Historical Roots of Makoms
Historical Roots of Makoms
The history of makoms can be provisionally divided into two principally different stages. The first stage is considered the period of appearing first melody-intonation layers that became the basis for the formation of ancient makoma's roots. Of course, we can not speak of them as classical works of makoma art. The second stage originated from the appearance of a «makomat system* which in the course of many centuries has reached its perfection.
Now it is difficult to study the most ancient basics of makom songs because of the lack of characteristic written sources and musical tracts. At the same time «Shashmakom», «Khorezm's makoms» and «Ferghana-Tashkent makoms» are considered sources of importance to get somewhat idea of them as the specific makoma's melodic «language» permits to determine characteristic features of different musical layers of the past.
There is an opinion among scientists that the germs of makoms have come to us as a heritage of prophets.
An important part of makom musical elements is presented by archaic samples of folk music. It is astonishing that they have preserved the «traces» of the most ancient types of folk music. We can see this traces in such makom samples as «Navruzi Adjam», «Navruzi Khoro». Navruzi Sabo». Of course it is not accidental. As we know Navruz has been celebrated by the people of the East from the time immemorial, and during the celebration definite melodies and songs were performed.
These songs and melodies came to the people's life as a type of traditional ritual music which was later introduced into the structure of makoms, and having gained in this «context» its new development, have acquired its present highly developed form.
Such melodic structures as «gakh» (that is «Dugakh», Segakh», «Chargakh», «Pandzhakh») are considerably drawing our attention. Experts not infrequently connect their origination with the traditional manner of reading old books, in a singsong voice.
It is worth mentioning that the elements of ancient musical layers found in the makoms are hardly possible to be restored to their original version. So, the ancient makoma roots are not really the history of makoma but they are rather the source of their origin. It is just on the basis of their development that there begins the formation of makoms and then their classical history as an integrated unit.
At the same time some experts think that the development of makom systems is tied the development of human society. That is what writes in this connection doctor Iskhak Radjabov, scientist dealing with makoms: «Makoms came to life when man had enriched his understanding of music and his musical and aesthetic views had reached high level. The formation of the makom system is also directly connected with the development of world science and education. The musicologists of the East many times underlined a connection between music, medicine, philosophy and mathematics.
Preconditions that are necessary for makom systems to appear were born as far back as the 9th-1 Oth centuries. It was just the period when exact science started developing. Thanks to Abu Nasr Farabi (871-950 A.D.), who made a tremendous contribution to the sphere of musicology, professional music practice was put on a new step. All this turned to become a good precondition for the appearance of the «12 makom system» in large cities of the medieval East.
In our region the system of 12 makoms completely confirmed itself and acquired its originally classical form in the period of Temur and Temurids' reign. It is necessary to underline here a specific contribution made by Sokhibkiran. Amir Temur got together scientists-musicologists from different countries and gave them all necessary conditions for creative activities.
Consequently, the system of 12 makoms arises from long-term scientific work of many people.
The word «makom», means in Sufism interpretation the seven main stages (or steps) that are to be reached by a traveler (salik, myufid) going on the way (suluk) of moral self-improvement.
It is important to keep in mind that the system of 12 makoms, bearing the idea of «perfect person», has various forms of manifestation. For example, a spiritual ascent of the traveler to his goal is «embodied» through pilgrimage to holy towns which is softly (batin) implicated in special names of makoms. In the context of the above we offer the following interpretation of those names:
- Ushshak - passionate love for Great Creator ;
- Navo - melody of passionate love;
- Busalik - decision of the person in love to put himself on the track of learning and spiritual improvement.
The names of the following 7 makoms - «Rast», «Husayniy», «Hidjaz», «Rokhaviy». Zangula», «Iraq», «Isfagan» are allegorically implying the idea of making Great Hadj and, at the same time, symbolizing the steps of spiritual ascent of the man in love towards the perception of the Absolute Truth.
It is not accidentally that the hero in love from poetic lines feels an acute spiritual need for listening to the makoms «Iraq», «Hidjaz». Since in the musical structure of these makoms there are such melodic pearls that stimulate his pure intentions, it is just there that he derives his strength on the way towards moral improvement.
As a whole the projection of the Sufi relationship «salik -suluk» (traveler - way) in the System of 12 makoms can be traced in the following way:
a) each of 12 makoms. consisting of perfect scale, is presented as «suluk» (musical»way»);
b) the function of the traveler is performed by the representatives of «shubat» (musical thee);
c) in musical practice the melodic formations «shube» are relying on definate steps of fret-makom and is developing up to necessary-condition.
In such a way the word «makom» in music also means «creative formation* that is «way», in other words, a specific method of the development of musical material from «imperfect» to «perfect».
Summarizing the above we may add to the makom description the following:
1) Makom is a definite philosophy, a specific musical embodiment of the levels of knowledge. The basis of its philosophic wisdom is spiritual, intellectual self-improvement of a person who is recognizing the Truth by this way.
2) Makom is a method of bottom-up developing a given musical theme, symbolizing a graduate ascent on the steps of improvement.
This additional comment to the makoms is applicable not only to the 12-makom system but also the Shashmakom. Khorezm-makom, and Ferghana-Tashkent-makom.
In pure musical plane we may trace a tendency to a gradual development of melody theme on the basis of improved scale (as an artistic expression of the process of cognition), melody strictly follows the purposeful development of music and invariably leads to the culmination - to a quantitative renovation of the initial image on this way. But the most forcible argument is the makom music itself that is penetrated with a Great Love. Indeed, wonderful melodies of makoms reflect spiritual pureness that is personifying moral-ethic basics of real Beauty and God's truth. It seems this is the reason why the makoms for ages have not lost their artistic value and are going on to with the souls of more and more listeners.
The makoms are awaking in people their best thoughts, aspirations and feelings, they help us to raise our spirit in spite of many obstacles and temptations and by the language of music is calling on us to move towards spiritual perfection.