Musical Modes (Maqamat) in Yazidi Qewl Performances

This encyclopedia entry surveys the musical modes—locally termed kûbrî and academically compared to Arabic maqamat—that underlie the sacred chant repertoire of the Yazidi tradition, the Qewls. Drawing on recent acoustic analysis, classical encyclopaedic accounts, and field studies, the article maps the modes’ definition, transmission, regional variation, and scholarly discourse.

Qewl musical mode (kûbrî) – In Yazidi practice, a kûbrî is a prescribed melodic contour that accompanies a specific Qewl hymn, shaping its rhythm, ornamentation, and spiritual effect.

Pronunciation & orthography

Kurmanji spelling: kûbrî. Arabic script: كوبري. Cyrillic (used by Kurdish scholars in the former USSR): кубри. IPA: /kuːˈbriː/. Common English misspellings include “kubri”, “kebri”, and “kurbri”.

Main exposition

Historical emergence of the kûbrî system

The Yazidi oral tradition has long linked each Qewl to a particular melodic type. Early ethnographic accounts note that the hereditary reciters—known as qawwāl—learned both the text and its associated melody from childhood (Encyclopaedia Iranica, 2023). The terminology “kûbrî” appears in 19th‑century Kurdish manuscripts as a synonym for “melody” and was later conceptualised by scholars as comparable to the Arabic maqam system (Omarkhali 2011).

Structural features of Yazidi maqamat

Unlike the fully codified Arabic maqamat, kûbrî are defined by a set of characteristic intervals, recurring motifs, and a modal centre that is reinforced by the drone of the daf (frame‑drum) and the melodic line of the şebāb (flute). Amy de la Bretèque’s acoustic study of two Qewls identified three recurring pitch contours that correspond to what practitioners call the “Maqam‑ê Şîn”, “Maqam‑ê Xelîl” and “Maqam‑ê Zêr” (Amy de la Bretèque 2022). These contours share the micro‑tonal inflections typical of Kurdish folk music, yet they maintain a stable tonal hierarchy that guides the reciter’s improvisation.

Relation to Kurdish folk scales

Field recordings reveal that many kûbrî share intervallic patterns with the Kurdish “Şur” and “Hijaz” scales, suggesting a historical borrowing from regional secular music. However, the sacred context imposes stricter rhythmic cycles (often 6/8 or 10/8) and a prescribed sequence of melodic ornaments that differentiate the religious mode from its folk counterpart.

Instruments and their modal function

The daf and şebāb are deemed “sacred” instruments in Yazidi rituals. The daf provides a steady pulse and, through subtle timbral modulation, reinforces the tonic of the kûbrî, while the şebāb articulates the characteristic melodic motifs. As the Iranica entry notes, “the qawls are also chanted to the accompaniment of the ‘sacred’ instruments, the tambourine (daf) and flute (šebāb)” (Encyclopaedia Iranica, 2023).

“The specific melody (Kurd. kubrî) of each [qawl] is taught to the reciter, who must internalise its modal logic as part of the ritual performance.” – Encyclopaedia Iranica

Pedagogical transmission

Qawwāl families receive intensive oral training, memorising the textual content, the associated kûbrî, and the theological sub‑text. The learning process involves repetitive rendering of the hymn in its modal setting, often accompanied by the daf, until the reciter can sustain the mode without instrumental support. This method mirrors the oral transmission of maqam repertoires in other Near Eastern traditions.

In the oral tradition

The corpus of Qewl texts includes over a hundred hymns, each linked to a particular kûbrî. For instance, the celebrated “Qewlê Şêşims” is performed in the “Maqam‑ê Şîn”, a mode characterised by a raised fourth and a descending minor third motif. The oral tradition preserves not only the melody but also the performative gestures that signal transitions between verses.

“When the reciter reaches the final stanza of Qewlê Şêşims, the daf’s rhythm subtly accelerates, signalling the shift to the concluding kûbrî.” – Amy de la Bretèque, 2022

Scholarly disagreement

Kreyenbroek argues that the kûbrî should be classified as a distinct Kurdish modal system, separate from Arabic maqamat, because its intervallic structure does not align with the canonical quarter‑tone divisions of the latter. Açıkyıldız, by contrast, reads the same evidence as indicating a syncretic system where Yazidi modes are a localized adaptation of the broader maqam tradition, retaining core interval patterns while incorporating Kurdish ornamentation.

Common misconceptions

Regional variation

In the Sinjar plateau, the “Maqam‑ê Şîn” predominates, reflecting the historic link between the local shrine of Şêx Şems and the associated hymn. In Sheikhan, a variant called “Maqam‑ê Xelîl” is favoured, featuring a slightly lowered tonic that aligns with the vocal range of the region’s reciters. Syrian Yazidi communities incorporate Turkish folk modal inflections, while the diaspora in Europe often adapts the modes to Western instruments such as the piano, resulting in hybrid tonal renderings.

Timeline

Data table