balaban
Also recorded as bālabān · narmenay
balaban
Photographed by MrArifnajafov, own work, 2012-06-01 · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Balaban
- Field
- woodwind instrument · sets of oboes with cylindrical bore · duduk
- Region
- Azerbaijan · Azerbaijan
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for balaban. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q2035157
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Balaban • Background — woodwind • Classification — Double reed • Related — Closely related instruments include the Mey (Turkey), Yasti Balaban (Dagestan), Duduki (Georgia), Duduk (Armenia), Hichiriki (Japan), Piri (Korea), Guanzi (China), and Kamis Sirnay (Kyrgyzstan) • Musicians — Alihan Samedov, Alakbar Asgarov, Shirzad Fataliyev, Mehdi Nazarli, Nariman Shahbuzlu, Rehman Rasimoghlu, Rasim Elesgerov, Babahan Amirov, Shahram Sadiqov, Kamil Jalilov, Parviz Alikramoghlu, Tahri Mammadov, Hakim Abdullayev • Builders — Mammadnaib Hajiyev, Abbas Ismayilov, Misirhan Isayev
Key facts
Key facts
• Ich — Craftsmanship and performing art of balaban/mey • Countries — Azerbaijan and Turkey • Id — 01704 • Region — ENA • Year — 2023 • Session — 18th • List — Representative • Illustration — Balaban in Azerbaijan State Museum of History The balaban or balaman (Balaban) is a double-reed pipe with cylindrical bore, about 35 cm in length, with eight finger holes and one thumb hole, which is played in the eastern part of Iran's historic Azerbaijan region as well as in the Republic of Azerbaijan (where it is also called düdük, according to the Encyclopædia Iranica). The Azeri balaban, the Turkish mey, and the Armenian duduk are almost identical, except for historical and geographical differences. Balaban can be made of mulberry or other harder woods, such as walnut. The bore through the instrument is about 1.5 cm in diameter. The double reed is made out of a single tube of cane about six cm long and pressed flat at one end. The performer uses air stored in his cheeks to keep playing the balaban while he inhales air into his lungs. This “circular” breathing technique is commonly used with all the double-reed instruments in the Middle East. Balaban can be found in regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey. It is sometimes used as Balaman, Mey or Whistle, among Azerbaijan and Turkistan in the West Azerbaijan region. Consisting of a body (govda) and a large double reed, the balaban measures between 28 and 30 cm in length and 20–22 mm in diameter. The sound is dull and light, and because it is weak, it is mostly played in closed spaces and room meetings. Thanks to the clamp on the reed, the sound can be thinned and thickened. The cane, flattened by a special method, consists of a clamp and a body. By pushing the grapple upwards or downwards on the reed, one-curtain sound change can be made and it can adapt to the instrument groups immediately. Another type of Balaban is used in ashiq music. Alihan Samedov is a famous Azerbaijani balaban artist.
Structure
Structure
Balaban, which is often called also yasti (flat) balaban for flat mouthpiece and soft sound, consists of body made of apricot wood, cane, barrow and cover. The body has 8 holes on the surface and 1 on the back in the middle of the first and second holes (sound fret) on the surface. It consists of a stem, a reed, a regulator, and a cap. The stem of the balaban, or govda, is a 280 - cylindrical tube made primarily of apricot wood (sometimes hazel, pear, mulberry, boxwood, etc.). The process of carving a balaban stem is called balaban chakma. The upper end of the stem (bash or kup) is given a round shape, whereas the lower end (ayag) is sharpened. The bore is 10 mm in diameter. Eight holes or "tones" constituting a "sound tone" (sas pardasi) are made on the obverse and another one is made on the bottom side, opposite of the interval between the first and the second holes of the sas pardasi. Sometimes an additional hole called nizam pardasi is made on the lower end of the bottom side to ensure good timbre. The holes made on the stem are classified as follows: • Sound tone– sas pardasi — Functional — #1 – first tone– bash parda • #4 – main tone – shah parda • #6 – open tone– achyg parda • #8 – bottom tone– ayag parda • rear – back tone– arkha parda • Tonal — #2 – tone of segah – segah pardasi (1) • #5 – tone of segah – segah pardasi (2) • #7 – tone of mahur – mahur pardasi • Acoustic — bottom – tone of balance – nizam pardasi The reed (az, az or az) made of club-rush that grows in an arid area is inserted into the upper end. It flattens and takes the shape of a double reed. It is tied to a 60 mm long and 10 mm wide regulator (az, boghazlig, boyundurug, az, az) made of a willow or grape branch cut lengthways. The reed is then fixed by a collar-like regulator on one side and a 7 - pivot on the other side. The cap (az, aghizlig, az, band, etc.) made of willow, hazel, cornel or mulberry is put on the reed to prevent it from damage. It is tied to the regulator in order not to be lost.
History
History
In the region; Balaman is also called Yasla Balaman, flat Balaman. • Balaman in Black Hearts. Balaban first used in Azerbaijan orchestra since 1931, when the Folk Instrument Orchestra was established in Azerbaijan. It is used to accompany songs in Turkmen and Kurdish cities such as Erbil, Süleymaniye, Kirkuk. Balaban, which has a warm sonority, is often used as a companion to the songs of heaven and bendir and Aşık. Kudüm and defle can also perform a duet, and are also performed solo. 2 The balaban plays together, while someone gives a sound, and someone plays the melody. It has origin in Caucuses and has been adopted by Azerbaijani music.
Use
Use
On solemn occasions such as weddings and holiday ceremonies, a balaban-player is accompanied by a percussionist. A traditional Azeri musical group consisting of two balaban-players and a percussionist is called balabanchilar dastasi. The short selection of Azerbaijani mugham played in balaban, national wind instrument was included on the Voyager Golden Record, attached to the Voyager spacecraft as representing world music, included among many cultural achievements of humanity. It was also used in pastoral songs and funeral music. According to Huseyngulu Sarabski, hunters played the balaban to attract quails. Certain types of the balaban are also used in ashik music.
Gallery
Gallery
• Illustration — Ashuq plays balaban (right) in Baku. The Lute to the left is a Bağlama. • Illustration — Azerbaijani musical instruments (including balaban) on the stamp of USSR, 1990
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan
Country
balaban is associated with Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan.
Country
Legacy
Kamil Jalilov's recording of the song with balaban was included on the Voyager Golden musical record, attached to the Voyager spacecraft as representing mugham, the only Azerbaijani song included.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolved
Connections
Knowledge graph
Connections
Each connection was recorded deliberately, with the basis for it kept on the internal record.
Broader subject
1- woodwind instrumentTerminology
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Identity. Balaban is classified as a woodwind instrument, sets of oboes with cylindrical bore or duduk. Balaban is associated with Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan. Within the Encyclopedia. Balaban is connected to 2 other published records in the VALÉORINE Encyclopedia.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Collectables
20,755 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Baku Baku AnimalWork
- Bakumatsu RockWork
- Bakushō! Star Monomane ShitennōWork
- Bakushou!! Kinsey GekijouWork
- balafonTerminology
- balalaikaTerminology
- Balan WonderworldWork
- Balance of PowerWork
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own an object connected with balaban?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.