Karif harp: Afghanistan musical instrument

Karif harp also known as Waj, waji, vaj or vaji in local languages is a traditional Arched harp that has a bow shape body that is made of tree branch with four to five string depending on the size is used by the Nuristan province of Afghanistan. It is well played during their social gatherings and also played to accompany epic storytelling or songs of heroic tales.

In the ancient times, throughout central Asia and India, similar harps are used to be widespread and it is assumed that this harp entered Afghanistan when Buddhism was spreading across the region. Today the waji is not used in any part of Afghanistan. The musical instrument has been compared with ennanga of Uganda and harp designs that were used in Sumer and Ancient Egypt that dates back to 3000BCE.

The Kafir harp is known to be constructed of two main components which are the string holder and sound box. The string holder is a branch that is curved and sits on the top of the sound box and about five strings are pulled through holes that are created together with the side of the branch. The strings are held in place with non-turning knobs on one side of the branch while on the other side the string dangle off the instrument like a decoration made of bunched loosed threads. The sound box is specially manufactured from a concave piece of wood with a thick piece of animal skin attached over it. In the early 1950s, one harp collected in an organized trip by the anthropologists had four strings that corresponded to the central Techrachord of the Dorian mode.

When anybody is playing the Kafir harp, the person will need to balance the sound box on the left arm, you have to leave the face the string up rather than away from the musician. Kafir harp is played with a small flat pointed piece of plastic also called plectrum in the right hand while you mute the some certain strings with left hand. Although the reasons could be regarded as cultural, there are some functional reasons why it is good to use of keep the lift hand on the string and mute some non-functional strings.

The Nuristanis who converted to Islam in the 19^th century and claimed a lineage back to Alexander the Great’s Macedonian armies inhabited a remote mountain area in the north-east. The musical instrument played in the Nuristan seemed to be the only one of a kind in the region, and there were similar types of harps like the Kafir harp that were found in some other parts of the Afghanistan.