Posts Tagged ‘mahsa vahdat’
Top of the World Review: Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat – Twinklings of Hope
Posted on August 12th, 2012 in Recent Posts, Reviews by Songlines.
Words by Simon Broughton
Songs from a Persian mansion
I first heard Iranian sisters Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat in Istanbul in 2006. The power in their voices, so perfectly matched and intertwining around each other was a revelation. We were all there for a Freemuse meeting about music censorship. Sadly, solo (or duo) women singers are not permitted to perform in Iran except for all-female audiences.
The Vahdat sisters have released several albums on the Norwegian KKV label, most of them fusion projects, and have contributed a track to KKV’s Lullabies from the Axis of Evil album in 2004. But this is the first recording where the power and beauty of their voices really comes across. It was recorded with three instrumentalists on ney flute (Pasha Hanjani), plucked setar (Atabak Elyasi) and percussion (Ali Rahimi) in an Qajar period Persian mansion in Tehran belonging to the Italian embassy. It’s a beautiful location for a traditional ensemble.
Some of the words are by the great Persian poets Hafez and Rumi, others are contemporary, but the music is timeless. The breathiness of the ney, the tingling delicacy of the setar, the punctuation of drums and the overlapping voices in ‘Garden of Visions’ are magical. A soft ney introduction leads to the drama of ‘Crane’, a powerful song yearning for freedom. The words are intensely poetic and often hard to interpret (despite translations), but the effect of the songs is transformative.
Chris Blackwell’s playlist and the 10 best new releases in the Aug/Sept issue of Songlines (#86)
Posted on July 19th, 2012 in Recent Posts by Songlines.
The August/September 2012 issue of Songlines – on sale July 20 – features a free covermount CD packed full of the best new sounds from around the world, plus 5 tracks selected by the Island Reocrds founder Chris Blackwell. It also includes a second free CD, Louisiana Legends – A Gumbo of Cajun, Zydeco, Blues, Jazz, Funky Brass & More.
The Top of the World CD includes tracks from Polish folk collective Warsaw Village Band; courageous Iranian singing duo Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat; Brazil’s new rap sensation Criolo; Quantic’s latest Colombian adventure, Ondatrópica; UK Romany folk song collector Sam Lee; and the debut from emerging Ethio-pop star Samuel Yirga, among others.
Pick up your copy here on the website, at selected WHSmith’s and at all good record retailers. Feast your ears on these all-new tracks:
* Mokoomba ‘Njoka’ on IglooMondo
* Criolo ‘Bogotá’ on Sterns
* Ondatrópica ‘Suena’ on Soundway
* Lokkhi Terra ‘Shokhi Kunjo Shajao’ on Funkiwala
* Samuel Yirga ‘The Blues of Wollo’ on Real World
* Sam Lee ‘Goodbye my Darling’ on The Nest Collective
* Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat ‘Garden of Visions’ on Kirkelig Kulturverksted
* Bard ‘Late Afternoon’ on Woodburner
* Warsaw Village Band ‘Hola Byski Hola’ on Jaro
* The Very Best ‘Yoshua Alikuti’ on Moshi Moshi Records
Plus Chris Blackwell’s playlist:
* Oumou Sangaré ‘Yala’ on World Circuit
* Baaba Maal ‘Tindo Quando’ on Palm Pictures
* Angélique Kidjo ‘Agolo’ on Island/Mango
* Salif Keita ‘Mandjou’ on Island/Mango
* Ali Farka Touré ‘Timbarma’ on World Circuit
August/September 2012 issue of Songlines (#86) is on sale in the UK from July 20
Posted on July 18th, 2012 in Recent Posts by Songlines.
The August/September 2012 issue of Songlines is on sale in the UK from July 20 and includes our regular Top of the World CD with ten tracks from the finest new releases from around the planet, plus a second free CD showcasing Louisiana Legends – A Gumbo of Cajun, Zydeco, Blues, Jazz, Funky Brass & More. The Top of the World CD also includes five tracks selected by Island Records founder, Chris Blackwell.
The Top of the World CD includes tracks from Polish folk collective Warsaw Village Band; courageous Iranian singing duo Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat; Brazil’s new rap sensation Criolo; Quantic’s latest Colombian adventure, Ondatrópica; UK Romany folk song collector Sam Lee; and the debut from emerging Ethio-pop star Samuel Yirga, among others.
The main editorial features include:
Features
• Happy Birthday WOMAD – The story behind this momentous festival as it celebrates 30 years.
• Sam Lee – Tim Cumming takes to the road with the young song collector, folk singer and former burlesque dancer.
• West Bengal – Simon Broughton journeys through West Bengal’s rural communities to report on the regeneration taking place amongst musicians.
• Anda Union – A look at the Inner Mongolian band who are preparing to take Edinburgh by storm at this year’s Fringe festival.
• The Alaev Family – It’s a family affair: the Central Asian Jewish band about to make their UK debut at this year’s WOMAD.
Regulars
• Beginner’s Guide to Egyptian percussionist Hossam Ramzy.
• Sounding Out Shetland – all the best places to find music on the islands off the Scottish north coast.
• Festival Profile: Fest’Napuan, Vanuatu.
• Postcard from Windsor Castle.
• Backpage from Fes, Morocco.
• My World – Island Records founder Chris Blackwell.
• Grooves – Emily Miller, one half of country singers the Sweetback Sisters, new Ethio-pop sensation Samuel Yirga, and Steve Roud, author of the New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs.
• News, including Fado on film: a new exhibition.
• Reviews of the latest CD, DVD and World Cinema releases.
Freemuse Award 2010 winners announced
Posted on March 22nd, 2010 in News by Songlines.
Iranian singer Mahsa Vahdat and Turkish-Kurdish singer and activist Ferhat Tunç have jointly won the 2010 Freemuse Award. They will receive the award at a ceremony in London on March 25.
Freemuse – the independent international organisation advocating freedom of expression for musicians and composers – recognised the singers for their strong defence of freedom of musical expression.
The Award Committee on Mahsa Vahdat:
“Mahsa Vahdat continues to resist all pressures that the conservative sectors of Iranian society put on woman musicians. Despite such pressures Iran has a remarkably vibrant music scene that ridicules the clichés that are often written about the country, and Mahsa is a fabulous example of this. Last year, she recorded an album with Mighty Sam McClain, an artist from the ‘enemy nation’ – the US. Her courage and bold resistance in continuing to follow her artistic muse makes her an ideal laureate.”
The Award Committee on Ferhat Tunç:
“For almost three decades Ferhat Tunç has insisted on exercising his right to perform his music in spite of several court cases and other threats against him. He has continued to sing songs in the minority language Zaza (Dimli) and in Kurmanci (Kurdish) as well as in Turkish. He has refused in a firm way to succumb to all the intimidations, but without expressing any hatred against his perpetrators. Ferhat has actively propagated the strengthening of human rights and democracy in Turkey.”
Both artists are featured on the new Freemuse CD Listen to the Banned.
