Growing up in my birthplace of Esfahān, one of Iran’s historic and cultural centres, traditional music was being played and learned all around me. Though I had taken to western classical violin, I didn’t really discover Persian traditional music until after I had moved to Canada from Iran. Those days, the common notion was that students of classical music would ruin their ears by listening to traditional music.
While studying music at York University, I encountered a wealth of World Music, as well as new and experimental music. I studied improvisation and South Indian drumming, and also took several courses in Middle Eastern music. Through these courses, I got hold of a kamancheh, the Persian spiked fiddle. I fell in love with the instrument and I started to experiment. Soon I was playing in local Persian ensembles and collaborating with several musicians from different traditions. For the past few years, I have been teaching kamancheh as well as the violin. Many of my students are children whose parents want them to learn about their cultural heritage, or they are young people who have rediscovered their roots as I did a few years ago. It is both a joy and a challenge to share what I have learned and discovered about Persian music in a way that the students can relate to – especially the children.
PERFORMANCES Blue Rodeo (Tuesday – Thursday) – These Canadian legends take over Massey Hall for three straight nights. The band just released their twelfth studio album The Things We Left Behind, last November and there’s still no stopping them. Check out their latest video for Arizona Dust here.
Masters of Persian Music-Three Generations (Friday) – Our friend Alan Davis wrote about the Masters of Persian Music here on Soundboard last week and perfectly described the brilliant and beautiful music from the traditions of Iran that you’ll have a chance to hear at Roy Thomson Hall this Friday. This concert, is sure to please both established fans and those new to the genre featuring the inspirational tar maestro Hossein Alizadeh, the kamancheh virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor, and the remarkable young vocalist Hamid Reza.
The Bad Plus (Saturday) – The Bad Plus are back in town after performing a sold out show at Glenn Gould Studio back in June 2008. Saturday night at the Gould features not one, but two shows from this fantastic trio, who will be performing a mix of original material and unconventional interpretations of existing music from both the Classical and contemporary worlds. CONTINUE READING >
Brooklyn Rider and two members of Masters of Persian Music.
Ancient and refined, Persian classical music remains one of the hidden gems of world traditions – hidden until recently, that is. With beautiful poetry by Rumi and other Sufi poets, soaring vocals, exquisite melodies and powerful rhythms, this music is now winning an increasing number of listeners among classical and world music enthusiasts.
One of the key reasons for this growing audience? The Masters of Persian Music, an ensemble that has produced several sold-out North American tours and a Grammy award-winning CD. CONTINUE READING >
Soundboard is the official community of musicians, music fans, and friends of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Canada. It’s your behind-the-scenes source for related music news, recommendations, and rewards.
