Breath / Ah / Aliento

In Breath, Persian singer Farnaz Ohadi makes the impossible seem easy, weaving two complex traditions, Persian classical music and Spanish flamenco, into a seamless whole. It may seem a strange combination, but it could only happen in Canada. Ohadi left Iran when she was a teenager, sick of the daily oppression she experienced as a young woman. Arriving in Vancouver, she found not only a Persian community where she could study the singing, but also a community of flamenco fans. Now, after years of study in Vancouver, she’s debarked for Spain to deepen her focus. The result is an album that brings together the Persian poetry of greats like Rumi, Hafez and Khayyam with the rhythms and spirit of flamenco. Flamenco has North African but not Persian roots, so the creation of this album took years of work and research. It all flows effortlessly and there’s a breathtaking delight in hearing the virtuosity of Persian santur player Amir Amiri intertwine with Spanish flamenco guitar master Gaspar Rodríguez. Ohadi has an almost architectural vision for how these traditions can come together and the result is a wonder to behold.