The Whole Music Experience

World   Shujaat Husain Khan, Katayoun Goudarzi,   Abhiman Kaushal and Ajay Prasanna   Spring   (no label)   To say that Spring by Hindustani sitarist Shujaat Husain Khan and Iranian vocalist Katayoun Goudarzi is a “heart” album barely describes the listening experience.   Combining the ancient Sufi poet Rumi’s soulful language with the strains of Indian sitar, bansuri flute (Ajay Prasanna) and gentle tabla beats (Abhiman Kaushal), these musicians aim for spiritual Oneness and achieve it.   Certainly, I would love to have the Rumi text in front of me while listening to this double CD recording, but even closing my eyes and allowing the voices and instruments to float over and around me takes me to a meditative place.   Yâr with its lilting melody, repetitive poetry line, and delicious beats as well as, passionate Spring (titular track), stand out as favorites for me.   The first song mentioned features vir...

Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat Twinklings of hope Kirkelig Kulturversted (Norway) Not legally permitted to share their immaculate vocals with the Iranian public, the Vahdat sisters have recorded and released albums on the Norwegian label, Kirkelig Kulturversted.   In 2003, founder of KKV, Erik Hillestad, discovered the Iranian sister vocalists when he produced the album Lullabies from the Axis of Evil .   The album that brought light to the humanity present in the countries the former US President George Bush, Jr. deemed evil, launched the Vahdat sisters’ international career.   Since that time, the Vahdat sisters have released several recordings on KKV and their latest, Twinkling of hope features ancient and contemporary Persian/Iranian poetry performed on traditional instruments and sung in a traditional voice. The irony of the Iranian government’s law forbidding women to sing in public ensures that the Iranian people experience only half of their humanity....

Mamak Khadem Jostojoo (Forever Seeking) Banyan Tree Production I discovered Iranian-American Mamak Khadem's voice in 2002 when I received Axiom of Choice's Unfolding in the mail. But many of you have probably heard her beautiful voice complimenting television show and movie soundtracks. Based in California, Mamak has kept herself busy contributing her vocal talents to many projects, including her newest CD, Jostojoo (Forever Seeking) . In her liner notes, Mamak reflects on the recording. "In the past few years, while traveling to Greece, Turkey, Armenia, and various parts of Iran, I became aware of the many similarities among these cultures and their music." She sought that common ground while infusing music from those cultures with the inspiring words of Iranian poetry, especially illustrious poetry of the ancient Persian poet, Rumi. None of this comes as a surprise to me since Mamak and I had spoken about Rumi's poetry briefly during a 2002 intervi...