#4069: World Music: Arab, Persian, Indian Collaborations

New Sounds | Jan 18, 2018

Listen to world music tied to Arab, Persian, or Indian music, but with Western classical music instruments – cello, double bass – and Scandinavian folk instruments. Hear Swedish folk fiddling and South Indian tradition Carnatic violin together in music from the quartet Nordic Raga, who are Bangalore-born violinist Jyotsna Srikanth, Swedish folk fiddler Mats Edén, Dan Svensson, percussion, Pär Moberg, saxophones. Listen to their arrangement of a folk dance from the borderlands of Sweden and Norway. Also, hear chamber music rooted in Persian classical scales, featuring kamanche, the Persian spiked fiddle, and cello from the Toronto-based duo Kamancello.

There’s music from Kayhan Kalhor and Shujaat Khan, Iranian fiddle player (kemanche) & Indian classical sitar player, respectively. Hear their work, “Safar,” which means “Journey,” and is a ghazal: which is a poetic expression common to both Persian and Indian classical music. Also, hear more love poetry in music for voice and the Kurdish/Persian tanbur, a fretted long-necked lute, featuring Persian classical vocalist Bahar Movahed & Kurdish musician Ali Akbar Moradi. Then listen to The Epichorus, a group that plays classical Arab instruments, plus double-bass, with vocals by Indian classicist Priya Darshini. It’s from their forthcoming record, Najara. There’s also music from Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble and Kayhan Kalhor to round out the show.

PROGRAM #4069 Sounds of Central Asia and the Middle East (First Aired: 1/18/2018)

ARTIST: Ghazal (Kalhor/Khan)
WORK: Safar (Journey) [15:13]
RECORDING: Lost Songs of the Silk Road
SOURCE: Shanachie #64096
INFO: Try Amazon.com

ARTIST: The Epichorus
WORK: Odecha (Praise You) [5:44]
RECORDING: Najara
SOURCE: National Sawdust 
INFO: Due out February 2 2018 | iTunes pre-order

ARTIST: Bahar Movahed & Ali Akbar Moradi 
WORK: Beloved [5:48]
RECORDING: Goblet of Eternal Light
SOURCE: Traditional Crossroads 4345
INFO: traditionalcrossroads.com

ARTIST: Nordic Raga
WORK:  Mats Edén: Vildhonung [4:52]
RECORDING: Nordic Raga
SOURCE: Riverboat Records  TUGCD1108
INFO: Due out Feb 23 2018 | worldmusic.net

ARTIST: Kamancello
WORK: Radiance [8:57]
RECORDING: Kamancello
SOURCE/INFO: kamancello.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble
WORK:  Kayan Kalhor: Mountains are Far Away [6:09]
RECORDING: Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon
SOURCE: Sony #93962
INFO: sonyclassical.com

Top Stories

One Refugee’s Journey Through ICE Detention

Black and Latino Leaders React to DSA Wins

Jewish elected leaders criticize Mamdani’s rhetoric after Upper West Side stabbings

Cat Cohen's New Comedy Musical 'Broad Strokes'

YOU ARE ONLINE