Oriental lute makes comeback in Iran
Oriental lute makes comeback in Iran AFP, TEHRAN The Oriental lute is making a comeback in Iran after decades in the shadows as musicians reconnect with an instrument integral to Arab and Turkish musical tradition in a fragmented region. Known as the oud in Arabic and Turkish, it is commonly called the barbat in Persian, although some would argue that the instruments differ slightly. “The number of [ oud] students has increased considerably over the past 15 years or so; before, a known teacher would have had a dozen students, whereas today they’ll be [sic] about 50,” said Majid Yahyane...