Vocalist and anthropologist Galeet Dardashti is an advocate of Middle Eastern and North African Jewish culture. She founded the all-woman Middle Eastern Jewish ensemble, Divahn, specializes in Mizrahi cultural politics, music and media in Israel, and is a visiting professor at NYU who has begun research on progressive, millennial Sephardi/Mizrahi North American Jews.
Her latest recording is Monajat, a Persian word meaning an intimate dialogue with the Divine. The record is also a digital collaboration with the recorded voice of her grandfather Younes Dardashti, a master singer of Persian classical music in 1950s/60s Iran, backed by an all-star ensemble that includes Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz on oud and bass; Max ZT on hammered dulcimer; Zafer Tawi on violin, ney, vocals, percussion; Philip Mayer on drums; and John Stanesco contributing electronics.
Galeet Dardashti celebrates Monajat's release with a show at Littlefield on Sept. 9.
On Monajat, Galeet Dardashti takes as her inspiration the Hebrew sacred music of the Selihot ritual (or penitential prayers) and merges Persian piyutim (liturgical songs) traditionally chanted as part of the Selihot service, as well as other liturgical and non-liturgical Hebrew and Persian poetry set to new music. “Monajat”, a song likely written by Younes Dardashti, in the style of the 13th century Sufi poet Rumi, is how her grandfather’s original recording of Selihot ends. Galeet Dardashti presents selections from Monajat, and talks about "bridging generations and geography" (John Schaefer) for this New Sounds. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4788, With Galeet Dardashti (First aired 9/7/2023)
ARTIST: Galeet Dardashti
WORK: Aneinu [1:32]
RECORDING: Monajat
SOURCE/INFO: galeetdardashti.bandcamp.com/album/monajat
ARTIST: Galeet Dardashti
WORK: Adon Haselichot [4:54]
RECORDING: Monajat
SOURCE/INFO: galeetdardashti.bandcamp.com/album/monajat
ARTIST: Galeet Dardashti
WORK: Adonai Hu Ha'elohim [5:13]
RECORDING: Monajat
SOURCE/INFO: galeetdardashti.bandcamp.com/album/monajat
ARTIST: Galeet Dardashti
WORK: Melekh [5:06]
RECORDING: Monajat
SOURCE/INFO: galeetdardashti.bandcamp.com/album/monajat
ARTIST: Galeet Dardashti
WORK: Monajat [4:10]
RECORDING: Monajat
SOURCE/INFO: galeetdardashti.bandcamp.com/album/
ARTIST: Galeet Dardashti
WORK: Aneinu [4:21]
RECORDING: Monajat
SOURCE/INFO: galeetdardashti.bandcamp.com/album/monajat
ARTIST: Galeet Dardashti
WORK: The Awakening [6:01]
RECORDING: Monajat
SOURCE/INFO: galeetdardashti.bandcamp.com/album/monajat