Maddahi

An Iranian Maddah

Maddahi (Persian: مداحی) is a ceremonial singing or eulogy recitation especially for Shia Muslims. The word Maddahi means "to praise" in Arabic. One who sings this style is called a maddah. Maddahs mostly sing on Ahl al-Bayt's birth and death anniversary. The theme of Maddahi may be joyous or sorrowful. Most maddahs are men but some women perform in exclusively female gatherings. The majority of maddahis are sung in mourning of Ahl al-Bayt, particularly at the Mourning of Muharram in the beginning of Muharram until the Day of Ashura and Arba'een.

Notable maddahs

Among the best-known contemporary Maddahs are Basim al-Karbalaei of Iraq, Nadeem Sarwar of Pakistan, Mir Hasan Mir of Pakistan, Hussain Al-Akraf of Kuwait, Mahmoud Karimi, Seyyed Majid Bani Fatemeh of Iran, Hossein Taheri of Iran, Mahdi Rasouli of Iran, Hossein Sotoodeh of Iran and Mohammad-Hossein Haddadian of Iran. Al-Karbalaei, Bani Fatemeh, Taheri and Rasouli have gained huge international audience. Their popularity extends well beyond live gatherings: official videos by them have gained tens or even hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. In South Asia, Nadeem Sarwar is particularly prominent, with his nohas being widely performed and heard among Shia Muslims across the Indian subcontinent.

See also

• Muharram
• Maddah
• Ashura
• Tasua

References

• از پرده خوانی تا مرشدی jadidonline.com in Persian language