Even though the last topic along these lines was pretty terrible, I was inspired to create a topic of my own. There is an artist that I think a lot of you guys would really dig, and it is likely that unless you live in NYC, San Diego or Iran that you would have ever heard of him. I am talking about the Persian master Ostad Shahram Nazeri.
Shahram Nazeri
Unlike our unfortunately deceased previous friend, this one is still alive and kicking. He is about 60 years old, and has been performing world-wide for over thirty-five years. He played a style of music in his early days known simply as 'Persian Classical Music'. Persian Classical music is an incredibly intricate and complex folk music system based upon an ironic juxtaposition of improvisation and strict adherence to established musical forms. Their instruments are not tuned or played in the same tonal system as our western instruments are, and thus their system of 'keys' and musical modes is quite different. Each key or mode is called a Dastgah, and within the Dastgah exist many Gushesh, which are akin to melodic motifs which are memorized by all Persian musicians. Where the improv comes in is in ensemble play, where the group moves collectively from one Dastgah to another, in which all the players are free to experiment with whichever set of Gushesh they choose. Percussionists are practically free to improvise at will. This is not to say that there aren't Persian Classical ensembles that play highly orchestrated pieces, and Shahram has been a part of several of these groups, the most famous of which being a family of 9 Kurdish musicians called 'The Kamkars'.
Shahram Nazeri not only is competant at the setar (not the indian sitar, a separate kurdish instrument) but is regarded as one of the most legendary vocalists to have ever come from Iran. He has been described as 'Iran's Pavarotti' and 'The Persian Nightengale'. I think the second title is apt, the man can sing like a fucking bird. You really just have to kind of hear him to understand. He sings a rich tenor, but his range extends high into the alto and down into the baritone as well. A skill that he is known for is free improvisation of vocal lines, which brings me to my next point. Nazeri was the first Persian musician to sing Rumi poems as his lyrics. Prior to this, the poems of many Sufis were used, but often lyrics were the creation of the songwriter. Nazeri is an avowed Sufi, and dedicated his musical career to spreading Rumi's message of love across the planet. He often spontaneously erupts into Rumi verse that was never meant to be sung, and improvises meter and melody as well as form.
Currently he is part of an ensemble (titled the Rumi Ensemble.. how appropriate) that is directed by his son Hafez, a virtuoso on setar, who is classically trained both in the Persian and Western music traditions. This ensemble is fairly avant-garde as far as Persian music goes, with their use of non-traditional Persian instruments such as the prominent featuring of the cello and the violin, as well as eschewing the traditional Persian Zarb drum for the Indian tablas. They still adhere partly to the Dastgah/Gushesh system but also incorporate polyrhythmic ideas as well as increased amounts of polyphony not heard elsewhere in Persian music. Hafez plays a modified setar with an extra string, and the barbat has been modified to serve the function of the western idea of a bassline. Shahram rounds out the ensemble by providing lyrics and vocal lines.
There aren't really a whole lot of websites with good information about him, most of my info comes from liner notes of albums I actually own. That said, there are a number of good videos of him on youtube, which I will link:
In the Path of Rumi -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uPkop45Y3EUEternal Return -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qqx7HJ47bkcDooram Lah Yaran -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BioCQLRlKsoAmza Amza -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=k-wP8PYX-8MLive in Tabriz -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qnoVTr2RyBw (this is up in its entirety on Youtube in like.. 6 parts or something, it is a great concert)
Place to hear "The Rumi Ensemble" -
http://www.myspace.com/hafeznazeri
Anyway, I have 5 or 6 albums by him, 3 or 4 of which are of good CD quality, so if anyone's interested I'll put them up on the zoo.
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Seda ye Sokhan e Eshgh - The Veiled Voice of Love