Peripheries of Nahavand

Salek is a Tehran-born, Canada-based ensemble leader and tar player versed in the mores of Iran’s dastgāh system of music, but here on Peripheries of Nahavand he and his ensemble extend out to embrace modal music compositions inspired by Turkish and Arabic makam music with influences from the Iranian dastgāh. The ‘Nahavand’ of the title is a city in Iran, as well as a makam of the Nahawand family, the equivalent to the Western minor scale, and as capable of reaching great emotional depths, as on the set’s second track, the beautiful and captivating nine-minute piece, ‘Âvâz’. As well as his masterful tar playing, there are vocals from Asare Shekarchi on ‘Âshenâ’, as well as santur, kemençe lyre, tombak and ney, the latter leading off another album highlight, ‘Ghazal’, on which Shekarchi returns with an extraordinary vocal performance. An essential purchase for lovers of Arabic, Ottoman and Iranian classical music.