An analysis of the role of external music in the longevity and popularity of Bakhtiari folk songs

Bakhtiari folk literature is manifested in joyous songs, dirges, epic songs, and maternal lullabies, and due to its deep connection with local culture and music, it has a special place in Iranian oral literature. This research, using a descriptive-analytical method and library study, examines the role of external music in the persistence and spread of these songs. The main goal of the article is to analyze the effect of prosody and external music on the easier transmission of the message, attractiveness, and institutionalization of these songs in the collective memory of the Bakhtiari people. The findings of this study show that the prosodic meters used in Bakhtiari songs are in complete harmony with the syllabic structure of the Bakhtiari dialect. This harmony not only makes it easier to memorize and repeat the songs, but also, due to the accompaniment of specific melodies, has helped increase their fame and intergenerational transmission, and is one of the most important factors in the persistence and popularity of folk songs of this region. Understanding these meter patterns can be effective in preserving and revitalizing Bakhtiari oral literature and producing new works with the same traditional charms; also, meter and musical repetitions in these songs have played an important role in strengthening the auditory memory of the Bakhtiari people and establishing these works in the oral tradition.