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journey to persia Hossein Behroozi-Nia plays the barbat, a pear-shaped lute with 5 pairs of strings that functions as a bass. As well as being Director of Musical Education at the Centre for the Preservation of Persian Music and musical director for the National Radio and Television Orchestra of Tehran prior to emigrating to Canada in 1999, he has performed with the most prominent ensembles throughout Iran, recorded on CD and composed numerous compositions for the barbat. Hamid Motebassem plays the tar (see above) and setar, a delicately toned 4-string lute. Founder of the Society of Tar and Setar, he has recorded and composed prolifically. He founded the Dastan Ensemble in 1986. Percussion duties belong to Pejman Hadadi who performs on the tombak, a goblet shaped drum carved from mulberry wood and covered by lamb or goatskin. As well as composing, performing and being credited for film and theatre soundtracks he has been described by Rhythm Magazine (KPFA Radio, Berkley) as "the finest Iranian percussionist living in the west". In describing the music on Journey To Persia what is immediately apparent is the absence of Arabic influence on the music. If anything the music bears a resemblance to that of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The Dastan Trio's innovation has been to use the frameworks of their compositions to assert the primacy of improvisation. This lends an air of freedom and vibrancy to everything they do. Intensely melodic yet serpentine and full of surprise….meditative yet staggeringly virtuosic...the music of this trio sets a new benchmark in the performance of world music…anywhere. Just listen to the perfect consonance of rhythm, melody and superhuman speed on Midnight Sun…it's positively scary. Place this CD on the altar next to the brilliant Hossam Ramzy/ Rafa El Tachuela collaboration Flamenco Arabe (see Review Section). RJ July 2003 |
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