Gendered Voices and Creative Expression in the Singing of Chaharbeiti Poetry in Afghanistan

This article considers issues of gender in the performance in Afghanistan of chaharbeiti, an important orally transmitted genre of sung poetry. Based on particular performances and other sources, the author discusses differences in poetic choices made by male and female singers. The article draws attention to women's preoccupation with family love and the personalisation of existing texts. Other issues include the gendering of poetic viewpoints and of the object of love, and relations between the sexes as revealed in such performances.