entertainers.

I think all, or just about all, traditional societies looked down upon entertainers to some degree. Even in Europe they had the jesters and such.

[maneatinglizard]

lol yeah that’s so paradoxical but this way of thinking is not limited to Pashtuns. ‘Saazenda’ is a derogatory term for a musician in Dari.

Saazinda is derogatory? lol I always thought it just meant singer. We use the word too (along with Sandarghari and Dum), but I thought it was a neutral term.

[Elias]

Saazinda is derogatory? lol I always thought it just meant singer. We use the word too (along with Sandarghari and Dum), but I thought it was a neutral term.

:D
Sazinda (sound maker) is a word that dispossesses a musician of creativity and art. I think with time it evolved to a word with a negative connotation like Dalqakbaz which means actually clown but now is used to make fun of someone.
Nwazenda, Khanenda or Honarmand are common used terms in Dari and which doesn’t degrade musicians.

[Baserka]

There are no talibs in Punjab and Baluchistan or Sindh the way they are present in pakhtunkhuwa. Also, the demand for the type of music that certain (non contemporary/blatant damtob) musicians have chosen is very low. The rich listen to shameless **** and the poor with class don’t have enough money to spend on musicians. No one invests in their music or albums so there is no business for them there.
Also, gulzaar alam moved to Kabul 3 weeks ago.

[maneatinglizard]

:D
Sazinda (sound maker) is a word that dispossesses a musician of creativity and art. I think with time it evolved to a word with a negative connotation like Dalqakbaz which means actually clown but now is used to make fun of someone.
Nwazenda, Khanenda or Honarmand are common used terms in Dari and which doesn’t degrade musicians.

Okay, so Saaz in Pashto means music, and Saazinda means musician. As far as I know they're not specifically derogatory terms in Pashto (i.e. I don't think anyone would use Saazinda as an insult, like they might use Dum), but the person who is a Saazinda would be looked down upon regardless.

I don't know if Saaz is a loan word or not, but if it is I guess it lost it's original meaning in the transition to Pashto.

[salman47]

Okay, so Saaz in Pashto means music, and Saazinda means musician. As far as I know they're not specifically derogatory terms in Pashto (i.e. I don't think anyone would use Saazinda as an insult, like they might use Dum), but the person who is a Saazinda would be looked down upon regardless.

I don't know if Saaz is a loan word or not, but if it is I guess it lost it's original meaning in the transition to Pashto.

Or maybe in Parsi it lost t's meaning!

P.S. Why always Pashto is targeted for loaning words from other languages? Can't it be the other way round? I.e. Other Languages loaning from Pashto(which is quite true!)
Also Pashto is older than Persian.

[Elias]

Okay, so Saaz in Pashto means music, and Saazinda means musician. As far as I know they're not specifically derogatory terms in Pashto (i.e. I don't think anyone would use Saazinda as an insult, like they might use Dum), but the person who is a Saazinda would be looked down upon regardless.

I don't know if Saaz is a loan word or not, but if it is I guess it lost it's original meaning in the transition to Pashto.

It can also be other way round like [MENTION=19486]salman47[/MENTION] said.
Saaz has the same meaning in Dari.

[Elias]

There are no talibs in Punjab and Baluchistan or Sindh the way they are present in pakhtunkhuwa. Also, the demand for the type of music that certain (non contemporary/blatant damtob) musicians have chosen is very low. The rich listen to shameless **** and the poor with class don’t have enough money to spend on musicians. No one invests in their music or albums so there is no business for them there.
Also, gulzaar alam moved to Kabul 3 weeks ago.

Yeah, I’ve heard of that. I hope he receives the respect and haq that he earns for his contribution to pashto music.