What do you know about DoTar

“DoTar” is a Persian folk instrument. It is very simple and has just two strings. It belongs to chordophone instrument family, and its name represents its shape. 'Do" means two and 'Tar" means string, In Persian language. DoTar is the mother of guitar and Sitar, Indian instrument. Based on the stone carvings found in Shoosh(Susa) and Choga Zanbil, Dotar almost dates to four thousand years ago at least.

 Listen to the song by Master Mohammad Hossein Yeganeh

Dotar had been the major instrument at Sasani's era. Also the “Barbad” had been the famous prayer and singer in the Sasani's palace. The first hand scripts found about it was written in 950 by AlPharabius (Farabi), the great Persian philosopher and musician who is called Second Master. He analyzed every thing about DoTar in his book “AI-Musiqi Al-Kabir”, (great music).

 Listen to the song by Master Hossein Samandari

The best players of DoTar live in Khorasan province, east of Iran. The most famous one is Haj Ghorban Soleimani, born in 1924 in Aliabad, north of Khorasan. He is a musician as well as a farmer, capable of singing in Persian, Turkish, and Kurdish. He learned his art from his father, who in turn, was taught by his own father.

 Listen to the song by Master Haj Ghorban Solemani

In 1991, he was invited to perform at the “Traditional-Persian Music and Theater" at the Avignon Festival in France, Where the press named him as "a true national treasure". He often performs with his only son, AliReza. The son of AliReza is also a great player, like his father and grandfather. They are really great pride for Persian culture.